| Title | Establishing an Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching and Learning through the Development, Implementation, and Utilization of Cross-Disciplinary Case-Based Problems using the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Web-Based Learning Centre |
|---|---|
| Faculty/College/Unit | Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| Status | Completed |
| Duration | 3 Years |
| Initiation | 04/01/1999 |
| Completion | 03/31/2002 |
| Funding Details | |
| Year 1: Project Title | Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in the Pharmaceutical Sciences through the Development of a World Wide Web-Based Educational Resource |
| Year 1: Project Year | Year 1 |
| Year 1: Funding Year | 1999/2000 |
| Year 1: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 1: Principal Investigator | Simon P. Albon |
| Year 1: Funded Amount | 31,000 |
| Year 1: Team Members | Simon P. Albon, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| Year 1: Summary | The objective of this proposal is to create a prototype of a WWW-based educational resource to enhance teaching and learning in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This education resource, which represents a new pedagogical tool in this Faculty, will integrate learning materials from two disciplines (three core courses) in the pharmaceutical sciences and help to address many of the limitations of the current educational paradigm in the Faculty by shifting from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred approach to teaching. The prototype will be implemented and evaluated during the 1999-2000 academic year to determine the effectiveness for teaching and learning enhancement and for expansion to include further disciplines in the pharmaceutical sciences curriculum. Specifically, the objectives include:
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| Year 2: Project Title | Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in the Pharmaceutical Sciences through the Development of a World Wide Web-Based Educational Resource |
| Year 2: Project Year | Year 2 |
| Year 2: Funding Year | 2000/2001 |
| Year 2: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 2: Principal Investigator | Simon P. Albon |
| Year 2: Funded Amount | 35,000 |
| Year 2: Team Members | Simon P. Albon, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| Year 2: Summary | The objectives for year two of this proposal are:
Rationale: Although initial feedback has been positive and the authors remain committed to the development of the WBL Centre as a pedagogical tool in the Faculty, three key observations from year 1 of this project provide the focus for the grant renewal: 1) integration and linking of course materials between disciplines proved surprisingly difficult due, in part, to the traditional approach to course design and delivery used in pharmacy courses; 2) the format and design of web course materials will be crucial for capturing student interest and improving student learning during faculty-student contact time in the classroom and; 3) student use of the WBL Centre communication tools has been limited and students prefer to download resource materials instead of using them on-line as intended. Thus, year two of this project will focus on completing the WBL Centre prototype and improving its effectiveness as a pedagogical tool. Developments will include full integration and linking of on-line course materials that improve student learning inside and out of the classroom and creating an on-line learning environment that holds student interest and reduces the “download syndrome”. Strategies will also be explored and evaluated to improve student use of the communication tools available in the WBL Centre. |
| Year 3: Project Year | Year 3 |
| Year 3: Funding Year | 2001/2002 |
| Year 3: Project Type | Small TLEF |
| Year 3: Principal Investigator | Simon P. Albon |
| Year 3: Funded Amount | 43,694 |
| Year 3: Team Members | Simon P. Albon, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences |
| Year 3: Summary | Project Goal Objective: To utilize the WBLC to establish an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning in the pharmaceutical sciences through the development, implementation and utilization of cross-disciplinary case-based problems. We plan to achieve the goal objective through completion of three specific areas:
Rationale: Years 1 and 2 of this project provided a complete working prototype of the WBLC. Currently, the prototype is used in all four years of our program and encompasses 7 of 16 core courses across 4 of 5 disciplines of the pharmaceutical sciences. Students in all years (total enrolment: 540) utilize the WBLC to varying degrees for course specific activities. Preliminary evaluation data (student surveys, focus groups and instructor feedback) suggests the WBLC is helping to enrich the teaching and learning experience, improve access to resource materials and develop a greater sense of community for both the learner and teacher. To develop the full potential of the WBLC, we propose the completion of discipline integration within the Centre (including the addition of key new courses to provide complete discipline representation), and the creation and incorporation of cross-disciplinary case-based problems in each WBLC course that emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of pharmacy education. Following completion of this phase, the WBLC will provide a means to overcome many of the traditional barriers to teaching and learning inherent in our current pharmacy program and will provide an opportunity for our students to learn (experience their pharmacy education) in a more integrative fashion. In addition, an evaluation model that assesses crucial issues facing the WBLC project (quality, utility and sustainability) as a teaching and learning tool in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences will be developed. |