Evaluation of a medication calculation mobile app using a cognitive load instructional design

International Journal of Medical Informatics
Miriam McMullan

Abstract

For students attending healthcare courses, such as nursing and paramedicine, the ability to calculate medication dosages accurately is an essential but often a complex cognitive skill to be learned. This study aimed to determine whether a 'mastering medication calculation' mobile app, developed using an instructional design based on cognitive load theory, could improve students' medication calculation ability and self-efficacy. Additional objectives were: (1) To examine the correlations between students' medication calculation ability, self-efficacy and their numerical ability; (2) To explore how well medication calculation ability can be predicted by students' numerical ability and their medication calculation self-efficacy; (3) To obtain students' opinions regarding the mobile app's usefulness and usability. A quasi-experimental study was carried out with a convenience sample of 60 second year UK university healthcare students who used the app for 8 weeks while in clinical practice. Students were given medication calculation ability and self-efficacy tests pre- and post-intervention. In addition, they were asked pre-intervention to complete a numeracy test and to complete a post-intervention survey to obtain their opinions on...Continue Reading

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