Medical Students' Perception of Virtual Simulation-Based Learning in Pharmacology

Virtual simulation-based learning has opened a vista for surmounting ethical issues with the use of animals in compliance with one of the ‘3Rs’ in ethical principles for animal use, which is ‘replacement.’ It's effective in terms of time, place, and cost. For instance, the time for drug application in cancer models would be less with virtual simulations, and the cost of maintenance and update of the software is less than that of breeding and feeding experimental animals. This paper examines the effects of utilizing a virtual computer tool simulating real pharmacology laboratory equipment in the second semester of a large-scale basic medical course. We looked at the theories of education and instructional designs and used them to develop a virtual computer lab that could help our students meet the intended learning outcomes. We analyzed, developed, implemented, and finally evaluated the students' reactions (at the Kirkpatrick level) using a self-administered questionnaire with responses on a three-point Likert scale. Feedback was obtained from 60 out of 82 (73.2 %) level 4 medical undergraduate students of both sexes, 39/60 (65%) were from the male section of the college. Sixty percent of the students admitted that the software is simple. Sixty percent agreed that it was good. Fifty-seven percent denied previous exposure to the simulation lab. Fifty-two percent reported that the practical lab's content was good, 53.3% rated the achievement of the practical objectives as good, 48.3% rated the practical enforcement of theoretical knowledge as good, 61.7% estimated getting realistic results, 48.3% agreed that the simulation lab encourages formulating a live experiment to test the hypothesis, and 51.7 % decided that the time framework was long. Thirty-eight percent appreciated the learning experience, and 45% felt that it should be repeated elsewhere. Students from the female section opted to record different determinations. The experience of using the virtual computer lab as part of the teaching program in pharmacology confirms the educational value of simulation. By adding a flexible reliable teaching method, we believe it served as a valuable tool for assisting teaching and learning in our context. Moreover, it is perceived as favorable by a good number of our students.