Simon Albon UBC

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Making Connections Sharing Knowledge for Greater
Innovation
Accessing Real Equipment in Distant Environments
Online Labs for Learning and Collaboration
Simon Albon (UBC) Steven Beaudry (Royal Roads
U) Wendy Drummond (Royal Roads U) Sharon Brewer
(TRU) Bruno Cinel (TRU) Devon Cancilla (Western
Washington U)
April 18, 2007
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Guiding Questions for Panelists
1)  Why did you get involved in your particular
learning technology project? 2)  What have you
done or plan to do with your learning technology
project? 3)  How has your involvement in your
project impacted your thinking about the way you
are or have been teaching? 4)  How do you think
involvement in your project will impact your
vision for education for students, faculty and
curriculum development?
April 18, 2007
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Science Education Today Are we facing the
perfect storm?
Perspectives from pharmacy education
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Pharmacy Programs in Canada
Traditional pharmacy programs 14 design/B.Sc.
(Pharm)
Curriculum disciplines - medicinal chemistry
- pharmaceutics -
pharmacology/toxicology - clinical pharmacy
- pharmacy practice
Since the 1990s experiential and pharmacy
practice training has increased dramatically with
a corresponding decrease in the basic
pharmaceutical sciences.
Today removal of basic pharmaceutical sciences
continues unabated with limited educational
research on which to base curriculum decisions.
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Science Education Today Are we facing the
perfect storm?
The need to enhance the science literacy,
decision-making and problem-solving skills
required for pharmacists to take a greater role
in patient care within the complex Canadian
Health Care System.
The continued use of out-dated models of
science teaching along with the cultural teaching
vs. research norms in academia.
The increasing power and hype of the Internet
that tends to subvert attention from sound
pedagogical approaches to teaching with
technology.
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The Tension The need to enhance the science
literacy, decision-making and problem-solving
skills required for pharmacists to take a greater
role in patient care within complex Canadian
Health Care System.
The scope of pharmacy practice is changing
rapidly
- pharmacists in Alberta have recently been given
the right to prescribe (along with the
corresponding liability). Other provinces are
expected to follow shortly.
- in BC, it is expected that within 2-3 years the
general public will have complete online access
to their medical records through the eHealth and
eDrug initiatives. Pharmacists will play a much
greater role in patient care.
- in BC, pharmacists play an active role in
warfarin therapy for stroke patients, running
analytical tests, interpreting data and adjusting
dosage levels. This non-traditional role of
pharmacists is expected to increase.
Fueling the Storm changes to pharmacy practice
are taking place as the foundational sciences are
being removed from pharmacy programs. How will
graduates cope with the extra demands of practice?
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The Tension The continued use of out-dated
models of science teaching along with the
cultural teaching vs. research norms in academia.
- the teacher-centered model predominates
pharmacy education/students are passive
learners/memorization and regurgitation are
emphasized over understanding.
- the basic pharmaceutical sciences are often
taught like basic sciences courses with limited
relevance to pharmacy practice. Students find it
difficult to make the connection/pharmaceutical
sciences are tuned-out.
- faculty are often reluctant to change their
courses or teaching practice due to time
requirements away from primary research and the
limited recognition by the institution for time
spent on teaching.
Fueling the Storm Students are learning that
science is boring, not relevant to their
education and only required to pass exams.
Faculty are often not willing or do not have the
educational training necessary to change their
courses and teaching practice. Institutions
provide limited opportunities for professional
teaching development or incentives for improving
teaching. How do we improve university teaching
to capture the excitement of science and reverse
these trends?
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The Tension The increasing power and hype of the
Internet that tends to subvert attention from
sound pedagogical approaches to teaching with
technology.
Remote Surgery
Ocean-floor Labs
2007 Cyberinfrastructure Visioning Document
Fueling the Storm Sound pedagogy is often
overlooked against the incredible potential of
the Internet. How do we ensure that we do not
replicate traditional approaches to
lecture/laboratory learning experiences over the
Internet?
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Science Education Today Are we facing the
perfect storm?
Curriculum, Student Learning,Teaching Practice
Real world demands of graduates
Technology vs. Pedagogy
This is where we want to be Best Practices
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ILN
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BCNET Making Connections Sharing Knowledge for
Greater Innovation
Accessing Real Equipment in Distant Environments
Online Labs for Learning and Collaboration
Simon Albon (UBC) Steven Beaudry (Royal Roads
U) Wendy Drummond (Royal Roads U) Sharon Brewer
(TRU) Bruno Cinel (TRU) Devon Cancilla (Western
Washington U)
April 18, 2007