Student-Driven Learning

Tiffany Buckley, PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Resident

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

Every year bright minds decide to enter the pharmacy profession. Pharmacy schools should strive to maximize this incoming talent through instructional methods that cultivate innovative, creative thinkers. After completing pharmacy school, students should not only possess strong clinical and research skills but also prepared to be adaptable and advance pharmacy practice. In order to create this caliber of student, pharmacy schools must employ principles of high-end learning.

High-end learning requires students to apply relevant knowledge, utilize research skills, employ creative thinking, and make use of interpersonal skills to solve real-world problems. In order to reach this echelon of learning via projects, students must have opportunities for student-driven learning interspersed throughout the curriculum.

Student-driven learning is directed by student interest and results in the development of accurate products for real audiences. It challenges the belief that intellectual growth occurs when information is directly transferred from teacher to student through didactic instruction and standardized testing.

Student-driven learning has three important hallmarks. Firstly, students must have an emotional investment in the work. A scholarly interest or a simple curiosity in the project could be the reason for emotional investment. It is only vital that the student has a connection to the work. When students are doing work they are connected to, they are more likely to take ownership over the work and be able to work on it intently for extended periods of time.  Secondly, in order to complete the project students must utilize methods that are employed by working professionals in the field.  This allows students to have the opportunity to get an idea of what it truly would entail to complete work in the field.  When students have the opportunity to utilize methods employed by working professionals in the field, this approximates what is done in the field and allows students to gain the skills that will easily translate to professional practice. Finally, the project work should be work that is necessary to be completed or required to learn.  Making students complete superfluous tasks results in wasted time and could lead to student-aversion to future student-driven learning opportunities. 

Enrichment clusters are a mechanism that can be utilized to incorporate student-driven learning into the curriculum.  Enrichment clusters are structured blocks of time within the curriculum where students are given an opportunity to work on meaningful projects. Once a topic is chosen, students can work independently or be divided into small groups which solve real-world problems.  During this time, the instructor takes the role of a facilitator and coach. The instructor provides basic guidance on the project and freely provides the students with instructions and guidance when they request help or appear to need assistance. If needed, the instructor can provide short didactic type sessions on concepts that are needed to complete the project. In order for the enrichment cluster model to be successful, the instructor must create an atmosphere that is warm, welcoming, and open to questions.  If this aspect is missing from the environment, students might not request help when they need it or overthink projects when all the student needed was simple redirection.

When planning the curriculum for pharmacy school, enrichment clusters could be incorporated into educational plan to allow students opportunities to apply the skills they have learned didactically to real-world problems.  For instance, the mission of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy is to be a leader in pharmacy education, scientific discovery, patient care and community engagement. In order to create students that will advance this mission, the school could consider creating a longitudinal project class throughout the year.  Students could have the opportunity to work on a project that focused on pharmacy education, research, patient care, or community engagement. A list of potential projects could be generated and students could divide into teams to achieve their goals. For instance, for those interested in academia, they could embark on a project to create an elective class. Throughout the semester, students would have to complete modules or readings about the elements of course design and use time in class to work with their mentor to make the project come alive. For students interested in research, they could work with a faculty mentor to design a research project that could be completed within the year. Once students enter practice, they will have a plethora of projects they are constantly working on. Exposing students to the types of projects pharmacists tackle early on will help them gain the skills necessary for success.

Student-driven learning via enrichment clusters provides an opportunity for students to achieve high-end learning. When instructors incorporate enrichment clusters into the curriculum, students are able to develop their interests and abilities with high levels of creative productivity.  Because students have been utilizing skills that they will directly use in practice, they are better suited for the demands of the workforce.

Renzulli, JS, Gentry M, & Reis SM. (2014). Enrichment clusters: A practical plan for real-world, student-driven learning. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.