Abstract:

Introduction:
The introduction of Double Degrees at Universities is relatively new and is based on the idea of students acquire two degrees in a similar frame time as one. Some authors have studied the benefits of dual degrees, highlighting the economic one, since it is cheaper to complete a dual degree than study two degrees separately, and the high employability of their students. However, there are studies that identify some disadvantages such as timetable/assessment clashes, heavy workload or no sense of belonging. The main objective of this work is to make a comparison between Single- and Double-Degree Pharmacy students based on class attendance and academic achievement. Moreover the impact of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) was evaluated as a teaching resource in both groups of students.

Methods:
The study was conducted in students enrolled in the in the 4th year of the Degree in Pharmacy (G) or Double degree in Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics (DG) at the University of Valencia. Pharmaceutical Technology I, a compulsory subject of 12 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) was the chosen subject. Attendance was controlled during tutorial sessions of this subject using a signature sheet. In addition, grade point averages were employed to compare academic achievement. The implementation of two virtual tools (“Educaplay” and “Kahoot”) as a new teaching-learning strategy was used in half of these tutorial sessions. Anonymous surveys were also employed to assess student satisfaction.

Results:
Generally, students of DG attend tutorial classes more than G students (92.8 % vs 85.5 %, respectively). However, the impact of the use of ICT on class attendance was null in both groups. In fact, only a 44 % of students took into account the type of session to plan their attendance. The grade point averages obtained for DG students were higher than that of G students (7.90 vs 6.59, respectively). Furthermore, 100 % of DG students passed the subject, whereas in the case of G group this percentage decreased to 89.4 %. Regarding the new teaching-learning methodology used, the 81.3 % of overall students perceived them as attractive, interesting and useful for their learning process. The results obtained by “Educaplay” predicted the pass rate of this subject in DG students much better and “Kahoot!” did better in G students.

Conclusion:
According to our results, as expected, the academic achievement was higher in DG students than in G students, due to the highest attendance of DG students. Although students of both groups perceive ICT as an adequate and useful learning strategy, their use does not affect attendance. However, in our experience, this technology can be employed as a predictor of the pass rate.

Keywords:

Attendance, academic achievement, Degree in Pharmacy, Double degree in Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics, information and communication technologies.