Brittany Vogel, PharmD, MBA, PGY1 Managed Care Resident at
Kaiser of the Mid-Atlantic States
Khan starts off his talk by speaking about the feedback he
received from his cousins after posting instructional videos online. He used to
tutor his cousins in person and simply posted these videos online for their
supplemental use. The first thing his cousins told him was that they preferred
him online in the videos rather than in person. I, along with Khan, first found
this funny but then realized how true this is nowadays.
Videos online allow the learner to pause, rewind and repeat
something the learner might have missed or misunderstand the first time.
Allowing the learning to pause also gives the learner more time to process what
was just taught on the screen, or to simply use the bathroom without missing
any important information. Being taught online really allows the student to go
at their own pace and on their own time.
Other benefits of learning online can also include saving
the student from embarrassment. I know I am one of those students that hates to
ask questions in class because I think maybe I just missed what was said or I
didn’t understand it, and I just need to review it. What if I ask a stupid
question and everyone laughs or rolls their eyes at me? I also hate to waste
people’s time, whether it be my fellow peers or my teacher. I also hate when
teachers ask questions, expecting a response- what if I get called on and I
don’t know the answer? I think many students can relate and have these same
thoughts!
Khan continues to point out yet another benefit of online learning
that may be overlooked- the opportunity to make the teaching experience more
individualized rather than the one-size-fits-all lecture from the classroom.
Teachers were starting to incorporate his videos into their lessons; they were
“flipping” the classroom to have the students watch the videos as homework
outside of class and do the typical homework assignments in class. This allowed
for a more collaborative classroom. Instead of the students quietly sitting
there trying to absorb the material and not talk to each other, they are
allowed to interact and learn from each other.
Another interesting concept Khan discusses is testing the
information the students are learning. This is usually done with a quiz or
exam, in which the student will get a percent grade and move on to the next
topic. But this does not necessarily mean that if they got a 100% on that
particular exam they know everything or that they will remember it all. This
happens frequently with students- they don’t learn the topic, but rather
memorize or learn just enough to be able to pass the test. This prevents
students from building on concepts and expanding their knowledge. Being able to
build on concepts is important in all areas, but I especially see the value for
pharmacists. Typically, we learn the basics during our first year-
pharmacology, side effects, brand/generic drug names, patient counseling. If we
don’t retain these basics onto our second year, where we learn about specific
disease states and complex cases, it becomes more difficult to process. Khan
says rather than being tested to a percentage, it is best for the student to
keep practicing that concept until it is mastered. In order to get a concept
mastered though, it involves failing and experimenting- something the learner
should not be punished for.
Khan Academy allows student-specific data and class
dashboards to be obtained by the teachers. For example, teachers are able to
see what videos have been watched, how many times the videos were paused, what
exercises they used, and even what or how many problems the students are
getting right or wrong. This essentially allows the teacher to be able to focus
in on specific areas that the class, or student, may be struggling with during
the face-to-face teaching time. Khan states that the Academy has noticed that
students may be slow in the beginning, but they use the resources they feel
will help them the most and are able to move forward and get faster as they
master the concept.
I think the use of video and other online resources to
supplement the classroom teaching is exactly what is needed in schools, no
matter the age of the learners or the difficulty of the subject. Society is
continually developing and we, as educators, would be silly to not use the
advances in technology to our benefit. Technology is how students are learning-
it is what they are becoming used to. It is important to adapt our ways of
teaching to be able to relate and communicate with the students in a way they
are familiar with and that is most beneficial to them.
The use of these type of video and online resources to
supplement in-person teaching in the classroom would especially be ideal if
incorporated into pharmacy school curriculums, for many reasons. One reason to
start with is that a large portion of pharmacy students these days are second
career students, or students that may have a family. Having an opportunity to
review videos outside of the classroom may make it more convenient for these
types of students if for some reason they have something come up during class
times. It would also be beneficial to these type of students because it may
have been a while since they sat in classes, and they may learn better watching
videos outside of class where they can take their time and process the
information, rather than potentially having to ask questions and get embarrassed
during class. Another scenario that this type of teaching would be beneficial
for is the other end of the pharmacy student spectrum- those that are fresh out
of undergrad or just got their prerequisites. These students may need more
structure and providing that both outside of the classroom and during class
would be beneficial.
Ideally, the incorporation of video usage and
student-specific data in pharmacy education should be used whenever
possible. I don’t think this tactic
should be limited to any one particular class. I would recommend this tactic be
started in the first year of pharmacy school, slowly getting the students
adjusted to this type of education and the tools available to them. This would
also be a good time frame for the educators to learn about their students as
well to see how they are impacted. By the second year, not only will students
have discovered how they learn best and what approach is most beneficial in
their learning experience, but the teachers will also have a good working
knowledge of how their students learn. This would especially be valuable during
second year when pharmacotherapy topics are started, topics that often build
upon previously learned material. I think the repetitiveness and individualized
learning experiences via instructional videos and materials online will only
help developing pharmacy professionals throughout their pharmacy career.
References:
- Khan, Sal. “Let’s use video to reinvent education.” TED. Mar 2011. Lecture. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread
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