Course Management
All pharmacy courses are delivered in English using Blackboard course management software. Electronic learning resources are posted on each of the Blackboard course websites. These resources include eBooks, relevant journal articles, lecture handouts, class notes and related electronic documents. Educational media content is also used to enhance the learning experience. Students access these resources on a daily basis, thus improving their computer/internet and communication skills in parallel with enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Online Learning Assessments
Course-level learning assessments are primarily undertaken online using Blackboard software and laptops in an invigilated environment. Structured examination questions are designed to thoroughly test student understanding of the concepts and applications of the information taught. Once graded, these tests are returned to the students to function as future learning tools and to permit the student to respectfully challenge the veracity of any question or response. Additional competency-based assessments using simulation exercises are undertaken to complement assessments undertaken in the classroom setting.
Lecture Capture
To enhance the teaching and learning experience, pharmacy lectures (audio/video) are captured using lecture capture software (echo360) and are made available to the students as a streaming media file via BlackboardR after each class. Access to the lecture content is available to registered pharmacy students both on and off campus. Registered pharmacy students can review lectures in courses they have previously taken, those they are registered for and courses that they will taken in the future. Students can review the entire lecture or a specific part of the lecture that they may wish to revisit for clarification purposes. Lecture capture is also available to all college faculty members to enhance teaching coordination. Lectures are posted permanently, so students can refer back to a particular lecture at any time during their four professional years of training. This process was implemented in April 2008 and has proven to be a significant asset to student learning.
Learning Resources
Most of the course-related learning resources are available online and provided at no cost to the student. These resources are available both on campus and off to ensure the student has access to these resources whenever and wherever they need them.