Technology in the Classroom

Mallory Cortis Pharm.D.

PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

In society, each generation of students has grown up with varying levels of technology in their education. In the 1920s, radio allowed on-air classes to begin. The overhead projector made its move into the classroom in the 1930s. In the 1950s and 60s, the videotape, calculator, and photocopier all made their debuts¹. These developments could be considered relatively small advancements when compared to the technology in today’s classroom. The 21^st century learner has constant access to the internet and any resource they want or need, often on many different devices. Kayla Scheer, a middle school Spanish teacher, presents a thought provoking TED talk that asks the question of why we teach our students in a way that not only bores them but does not represent how they learn in everyday life². When most students of the 21^st century are presented with a new electronic device, they immediately know how to turn it on, tinker with the settings, and explore each new app and feature. The device’s unread owner’s manual is tossed out with packaging and giftwrap. So this begs the question, in the classroom, why do we still give students the owner’s manual? Why is it still recommended for students to put away the devices and read from the book or listen to a lecture? Students today don’t learn the same way they did in the 20^th century. Why not let them learn by tinkering on the devices they love and are accustomed to using?

Why should we as teachers embrace technology?

First thing is first, research shows most students want more technology to be incorporated in the classroom! Students say that they learn most when there is an online component to their learning³. The biggest concern with technology in the classroom is that it will be more harmful than beneficial. Likely, students will become distracted if they are allowed unlimited access to phone, tablet, or laptop in class. Many, if not most, students will be looking at social media, shopping, or doing other work. Some professors will argue the solution of making everyone put away the devices. But I believe that will just Band-Aid the problem. About 15 minutes into a lecture with no laptops most students are sneakily looking at phones under the table and attention is lost. So, what should we do? My solution would be to use those devices for good. Use the laptops and phones to connect and get feedback from your students. Use online quiz platforms that show understanding in real time. Give everyone 10 to 15 minutes to do some research (aka - tinker) into the subject matter on their laptops and devices. Then use an online poll to gauge where students are at in their learning, take attendance, and get them refocused – nothing gets student’s attention more than a fun and competitive game of Kahoot. I am not saying that this tactic can or should be used all the time (sometimes the boring lecture is necessary), but incorporating at least one fun online tinkering session per class is likely to refocus and refresh your students.

Tests and quizzes should be an enhancement to learning, not the end of it…

If technology today has allowed answers to test questions to be researched in a matter of seconds, should they even be test questions? Why should our students need to memorize or know material that can be looked up promptly in the real world? This, of course, is a question that has many reasonable answers, such as, logical and critical thinking can be gained, assesses baseline material needed to build knowledge, etc. Example - A pharmacist must know listed side effects of a drug even though she or he can look up the answer in a matter of seconds. The side effect of a drug can help the student make a logical connection to the mechanism of action. My point is, as a professor, you should be asking questions on tests and quizzes that allow the learner to critically think, learn from their mistakes, and maneuver their way to the correct thought process. Therefore, quizzes and tests should not always be at the end of the learning process, but during. Ungraded feedback quizzes allow for a positive learning environment that encourages students to learn from their mistakes. Using online quizzes and polls will allow you as the professor to gain feedback on yourself and your students, while giving everyone a bit of fun.    

In summary,

Students of today will be working with technology in their professional careers. It is only logical that those students supplement their learning with technology in the classroom to ensure their future successes. Allowing students to learn in a way that is fun and familiar to them will allow the ‘tinkering’ they need to learn how to critically think, research, and stay focused throughout. What will you do to facilitate learners in the constantly evolving world of technology?

References:

1.   The Evolution of Technology in the Classroom. Perdue University Online. https://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/evolution-technology-classroom. Accessed September 3, 2018.

2.   Scheer, Kayla. On Demand Learning In the 21^st Century Classroom. YouTube Tedx. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS7AFS0WmWQ. Accessed September 3, 2018.

3.   Dahlstrom, Eden, and Jacqueline Bichsel. ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2014. Research report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, October 2014. Available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar. Accessed September 3, 2018.

Interprofessional Education: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?

Christopher Medlin, PharmD

It’s probably safe to say that most pharmacy students in modern times know what it’s like to attend an interprofessional training session as part of their school or college curriculum. You meet in a classroom with social work, nursing, and medical students (and sometimes others), discuss a patient case or clinical scenario, develop a plan together, and frankly, you learn how much you don’t know about the other healthcare professions. To up and coming pharmacists, interprofessional education may seem like a given part of any curriculum of a school or college of pharmacy, but it’s important to recognize the evolving role of multidisciplinary training in a rapidly evolving profession such as pharmacy.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is “when students from 2 or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaborations and improve health outcomes.”¹ The need for interprofessional and interdisciplinary learning in the health professions began decades ago and continues to shape the landscape of pharmacy education. There has been a historical lack of understanding between different health professions, which has led to misconceptions about professional responsibilities, misunderstandings about healthcare knowledge, and malfunctioning of the healthcare team.² There have been many studies, task forces, and committees dedicated to IPE over a couple of decades, but the general consensus is that a well-functioning, cooperative healthcare team leads to better patients outcomes³, which should be a universal desire of all health professions. Additionally, with new accreditation standards demanding that performance on an interprofessional healthcare team be taught⁴, many schools and colleges of pharmacy have re-evaluated and modified curricula to reflect current standards.  That being said, there will likely be a staunch increase in IPE education and training sessions in pharmacy schools across the country.

While there are multiple ways to conduct an IPE training, what seems to be agreed upon is that IPE competencies must be built upon over time and integrated throughout health professions curricula.⁵ IPE courses tend to consist of multiple learning modalities combined, including lectures, role-plays, case studies, and discussions.⁶ Assessment of learning outcomes and objectives is a major priority for advocates of IPE training and may be done in several ways, including the validated 19-item Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) scale, and the British 12-item Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS).⁷

The presence of primary literature surrounding the effectiveness of IPE is not expansive, but there are many pilot IPE programs that have been shown to demonstrate changes in student and patient attitudes about the differing health professions and function of the healthcare team. These pilot programs range from pediatric prescribing⁸ to diabetes management⁹, each of which demonstrated improved student knowledge and understanding about the specific topic, as well as development of interprofessional teamwork and communication strategies.^8.9 An additional study utilized reflective prompts, discussion seminars, and presentations to increase student understanding on a vulnerable population’s healthcare needs. This study gathered quantitative and qualitative student participant input that was positive and indicated an increased understanding of interprofessional team functioning in order to address health disparities within their community.¹⁰

          Regardless of study findings and the differing techniques for effectively teaching in IPE, it is clear that a paradigm shift in pharmacy education has started and continues to make waves in schools and colleges of pharmacy across the United States. In fact, a 2011 survey of all schools and colleges of pharmacy indicated that 78% include written interprofessional curricular goals and 70% use subjective IPE outcomes in Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) assessments.¹¹ Similar trends can be seen in nursing and medical schools, a vast majority of which conduct IPE activities and teach IPE competencies.¹² Staying up to date with current educational practices and following evidence-based techniques for educating students on interprofessional practice should be a focus of curricula across the country as we shift toward outcome-centered care and expansion of services provided by pharmacists. After all, we should be focused on providing better outcomes for our patients, and it seems as though IPE might be a promising step towards accomplishing that goal.

References:

1. World Health Organization. Learning together to work together for health. Report of a WHO study group on multiprofessional education of health personnel: the team approach. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 1988;769:1–72.

2. Poirer S, Lipetz M. Pharmacy in interprofessional education: a course on images of the health professions in the media. Am J Pharm Educ. 1987 Summer;51(2):133-7.

3. Buring SM, Bhushan A, Broeseker A, et al. Interprofessional Education: Definitions, Student Competencies, and Guidelines for Implementation. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;73(4):59.

4. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. (2016). Accreditation Standards and Key Elements for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. Retrieved from https://www.acpe-accredit.org/deans/StandardsRevision.asp

5. Poirier TI, Wilhelm M. Interprofessional Education: Fad or Imperative. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 2013;77(4):68. doi:10.5688/ajpe77468.

6.  Meyer SM. The Imperative for Interprofessional Education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009;73(4):58.

7.  Lie DA, Fung CC, Trial J, Loheny K. A comparison of two scales for assessing health professional students' attitude toward interprofessional learning. Med Educ Online. 2013 Jan;18(1):21885. doi: 10.3402/meo.v18i0.21885.

8.  Taylor D, Yuen S, Hunt L, Emond A. An Interprofessional Pediatric Prescribing Workshop. Am J Pharm Educ. 2012;76(6):111. doi:10.5688/ajpe766111.

9.  Pittenger AL, Westberg S, Rowan M, Schweiss S. An Interprofessional Diabetes Experience to Improve Pharmacy and Nursing Students’ Competency in Collaborative Practice. Am J Pharm Educ. 2013;77(9):197. doi:10.5688/ajpe779197.

10. Hasnain M, Koronkowski MJ, Kondratowicz DM, Goliak KL. Training Future Health Providers to Care for the Underserved: A Pilot Interprofessional Experience. Educ Health. 2012;25:204-7.

11. Jones KM, Blumenthal DK, Burke JM, et al. Interprofessional Education in Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences at US Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2012;76(5):80. doi:10.5688/ajpe76580.

12.  West C, Graham L, Palmer RT, et al. Implementation of interprofessional education (IPE) in 16 U.S. medical schools: Common practices, barriers and facilitators. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice. 2016;4:41-49. doi:10.1016/j.xjep.2016.05.002.

Theory of Learning for a Mobile Age

By Ian Booth, PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, University of Maryland Medical Center

        The idea of learning and cognitive development across different generations is a difficult concept to assess, given the multitude of digital technologies that are accessible. In the current educational system, there is a need for separation of what could be considered as two different groups: new millennium learners (NMLs) and old millennium learners (OMLs).¹ Through my experience in higher education, with a wide range of learners, finding differences between their development, in what could be identified as the “mobile age”, can be very important. Learning is now heavily dependent on mobile devices, such as phones, tablets, audio players, etc., and the OMLs may be at a significant disadvantage.¹ In my experience through the educational system, I have seen this transition into technology dependence. In this blog, I will be discussing ways in which mobile learning has progressed over time.

Accessibility

        I believe the first issue that needs to be addressed before focusing on the idea of incorporating mobile learning into an educational theory is the accessibility of electronics. In a survey in 2003 in the UK, they found that over 75% of the population, and 90% of young adults owned mobile devices.² This may overestimate the general population, especially in different areas of the world with less socioeconomic capabilities.¹ Not all learners have the means to use these types of devices through their education, which can make their learning more difficult. With the cost of electronics increasing year after year, during a time where the learners are not able to support themselves, can cause significant impacts to their growth. Although many people may incorporate this idea of learning into their everyday routine, the lack of accessibility can impact someone else’s ability to reach those same expectations.

Is technology mobile, or the learner?

Although we know that technology has advanced progressively over time, and most likely will continue to do so, consideration into the learners schedule is an important concept. People are continuously on the move throughout the day, thus learning takes place all the time. The idea of classroom only learning is no longer applicable, and is something that OMLs may not be used too.¹ With the variety of access to mobile devices, NMLs are able to take learning and organization to a completely different level, and thus are at an advantage.

I think a key example of this is the use of Google and the internet. Researching the answer to a question is now at the tip of our fingers, with a quick search online, where this was not always possible. Learning the answer to a question required a book, which usually required a library. Now the library is right in our technology, whenever we need it.³ As for organization, now we have the capability to have an up to date calendar, integrated within your own schedule, but also other peoples as well, in order to know exactly what is planned at all times. Calendars can be linked to phones, computers, tablets and desktops, making accessibility easier than ever before. This allows learning to be incorporated into all activities of daily life, which also compliments the idea of formal education.¹ Having access to “mobile learning” is a concept that OMLs have had to become used to, where NMLs were raised in a world of this being second nature.¹ This can be a difficult concept to grasp for many OMLs.

Relationship of Mobile Learning to Cognitive Development

        One of the statements from the authors that I felt explained the use of this concept the best was, “mobile learning can be an opportunity to bridge the gulf between formal and experiential learning, opening new possibilities for personal fulfilment and lifelong learning.”¹ Creating this bridge between education that is moving toward a “mobile age” and incorporating it into lifelong learning is something that sticks out the most with this concept. In a profession like pharmacy, where continuous learning is the most important thing we can do, incorporating both mobile and lifelong learning into our daily lives is extremely important, yet also very challenging to do. The practice of pharmacy is an evolving field, just like the theories of education, and I think that combining these aspects of mobile and lifelong learning into our daily lives, as well as understanding the deficits that certain learners may experience with them, will make us better practitioners, educators, and also learners throughout our whole careers.

References

1.   Taylor J. Digital Technologies and Cognitive Development. Paper Presented at MLEARN 2005. Accessed August 26, 2018.

2.   Crabtree J, Nathan M & Roberts S. MobileUK: Mobile phones and everyday life, 2003. London: The Work Foundation; 1-53.

3.   Sharples M. Learning As Conversation: Transforming Education in the Mobile Age. In Proceedings of Conference on Seeing, Understanding, Learning in the Mobile Age, 2005; 147-152.