Kar-Yue Alvin Yee, Pharm.D.
PGY1 - Pharmacy Resident
Kaiser Permanente
Mid-Atlantic States Region
Pharmacy education is changing at a rapid pace and this is influenced by a variety of education challenges, including the changing role of pharmacists, changing pharmacy environment, new medication advances, evolving technology, and diversity of teaching techniques.1 Additionally, there is now a new generation of learners, termed the “digital natives”.2 Students within this generation are young people born into the digital age and is fluent in the use and adaptation of new technology. This generation expects their education to mirror their expertise in various methods of technology and are used to learning environments that are supported by strong technological integration. Also, the world of pharmacy is growing in the use of different technologies, including bar code scanning and the electronic medical record systems.
In pharmacy education, our teaching objectives include facilitating clinical knowledge acquisition, refining patient counseling skills, and improving decision making; different technologies can help address these goals. The goal of educators is to effectively utilize new technologies to help the education process become a more personalized and collaborative experience.
The following are various technological methods which explores new instructional possibilities.
Education of pharmacy students can be enhanced using computer-assisted learning. An example would be implementing a “flipped classroom”, which students review the online lecture before the lecture session. Coming into the classroom, the student will be able to have a more interactive session with their professor. Instead of simply just lecturing, more time can be focused on working out complex questions and providing more personalized guidance to the students. A 5-year retrospective study of streaming video use found student response to be very positive, including having a positive impact on student involvement, satisfaction and knowledge acquisition.3
Digital games have also proved to be a training tool in the medical field. A study found that use of serious games for surgical training improves psychomotor skills and reactions of medical student.4 The investigators found that having a fun but structured experience had a significant impact on the student’s learning and understanding of the material. Pharmacist already employs a variety of applications on their mobile device such as Lexicomp and Micromedex for increased access to clinical and drug references. Mobile applications currently available include NAPLEX exam preparation and drug flashcards. Perhaps in the future, we may also see mobile game applications designed for students to help improve pharmacy knowledge as a fun and engaging learning method.
Simulation is a method of teaching which aims to imitate real patients and mirror real-life circumstances. A systematic review spanning 34 years and 670 peer-reviewed journal articles found that the best evidence suggests that high-fidelity stimulations can help facilitate learning.5 The education goals of simulation include providing feedback, repetitive practice, range of difficulty levels, multiple learnings strategies, clinical variation, and ability to define outcomes or benchmarks.
The use of simulation can range from simple reproduction of isolated body parts to complex human interactions as shown by simulated patients. An example would be Rescusi Anne, one of the first simulators developed 35 years ago for learning mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.6 Integrated stimulators can combine a mannequin with computer controls that can be manipulated to give various outputs such as pulse rate, respiratory movements, or monitor readouts.7 Ingrated stimulators are being used in various academic settings, including at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Abilities Lab course, which a mannequin is used to assess a student’s understanding of taking a patient’s blood pressure reading and pulse rate. A well-developed simulation can help teach and assess a student’s learning.
The practice of pharmacy education is ever changing, and it is influenced by a variety of different factors. Use of technologies for undergraduate, graduated, and postgraduate students has become increasingly prevalent. The implementation of technology in the pharmacy field has many advantages, including providing a more personalized learning environment for the learner and therefore helping deliver quality health care for our patients.
References:
1. Using Technology to Meet the Challenges of Medical Education. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2015;126:260-70.
2. Prensky M. Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon (MCB University Press) 2001;9(5):1–6
3. Bridge PD, Jackson M, Robinson L. The effectiveness of streaming video on medical student learning: a case study. Med Educ Online. 2009 Aug 19; 14():11.
4. Graafland M, Schraagen JM, Schijven MP. Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Br J Surg. 2012 Oct; 99(10):1322-30.
5. Issenberg SB, McGaghie WC, Petrusa ER, Lee Gordon D, Scalese RJ. Features and uses of high-fidelity medical simulations that lead to effective learning: a BEME systematic review. Med Teach. 2005 Jan; 27(1):10-28.
6. Resusci A. Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training guides. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 1971.
7. Lane LJ, Slavin S, Ziv A. Simulation in medical education: a review. Simulation Gaming. 2001;32:297, 297–314. Available at: http://sag.sagepub.com/content/32/3/297.abstract
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