Effect of pre-class preparation of legal cases on in-class performance

Objective. This study was conducted to explore whether students who prepare legal cases prior to class display a greater understanding of the material than students who are not expected to prepare. Methods. This study examined pharmacy students enrolled in a pharmacy law course during their second professional year. Students in the course were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 firms. Prior to each class, the members of one firm were responsible for reading a case and being prepared to present information on it. Only that firm's members were given the case before the class period in which it was to be covered. During class, students in the firm were called upon to present the facts of the case and the principles of law that were applicable to pharmacists. Essay questions on the examinations were used to determine if those who were expected to prepare for the class outperformed those who were not expected to prepare. Results. Only 1 firm outperformed the other firms on identifying issues covered by their case. The scores of students from different firms did not differ across the 3 examinations given during the course. Conclusions. These findings suggest that it is not necessary for instructors to make sure all students have access to cases before class when using case-based education.