EVALUATION OF A COMPUTER-BASED BRIDGING COURSE BY OVERSEAS-QUALIFIED PHARMACISTS SEEKING AUSTRALIAN REGISTRATION

A study was undertaken to develop and evaluate computer-based bridging courses in the subjects of pharmaceutical calculations and biopharmac eutics to assist foreign pharmacists pass the Stage I exam, a part of the Australian registration requirements. The authoring package ToolBo ok Multimedia CBT Edition(R) running under Windows(R) was used. Each c ourse contained a Tutorial and Test Program Thirty-two of the 39 candi dates who were provided with the programs completed a questionnaire. P rograms were found to be easy-very easy to install by 86 percent. High -very high ratings were given by >85 percent for the extent to which s et objectives ware met. More than 90 percent gave useful-very useful r atings for the modules as an exam preparation and also for the value o f most program features. Test program usage was continuously collected and stored on floppy disk. Data collected from 58 candidates estimate d that the average total period of use by each candidate was about 31. 0 (SD +/- 26.0) hours. Overall, the prog rams were very enthusiastical ly received and thought to have met their set objectives.