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The following message was posted to: PharmMM
Our Technology and Online Learning group at the College of Pharmacy at
Washington State University has been charged by the Dean to develop a plan
for moving our instructional technology services from the
'Help-My-Hard-Drive-Crashed' level to a well-reasoned use of technology in
education. One piece of our planning is to consider the state of the use of
technology in other colleges of pharmacy aroung the country. Is anyone
aware of a survey or study that has been conducted to determine what is
happening nationally? If so, can you direct me to the source? For example,
how many colleges are using Web-based technology for the following teaching
functions?
1. Course syllabus (schedule of lectures, reading assignments, required
text, course policies)
2. Presentation of information.
3. Cases.
4. Problem sets.
5. Email discussion.
6. Interactive presentation of information.
7. Interactive discussions.
8. Quizzes
9. Exams
What you present on the Web?
1. Text alone
2. Text and pictures
3. Multimedia
4. Interactive
If a survey has not been done, could anyone on the listserve offer their
perspective? I have visited the links on the EBIR SIG page to see for
myself as well as several Web-based pharmacy calculations sites, but would
welcome a discussion of more experienced views? Thanks.
Shelley Chambers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Washington State University
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The following message was posted to: PharmMM
>For example, how many colleges are using Web-based technology for the
>following teaching functions?
At Wayne State, we have used Web-based technology for 1-5 and 8 as listed
below. We are working on implementing 6 and 7. However, we have not come up
with a reliable method of maintaining security using on-line exams.
>1. Course syllabus (schedule of lectures, reading assignments, required
>text, course policies)
>2. Presentation of information.
>3. Cases.
>4. Problem sets.
>5. Email discussion.
>6. Interactive presentation of information.
>7. Interactive discussions.
>8. Quizzes
>9. Exams
>What you present on the Web?
We have used 1 and 2 extensively, and we are beginning to use interactive
files such as VRML, etc. Again, interactive is off in the future.
>1. Text alone
>2. Text and pictures
>3. Multimedia
>4. Interactive
The problem we have had with Web-based technology is getting the students
to use it rather than traditional paper sources. E.g., the students will
access lecture notes on the web, but only to print them out. It has also
been difficult to get all students in a class to sign up for LISTSERV
course discussions - we have gotten around this by telling students they
can only get exam grades by E-mail, or by offering bonus clues to members
of the list only. We have also had a difficult time getting faculty to buy
in, since it involves a steep learning curve and detracts from research
time. Best of luck!
##############################################
Patrick M. Woster, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Send all U.S. Mail to:
539 Shapero Hall
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
UPS or Overnight/Express Delivery to:
539 Shapero Hall
1400 Chrysler Service Dr.
Detroit, MI 48207
Voice: 313-577-1523
FAX: 313-577-2033
Digital: 734-634-8177
woster.at.wizard.pharm.wayne.edu
http://wiz2.pharm.wayne.edu/woster.html
##############################################
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>We have used 1 and 2 extensively, and we are beginning to use interactive
>files such as VRML, etc. Again, interactive is off in the future.
Sorry to break into the conversation, but I was curious as to what you plan
to do with VRML?
>The problem we have had with Web-based technology is getting the students
>to use it rather than traditional paper sources. E.g., the students will
>access lecture notes on the web, but only to print them out. It has also
>been difficult to get all students in a class to sign up for LISTSERV
>course discussions - we have gotten around this by telling students they
>can only get exam grades by E-mail, or by offering bonus clues to members
>of the list only. We have also had a difficult time getting faculty to buy
>in, since it involves a steep learning curve and detracts from research
>time. Best of luck!
We have a web-based bulletin board which we use rather than a
ListServ. It has a few advantages
1) Students can't say "I didn't get the e-mail"
2) It provides a message archive. You can refer students back to an
original posting rather than answering the same question over and over again.
3) Students can read messages from a "public" (i.e., library) computer
without having to configure it to receive their e-mail.
The major disadvantage is that students have to actually make the effort to
look at the web page. Messages don't "automatically come to them" the way
e-mail does. We made it a program requirement that students check the
message board every day. All "official" announcements are posted there
and students are told they are responsible for anything the faculty posts,
just as if it was announced in the lecture hall. We've been doing this
for two years now and it's worked well.
Gary D. Theilman, Pharm.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Mississippi
School of Pharmacy
(601) 984-2616
PharmMM Discussion List Archive Index page
David Bourne (david@boomer.org)