Calculations skills and patient safety: Motivational design for an undergraduate health sciences calculations course

Introduction: Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals must perform accurate calculations to prevent medication errors; however, studies have identified deficiency in PharmD student calculations skills, and data from the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) show a consistent decline in calculations performance. Methods: To address this, an undergraduate-level, asynchronous online health sciences calculations course was developed, integrating patient safety concepts with foundational math skills. The course was designed using the ARCS motivation model, which includes the following components: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. These elements informed the course design, which intended to overcome challenges with student engagement in online learning environments. This study evaluated the motivational impact of the course using the validated Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) and open-ended questions. Results: Of the 32 students enrolled, 81 % completed the IMMS and 78 % answered the open-ended questions. Quantitative results showed high levels of student motivation, with an average IMMS score of 155.7 (out of 180) and all individual ARCS components scoring above the successful motivation threshold of 3.5. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes which positively influenced the ARCS components, including use of real-life examples, an organized and predictable course structure, scaffolded learning activities, and formative feedback. Discussion: The findings suggest that incorporating motivational design principles can be an effective strategy for developing engaging online courses that build calculations skills and enhance confidence in undergraduate students. This approach may better prepare students to apply knowledge in a PharmD curriculum and other professional programs for students pursuing health-related careers.