Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Focused Debate on the Development of Ethical Reasoning Skills in Pharmacy Technician Students

To evaluate the effectiveness of debating an ethical dilemma on the development of ethical reasoning skills in pharmacy technician students. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This included analysis of before and after 5-minute papers, a sentiment survey, thematic analysis of student reflective writing and a qualitative questionnaire by an independent observer. Twenty-five students participated in the study. The 5-minute papers showed improvement in student learning. In the sentiment survey, 83% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they had a better understanding of ethical dilemmas following the debate. The main theme identified from student blogs was the variety of different opinions expressed during the debate. Debating was an effective means of exploring ethics with pharmacy technician students.