Virtual software to personalize student learning in a required pharmacy course
Virtual software to personalize student learning in a required pharmacy course
Academic Year:
2014 - 2015 (June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015)
Funding Requested:
$4,000.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
There is significant variation in the amount and type of practical pharmacy experience that students have prior to entering a professional pharmacy program. It can be anticipated that these different backgrounds impact the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of incoming students. For the one-half of the class with prior experience, some of the skills taught in the required first year Community Pharmacy course are at a basic level and students may have mastered these skills and concepts. However, for students without previous pharmacy experience, these skills are new and it takes time for them to learn and master. The overall goal of this project is to design a course in which previous experience dictates learning and makes the course relevant for each student. In order to engage all students in a meaningful way throughout the course we will employ virtual medication dispensing software which allows the entire medication dispensing process to be practiced, including obtaining information from a patient or prescriber, evaluating a prescription for missing or incorrect information, preparing a prescription label, locating and labeling the medication, choosing to dispense or not to dispense the medication to the patient, answering patient questions, and providing appropriate counseling. The primary questions that will be studied include whether a virtual approach can create an engaged learning environment for all students within a course construct where previous background experiences directly impacts engagement and learning and whether there are significant differences in utilization of the virtual medication dispensing software based on previous professional experience.