List of Leahy Faculty Award For Learning Innovations Finalists

2011
Table of Contents

List of Leahy Faculty Award for Learning
Innovations Finalists

Name Title of Educational Practice Page

Curtin, Lindsay B. Impact of Computer Based 04
Finn, Laura A. Simulation on Learning Objectives
Cawley, Michael J. in Mannequin Based Simulation

Earl, Grace Evaluating the Quality of Online 09
Discussion Forum Posts to Improve
Teaching Methods that Promote
Critical Thinking in Preprofessional
Students

Halpern, Paul Experiential Physics: Exploring 20
Physical Principles around
Campus

Packel, Lora The Impact of Hearing Versus Seeing 24
Feedback on Written Assignments

Abstracts can accessed at http://www.usp.edu/teaching/innovations/

i

List of Abstracts in this Document of Innovations

Name Title of Educational Practice Pages

Brunner, Bernard J. Effect of Using a Worksheet 02
To Enhance Longer Term
Retention of a Concept

Curtin, Lindsay B. Impact of Computer Based 04
Finn, Laura A. Simulation on Learning Objectives
Cawley, Michael J. in Mannequin Based Simulation

Earl, Grace Evaluating the Quality of Online 09
Discussion Forum Posts to Improve
Teaching Methods that Promote
Critical Thinking in Preprofessional
Students

Everett, Justin Using Visual Rhetoric to Create 18
Transferability of Critical
Thinking and Argumentation Skill

Halpern, Paul Experiential Physics: Exploring 20
Physical Principles around
Campus

Johnston, Therese E. Journaling for Reflection on 22
Teaching

Packel, Lora The Impact of Hearing Versus Seeing 24
Feedback on Written Assignments

ii
List of Abstracts in this Document of Innovations

Radwick, Allison E. Using MeduMaZe to Simulate the 28
DMello, Anil Drug Development Process

Scholtz, Jean M. Creating Future Pharmacy 30
Tietze, Karen J. Educators Through Innovative
Experiential Learning

Spinler, Sarah Starbucks Chat 34

Talcott, Samuel Ethics Research Project 36

Tietze, Karen J. What Can You Do With A 38
Fishbowl?


iii

Document of Innovations
At the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
2011

The Teaching and Learning Center of the University of the Sciences in
Philadelphia is proud to produce the twelfth annual Document of
Innovations. This document contains abstracts of the finalists for the
Leahy Faculty Award for Learning Innovations and for the Bright Idea
Award. Previous editions of the Document of Innovations have been
recognized as one of the best ways to know how faculty are teaching.
Many of these Leahy submissions reflect true Scholarship of Teaching and
Learning. Some of these faculty are ready to submit or have already
submitted their ideas to peer reviewed professional journals. We give
Bright Idea Awards for creative ways to teach, or assess students,
including the use of educational technology.

The overall goal of this document is to improve teaching and learning. A
compilation of all the teaching practices into a book allows others to learn
about these ideas and adapt them. This document provides faculty ideas
that have worked with our students.

This document is disseminated on the web throughout the campus and to
interested people outside the University to give increased recognition to
individual faculty who strive to improve their teaching as well as others
who enable students to learn more. Hopefully, this document will help
faculty to collaborate on new ideas and will inspire others to try new
methods to improve their teaching and learning.

All of the faculty welcome feedback on their ideas. If you use or adapt an
innovation, please give the author credit and tell the original instructor how
it worked.

To submit a description of an educational innovations for next years
edition, please see http://www.usp.edu/teaching/innovations/

Phyllis Blumberg, Ph.D.
Director of the Teaching and Learning Center
May 2011

1

Title of Innovation: Effect of Using a Worksheet to Enhance Longer Term
Retention of a Concept
Name of Innovator: Bernard J. Brunner
Telephone Number: 215-596-8898 Email Address: b.brunne@usciences.edu
Department: Mathematics/Physics/Computer Science
Type of Students: 2nd Year (Bio, PT, Pharm Tox, Pre-Professional)
Type of course or activity where implemented: Required
Leahy Innovation Submission: No
Course or activity where implemented: Introductory Physics II

Describe rationale or goals of innovative educational activity:

In previous years a question about the forces that two unequally charged
spheres exert on each other, was initially answered correctly by only a small
percentage of students (<15%), even though the concept tested, Newton's Third
Law of Motion, had apparently been mastered the end of the previous semester
(75 to 100% correct responses on four questions testing the same concept in
mechanics). After class discussion one of the incorrect responses was chosen by
over 80% of the class! Even after giving two hints less than 60% of the class
would give the correct response. The problem was how to get the students to find
the correct result on their own without giving direct hints

Describe the innovation and its implementation:

In the spring semester a worksheet on forces exerted on and by magnets was
distributed in class after obtaining the original response from students and after
they had discussed the question among themselves. After completing the two
page worksheet and discussing the responses to questions on the worksheet,
the question was again proposed to the class.

Describe any changes in the implementation:

The introduction of the worksheet on magnets was new this past semester.

Describe outcomes, and the implications of the innovation:

After using the worksheet, slightly over half the class, 54%, answered correctly
and after additional discussion among the students with no hints from the
instructor, the percentage answering correctly exceeded 85%! A very similar
multiple choice question was included on the second test given after spring break
and about 70% still answered correctly.

2

Describe student reaction to the innovation:

No reactions were sought, however, the students seemed very pleased when
they were told that the percentage of correct responses on the last try was the
highest ever obtained by a wide margin.

Will the innovation be sustained within the course? Yes
If Yes, will you do anything differently? No

Will you implement this innovation in other courses? No
Describe the other courses: N/A

What advice would you give to other people adapting this innovation?

Try to find or develop materials which reinforce concepts in various settings.

Do you want this abstract to be considered for a Bright Idea Award? Yes

3
Leahy Finalist

Title of Innovation: Impact of Computer Based Simulation on Learning
Objectives in Mannequin Based Simulation
Name of Innovator(s): Primary: Lindsay B. Curtin
Co-innovators: Laura A. Finn, Michael J. Cawley
Telephone Number(s): Lindsay Curtin: 215-596-8759,
Laura Finn, 610-457-4209, Michael Cawley, 215-895-3136
Email addresses:l.curtin@usciences.edu;l.finn@uscidences.edu
m.cawley@usciences.edu
Department: Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration
Type of Students: Doctor of Pharmacy Students in the 3rd Professional
Year
Leahy Innovation Submission: Yes
Course or activity where implemented: ACLS Laboratory in PP568: Practice
Lab and Case Studies IV


To prepare pharmacy students in the provision of pharmaceutical care, didactic
education must move beyond traditional paper patient cases by using
educational activities which simulate actual patient scenarios requiring student
intervention. When used to master both basic life support (BLS) and advanced
cardiac life support (ACLS) skills, this active learning technique fits nicely with the
program core competencies including, independent analytical thinking,
proficiency in knowledge, the practice of skills of applied pharmaceutical
sciences, and functioning as an integral member of a health care team. Due to
the recent emergence of a variety of simulation methods, a need exists to
determine optimal means for incorporating simulation in the classroom,
particularly in course planning and implementation of multimodal simulation.

Simulation has been part of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy curriculum in
variety of forms for over 10 years including the use of a high-fidelity mannequin
that can respond physiologically to programmed interventions. Recent acquisition
of computer-based simulation (CBS) program and the encouragement of the
Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) to incorporate active
learning, including simulation, challenged educators to implement multi-modal
simulation. Barriers to simulation use include cost of software licenses for CBS,
maintenance of mannequin-based simulation (MBS) equipment, and limits of
facilitator time to lead MBS. Improving student learning is the focus and
motivation to investigate this issue. Our objective was to evaluate how CBS prior
4
to MBS impacts learning outcomes including the demonstration of clinical skills
and critical thinking, in the classroom.


Development:
Historically, learning objectives of MBS activities centered on the responsibilities
of a pharmacist as an ACLS team member including correct selection of drug,
correct medication dosing, and accurate calculations. The current innovation
focused on the role of the pharmacist, but transcended previous simulation by
integrating CBS and MBS in the activity. Other changes included pre-simulation
preparation, skills and critical thinking assessment methods, instructor feedback
methods, and student satisfaction assessment.

Innovation:
This innovation, an IRB-approved study, used CBS before MBS to enhance the
student's ability to demonstrate skills and use critical thinking to apply complex
principles to practice. The primary objective compared patient survival in MBS.
Secondary objectives compared team completion of individual BLS skills,
completion of all BLS and ACLS skills in the appropriate sequence, and
evaluation of student perceptions and satisfaction of MBS and CBS activities.

Implementation:
Students attended an in-class orientation to ACLS given by an ACLS certified
faculty member. Students received education on the roles and responsibilities of
the members of an ACLS treatment team and completed pre-reading on BLS and
ACLS. In class, students worked in collaborative groups of five or six in both CBS
and MBS. Each student played a role in MBS including: recorder of ACLS
activities, performer of chest compressions, providing manual ventilations, team
leader, or pharmacist. Teams were assigned to two groups: MBS first or CBS
first. The MBS first group completed MBS in the first hour of class and CBS in the
second hour of class. The CBS first group completed CBS in the first hour of
class, then MBS in the second hour of class. One facilitator observed all MBS
groups and recorded demonstration of skills and clinical decisions on a pre-
determined, standardized rubric developed by four critical care pharmacotherapy
specialists certified in ACLS.


No significant changes were made throughout the implementation of the project;
however, significant changes were made to the innovation after the data were
evaluated. When developing the protocol for a subsequent study on simulation,
changes included type of orientation (didactic orientation changed to watching a
10 minute ACLS video using MBS), baseline assessment of student expectations
with post-activity assessment (changed from post-activity assessment only),
5
update of rubrics to reflect changes from the release of new ACLS guidelines,
and implementation of a pre and post video quiz to assess knowledge.


Outcomes: There were no significant differences in student characteristics
including pharmacy internship experience and specialized certifications. The
CBS first group achieved learning outcomes, including the primary objective,
more frequently than teams in the MBS first group (41.2% vs. 5.6%; p =0.018).
These results suggest that sequencing CBS prior to MBS results in greater
achievement of learning objectives. Teams in the CBS first group more frequently
demonstrated select individual skills and the entire sequence of BLS. These data
do not suggest that CBS prior to MBS improves critical thinking, as the majority
of the impact on the primary objective appears to be influenced by the completion
of basic skills in proper sequence.

Preliminary analysis of the follow up study (watching a 10-minute video before
simulation activities) shows an improvement in overall achievement of the
primary learning objective of survival compared to historical survival rates: 45.1%
vs. 22.8%, respectively. In addition, the CBS prior to MBS impacted achievement
of primary learning objectives when compared to MBS alone, even when all
students were prepared by watching the video (66% vs. 26% achievement; p =
0.004). These preliminary data show that CBS maintains its impact on
achievement of learning objective in MBS even when students receive extra
preparation with a video. One may conclude from both projects that compared to
pre-reading alone and pre-reading plus orientation video, CBS is the superior
method of preparation for MBS.

Impact:
Data from this study can be used in course planning when using MBS and CBS
in education. If multi-modal simulation is available, these data suggest the
instructor should choose a computer-based application prior to a live simulation
such as MBS. These data can be extrapolated to disciplines that use CBS or
MBS practice of skills sets including flight simulators for pilots and astronauts,
training exercises for military recruits, business management personnel, and
other medical professionals. Lastly, these data generate additional questions
including "how many times should CBS and MBS be repeated to master a given
skill?" and "how long before MBS can CBS occur before the value of CBS is
lost?"

Reflect on what is working and why it is working:

Using this simulation strategy engages students while providing "hands-on" or
tactile stimulation to make therapeutic decisions. Students are able to work as a
team to practice the guidelines with a program which allows immediate feedback.
6
Subsequent CBS allows the team to improve skills based on this feedback in
advance of working in the more stressful environment of MBS. MBS allows the
team only one opportunity to make decisions with no immediate feedback or
opportunity to "redo." The reason this innovation works is that through multi-
modal simulation, students see first -hand the value a pharmacist adds to an
ACLS team. Facilitators record interventions on a detailed rubric which
standardizes the way MBS is assessed, and when all rubrics are considered, can
reveal areas of development and further education for the students.


The majority of students reported enjoying the activity and feeling prepared for
the activity by reading. Students in the MBS first group were less confident than
students in the CBS first group. Students recommended the continuation of the
activity; however, students in the MBS first group preferred to complete CBS first.
Students in the CBS first group did not prefer to complete MBS first.

If Yes, will you do anything differently?

The innovation continues to be a subject for study. We will continue to change
parts of the simulation and preparation for simulation to optimize student
achievement of learning outcomes within the confines of a traditional lab course.
Future changes likely will include completion of CBS prior to MBS to improve
student achievement of learning objectives.

Will you implement this innovation in other courses? Yes
Describe the other courses:

PP547: Critical Care Therapeutics is a course that currently uses simulation to
teach advanced therapeutic concepts such as therapeutics of toxicology and
identification and treatment of cardiac rhythms. This data may impact how
simulation is used in this class.


Carefully consider the skills that are to be practiced in simulation. MBS is time
consuming for the facilitator, so before using simulation one must plan carefully
for optimal group sizes, length of simulation cases, and standardized evaluation
of the case if graded.

Additional Comments:

Future Directions: After a comprehensive analysis of the second project in
simulation, the research team intends to investigate how soon before MBS does
CBS simulation have to take place in order to maintain the effects of CBS on
7
achievement of learning outcomes. This information may help with course
planning and increase teaching effectiveness.

8
Leahy Finalist

Title of Innovation: Evaluating the Quality of Online Discussion Forum
Posts to Improve Teaching Methods that Promote Critical Thinking in
Preprofessional Students
Name of Innovator: Grace Earl
Telephone Number: 215-596-8940 Email Address: g.earl@usciences.edu
Department: Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration
Type of Students: Doctor of Pharmacy students, preprofessional year 2
Name of activity or course where implemented: Required

Describe rationale or goals of innovative educational activity

A new course was designed to educate preprofessional students about the
healthcare system and promote understanding of the role of pharmacists in
improving patient access to care, quality of care and patient safety. The
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education standards address inclusion of
college level coursework to enable students to understand their role as
healthcare providers.
1
Coursework should also engage students in developing
communication skills.
1
Preprofessional coursework includes basic sciences,
math, and physical sciences.
1
Behavioral and social sciences as well as
humanities should also be included in the curriculum.

The course, Introduction to Pharmacy and Healthcare, is a required, one-credit
course offered during the preprofessional year prior to progressing to a 4-year
doctoral health professional program The course content was listed in the
syllabus and introduced the students to pharmacy practice models, government
agencies involved in providing health programs, and government regulation on
the profession. The instructional methods used in the course include
cooperative learning, active teaching, and team-based learning.

New terminology is introduced such as the Medication Therapy Management
(MTM) which describes a pharmacy practice model involving a total approach to
evaluating patients, making recommendations to modify drug therapy, and
monitoring drug therapy to insure beneficial outcomes. Other terminology
addresses specific pharmacy practice models (i.e., community, ambulatory care,
hospital pharmacy practice), drug administration (immunizations), medication
error prevention, and health information technology.

9
Students assigned to teams develop a 10-12 minute video recording of their
healthcare presentation. Recording software captured the teams presentation
plus their PowerPoint slides. The recordings were accessible through the course
webpage adding flexibility as the presentation is available for asynchronous
viewing. The course enrollment ranges from 125-150 students for each
semester. This large classroom setting poses a barrier to engaging students in
face-to-face discussions on the topics. The Discussion Forum Post assignment
was a capstone assignment scheduled at semesters end. A Discussion Forum
is a web-based tool enabling students to post.asynchronous comments as well
as respond to other student comments using a threaded discussion. Originally,
the assignment was called a Peer Assessment. Students were asked to view
the student team presentations then post comments on the impact of the
healthcare issue on patients or healthcare professionals. The aim of the
assignment was to promote critical thinking and facilitate application of new
material which translates into skills that can be carried beyond graduation.

Student postings were often insightful. An example of a post that effectively
integrated new material on beneficial outcomes associated with pharmacy
services was MTM is very important because it reduces healthcare costs. By
making MTM more available, hospital visits would decrease. This is because
pharmacists take an active role in ensuring that patients understand how to take
their medications properly. However, at times the posts were vague
generalizations. For example, one student posted this comment on MTM, ..did a
wonderful job promoting the importance of the individual patient. Their topic was
presented in a very clear and understandable manner. Terrific job on creating
(sic) the patients needs.

Due to placement of the course in the preprofessional curriculum, students lack
real-world experience and a clinical foundation to apply the material. Also, the
original assignment instructions were not explicit. Changes were needed to
assist the students in integrating their knowledge and utilizing discipline-specific
terminology.


The Discussion Forum assignment instructions were modified and expanded to
promote student reflection and application of new knowledge during Semester 2.
The Discussion Forum instructions directed students to address 4 questions
number of factors were considered in making the Discussion Forum assignment
instructions more explicit. Students have a preconceived notion of a topic so
asking them to share their misconceptions gave them an opportunity to express
their ideas using their own voice. Marilla Svinicki, PhD, expert in active teaching,
promotes this practice as students are likely to access their own pool of
knowledge which is the first step in learning.
2
For example, one student had a
misconception that ambulatory care pharmacy concerned situations when
medications are given to patients in an ambulance. Fortunately, they had a
10
revelation after viewing the presentation on ambulatory care pharmacy practice
and now understood that this topic dealt with outpatients. Some students have
work experience and were able to expand on their posting by relating to
situations from working as a pharmacy technician. Students also shared their
own experiences or the experiences of a family member to reflect on a
healthcare issue from the perspective of the patient.


When grading the Semester 2 Discussion Forum, students continued to post
comments that were vague such as I learned a lot or This is an important
topic. The students comments were formally analyzed to determine trends in
the frequency of addressing patient outcomes. Each discussion forum post was
evaluated and each topic was given 1 point if at least one student commented on
quality, safety, and access to care. The analysis revealed that students were not
effectively linking the content. A new approach, or new paradigm, was
developed to deliver the content to appeal to the students from their perspective.
The new course paradigm would take a student-centered approach and improve
organization of the content. During orientation, the new paradigm was
introduced, and the instructor posed a question that asked them to consider how
each area would affect their role as a pharmacist. The content was divided into
five areas: education and training; delivering pharmaceutical care; professional
organizations & advocacy; government regulations; and healthcare payors and
managed care. The topic, or content, of each class was organized by each of
the 5 categories. The categories were presented in the syllabus starting in
semester 3 and were also reinforced on the course webpage.

The class was redesigned using an iterative approach to learning by using
modeling. Modeling critical thinking in the classroom was designed to facilitate
the application of their knowledge. During the Semester 3, a video recorded
student presentation was shown during class, and the instructor modeled the
approach to develop a post with sufficient depth and integration of course
content. In addition, sample POSTS representing a below average and
exemplary post were presented on the screen so students could compare and
contrast the quality of the posts.

The assignment instructions during Semester 3 utilized the same questions as
Semester 2 but now students were required to address each question. To
emphasize the importance of the capstone assignment, the mid-term exam was
eliminated from the course. For Semester 3, the weight of the Discussion Forum
Post was increased to 40% of the total grade and students were required to view
4 video presentations and make 4 posts.

11

Qualitative and quantitative data were evaluated including Discussion Forum
Posts, assignment grades and final course grade. Qualitative analysis of posts
during the Semester 1 semester revealed minimal depth as 34% addressed
quality of patient care, 27% addressed safety, and 17% addressed access to
care. Students were not utilizing the threaded discussion feature of the online
discussion technology. They were not responding to specific statements from
other students even though they had access to review those comments. Future
efforts should aim to provide real-time feedback to students to promote
collaborative interactions. Informing them that the discussion forum is monitored
by the instructor may also motivate them to use the threaded discussion.
3

A post from Semester 1 shows that students were not integrating course
terminology or concepts.

The team was able to convey their topic (MTM) accurately and effectively. They
did this by proving that pharmacists are important for this health issue and will be
able to make patients the number one priority. Overall, it was a convincing
argument that followed the guidelines that were specified.

For Semester 3, there was meaningful improvement in the frequency of
addressing all 3 categories.

Sample posts from Semester 3 illustrate the range of the quality. An example of
a below average posting on Compounding Pharmacy is

This group was very informative in regards to the roles and duties of a
Compound Pharmacist. I learned which patients might need the help of the
Compound Pharmacist.

OR

I was interested to learn what exactly a compounding pharmacist is responsible
for. The statistics provided a wide range of information.

An above average post was

I found the presentation on compounding pharmacy to be extremely informative
and interesting. I was unaware of the different tasks performed by a
compounding pharmacist. Compounding pharmacists combine medications to
develop customized medications with possible flavors, different dosages and
forms. These pharmacists provide 1% of medications used today for patients
who have allergies or physical problems with shelf medications.

12
Whereas, an exemplary post is

I vaguely knew what compounding pharmacists did but now I know more. I did
not know that there were so many compounding pharmacies in the US. I was
unaware of the close relationship between the pharmacist, physician and patient.
Pharmacists play the biggest role and they must do their job properly to avoid
errors which can harm patients

In evaluating the posts, the below average post did not describe meaningful
information. The above average post described an aspect of the healthcare topic
or issue. The exemplary post addressed the interaction between pharmacists
and other healthcare professionals. This is an insightful comment in that
collaboration with physicians and other healthcare providers is an important
aspect of pharmacy practice and was emphasized in the course.

The lesson to be learned from this analysis is the need to create a rubric, or
criterion-based assessment tool. In designing a rubric, one criterion should
address the ability to comment on the influence of or impact on healthcare
payors or managed care, government agencies, or regulations on the healthcare
topic. Another criterion should address the ability to comment on the influence
of or impact on the role of the pharmacist or pharmacy practice model. One of
the students comments in the examples effectively addressed one of the
healthcare aims of pharmacy practice: avoid errors to improve patient safety.
Another criterion should address if the students described the impact of the topic
on the patient (quality, safety, access to care, and beneficial outcomes).

To engage students in critical thinking, the instructions used increasingly explicit
instructions. For Semester 1, Semester 2 and Semester 3, the percent of
students earning all points were 93% (140/150), 84% (94/115), and 64%
(87/136), respectively. This decrease is attributed to more stringent grading
criteria with each successive semester.

The Discussion forum assignment for semester 1 was weighted the least: 2% of
the total course grade. The low impact of the assignment on the final course
grade may have influenced 10 students who disregarded the assignment
resulting in a class mean grade of 94.3. Excluding the 10 students, shifted the
class mean grade to 100. When the weight of the assignment was increased to
10% in Semester 2 and 40% in Semester 3, all students placed value on the
assignment and submitted a post.

The instructor used a dichotomous approach when grading during semester 1
and students received no credit for absent posts and full credit for a submission.
For semester 2 and 3, points were deducted for incomplete responses. For
semester 2, the deductions were 25% of the grade (2.5 points) if the quality of
the post was below average. For semester 3, the deductions ranged from 5-
15% of the assignment (2-6 points of a 40 point assignment) and the deductions
13
were scaled to the 4 explicit questions provided in the instructions. A new rubric
would be a useful addition to the assignment and should be designed to promote
a fair and consistent appraisal of the scope and depth of the students
submissions.
3

In viewing the impact on their overall grade, there was a trend toward an
increase in the mean Final Course grade with each successive semester.
Eliminating the midterm exam and replacing it with a capstone writing
assignment that served as a summative assessment had a neutral or small
benefit on overall class performance. When the weight of the assignment was
increased to >10%, the students placed a value on the assignment and made
the effort to submit their discussion forum post.


This capstone project enabled students to express their ideas and also share
what they learned with their peers. Generating ideas for the discussion forum is
an active process

that promotes learning. Students have to access their memory when developing
their post which is an effective learning strategy as compared to multiple choice
exams where students passively recognize correct answers.
2

The purpose of the discussion forum as a capstone assignment was to improve
critical thinking skills. The forum engaged students in developing communication
skills through writing brief commentaries after viewing health topic presentations.
There is a relationship between enhancing written communication skills which is
associated with improving critical thinking skills.
4
The design of the course
created a blended learning experience by offering classroom and online learning.
This facilitated delivery of formative assessments and also appealed to students
with different learning styles. The combination of multiple instructional methods
used in this course, such as active teaching and cooperative learning, engages
students more effectively in learning and improves student attitudes.
4
Critical
thinking skills are an asset as students progress to the professional curriculum
and also begin to seek positions as pharmacy interns.


The course uses Cooperative Learning by engaging students in peer teaching.
Students have the freedom to select the video presentations of their choice for
viewing. The top 3 categories, with over 30 student posts each, were
Compounding Pharmacy, Chronic Disease Registries and the Food and Drug
Administration. The team presentations are an excellent tool that promotes
peerto-peer teaching and students respond positively to learning from their
peers.

14
As preprofessional students, they are inquisitive and curious about their chosen
field of study. Many of the topics describe novel pharmacy practice roles such as
ambulatory care, MTM, and the Patient Centric Model (appointed-based
scheduling with synchronized medication refills). Students requested a new topic
(Nuclear Pharmacy) which was added to other topics such as Immunization
Pharmacist and Compounding Pharmacy. There were many posts from students
indicating they learned something new. The breadth of the presentations allowed
the teams to expand on material taught during class by the instructor. For
example, one student remarked positively that they learned some additional
information after viewing the student presentation on Medicare.

A student commented from semester 1 that they liked Video recording of group
presentations was new and interesting and learning about healthcare reform
and things that are related to pharmacy.

In reviewing the student evaluations from semester 3, there were no specific
comments regarding the discussion forum posts. One student commented on
the course as Informative course with very manageable workload. I liked how it
was organized so that each week someone new would talk to us about a different
area of pharmacy. The next comment addressed the scope of the course as
they liked the multiple views of pharmacy that were explained to us. One
student was forward thinking and remarked It was an interesting way to start
thinking about what I would like to do in Pharmacy.

Another student was dissatisfied and expressed The fact that we had to work in
groups. I prefer working on presentations by myself. Regarding the course
workload, someone offered That there were no exams but was research based
work (sic).

If yes, will you do anything differently?

The modeling activity used in Semester 3 may or may not have been effective as
students did not receive formative feedback on their own posts. For Semester 4,
a homework assignment was added that shifted responsibility of the assignments
to the students. Assigning the homework early in the semester afforded an
opportunity for formative assessment to enhance students self-assessment of
learning. The instructor posted feedback comments to students directly on the
Online Discussion Forum. Students were given an opportunity to revise their
posts if they did not meet the expectations. Another advantage was allowing the
students to practice using the online forum and increasing familiarity with the
threaded discussion features.

Future goals include developing a rubric that sets up the criteria, performance
standards, and performance descriptors.
3
The criteria would address style
(grammar/spelling), impact/influence related to pharmacist and pharmacy
15
practice models, impact/influence related to patients, and impact/influence
related to external organizations (insurance/government agencies/regulation).
The instructor should be explicit in explaining the purpose of the discussion
forum assignment and direct students to use discipline-specific terminology in
formulating their posts. The rubric should also be designed to reward students
for posting threaded discussions thus promoting collaborative learning.
3

Will you implement in other courses? No

16
References

1. Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Accreditation standards and
guidelines for the professional program in pharmacy leading to the Doctor of
Pharmacy degree. (Effective: J uly 1, 2007). Chicago: Illinois. 2011.

2. Svinicki M. Ten benefits from active learning drawn from theory. Austin:
Texas. University of Texas at Austin [c2011; accessed 2011 Mar 18]. Available
from:
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/svinicki/398T/Ten%20Benefits.htm

3. McNamara J , Burton K. Assessment of online discussion forums for law
students. J ournal of University Teaching & Learning Practice 2009;6(2).

4. Boyce EG, Lawson LA. Preprofessional curriculum in preparation for Doctor of
Pharmacy educational programs. Am J Pharm Ed 2009; 73 (8): Article 155

17
Title of Innovation: Using Visual Rhetoric to Create Transferability of
Critical Thinking and Argumentation Skill
Name of Innovator: Justin Everett
Telephone Number: 215-596 8736; Email Address: j.everet@usciences.edu
Department: Writing Programs and Writing Center
Type of Students: first year
Type of course or activity where implemented: Required, Core
Curriculum/General Education
Course or activity where implemented: WR 102


The activity teaches the students to transfer skills learned for written arguments
for a different audience in another media and rhetorical context.


The activity has three phases. Students first write a brief written argument in the
form of an editorial for a newspaper or online forum. Second, students learn
about basic elements of visual design, including text, image, color, and
composition. Because the images use very few words, students have to develop
innovative ways to persuade their audiences while still making an argument
based in logic (claims +reasons). Finally, students have to submit the visual
argument (usually a poster created in MS Word) with a memo explaining how the
image uses the rhetorical principles of logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos to
accomplish the same goal as the written argument.


The memo was added this year. This provides students an opportunity to engage
in reflection and better understand how and why the visual argument
accomplishes the rhetorical goals of the editorial, but using different tools
(images, color, and spatial arrangement in addition to minimal text).


Student performance on the longer researched argument that follows the
assignment demonstrates increased sophistication in making arguments,
especially in terms of utilizing the rhetorical appeals of pathos, ethos, and kairos.

18

Engaging in visual rhetoric in concert with written arguments on the same topic
increases transferability of writing skill. Students are able to interpret rhetorical
contexts and apply them to new forms of communication--written or otherwise--in
new ways.


Students love the assignment. They have a lot of fun creating the visuals and
sharing them in class. They better understand the rhetorical appeals and why
they are using them.


At present we evaluate "opinion advertisements," "op-ads," in class to prepare for
the assignment. I would like to include analysis of commercials and YouTube
videos, which add another element: time.


WR 333: Professional Writing


Select "op-ads" based on topics students are researching for their other
assignments. It creates greater investment in the project.


19
Leahy Finalist

Title of Innovation: Experiential Physics: Exploring Physical Principles
around Campus
Name of Innovator: Paul Halpern
Telephone Number: 215-596-8913 Email Address: p.halper@usciences.edu
Department: Mathematics/Physics/Computer Science
Type of Students: Second Year PharmD
Course or activity where implemented: Elements of Physics (PY 205)


Research has shown that when students practice skills through hands-on
experiences, they find these principles more relevant than through pure lecturing.
Campus sites offer a perfect opportunity to show that physics is everywhere, not
just an abstraction in students' textbooks. To implement this learner-centered
interactive strategy I have developed a sequence of predictions, demonstrations
with direct student involvement, the opportunity for student discussion, and finally
a re-examination of the predictions.


Over the past few years I have developed a physics teaching strategy that makes
use of familiar sites on campus as opportunities for demonstrations of physical
principles. For example, we have used the pool tables in the ARC to demonstrate
collisions, the elevator in Griffith Hall to show the effects of acceleration on a
scale, the playground next to Rosenberger to demonstrate conservation of
energy, and so forth.


I have needed to adjust the size of the groups based upon the number of
students in each section. I have added more demonstrations.


Through pre and post-surveys I recorded an improvement in student
understanding of the concepts addressed.

20

I gave pre-and post-surveys of how students understood various concepts such
as accelerated vs. non-accelerated frames and elastic vs. inelastic collisions, and
saw notable improvement. I think that was because the experiences helped
students perceive the concepts in a more tangible way.


In fall 2010, I distributed a survey to students asking them to rank the helpfulness
of various aspects of the course. Of the 41 students who responded, 80% rated
the campus-based demonstrations as either "Helpful" or "Very Helpful" I have
also received positive verbal feedback about the experiences.


I will continue to seek other locations on campus that offer opportunities to
demonstrate physics concepts.



Introductory Physics I (PY 201)


I would suggest that instructors allocate enough time to allow students to
experience the demonstrations in small groups and in a relaxed, unhurried
fashion.

21
Title of Innovation: Journaling for Reflections on Teaching
Name of Innovator: Therese E. Johnston
Telephone Number: 215-596-8682 Email address:t.johnston@usciences.edu
Department: Physical Therapy
Type of Students: 5th year PT students
Course or activity where implemented: PT 529


For PT 529 for the spring of 2010, I decided to write a journal of my teaching
experiences. These experiences included reflections on lecture and lab activities,
student projects, student issues, examinations, and guest lecturers. I choose to
do this to better reflect on my experiences and to be able to make changes
during the semester and for the following year.


Every week, I would reflect on the activities of the week. Some reflections
involved my feelings about how all went as well as asking myself questions. I
sometimes included questions to which I had no answers to make sure that I
sought advice and answers from others.


I used the journal to make changes in the course for the current semester and
decided to continue with journaling for this class.


As this activity was more self-directed, there are no measurable outcomes for the
students. However the benefits to the students are that I am continuing to grow
as a teacher and thinking more about my specific strengths and weaknesses and
the way the course is structured.


This tool has been valuable to me. As I was writing this year's syllabus, I read my
past reflections and used them to make changes. I also used them to evaluate
my own teaching.

22

The students were unaware that the journaling was occurring. However I did
reflect on the course evaluations and made the current students aware that I
made changes to the course based on the evaluations.


The process won't change but I hope that my reflections will be at a higher level.


I plan to implement it in PT 601, my other course.


Use this tool to help you better reflect on your teaching and provide you with
valuable information that can be used in the future.

23
Leahy Finalist

Title of Innovation: The impact of Hearing Versus Seeing Feedback on
Written Assignments
Name of Innovator: Lora Packel
Telephone Number: 215-596-8678 Email Address: l.packel@usciences.edu
Department: Physical Therapy
Type of Students: First professional year Doctor of Physical Therapy
Course or activity where implemented: Pathophysiology I


Audio feedback was trialed in a pathophysiology course to help determine its
impact on student learning, writing effectiveness, and course satisfaction as
compared to the traditional method of written feedback. There have been
previous reports that audio feedback may enhance one's ability to provide
detailed feedback to students as well as convey nuances that may be lost in
written format (Ice, Curtis, Phillips & Wells, 2008 & Bunyan, King, & McGugan,
2008. There has been limited published research that compares audio and
written feedback for student learning and satisfaction.


This innovation took place in Pathophysiology I, a foundational course in the first
professional year of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. This class uses a
modified problem based learning format to teach pathophysiology concepts. In
addition to learning content, an objective of this course is to improve written
communications skills. Students work in groups of four to determine the correct
diagnosis for a patient case as well as the common presenting signs, symptoms,
diagnostic tests, medical interventions and physical therapy implications for each
condition. To assist students in synthesizing this information, they are required to
write a comprehensive case summary. The students write three case summaries
over the course of one semester.

The written case summaries are graded based on a standardized rubric that
assesses both content accuracy and writing skill.

Students in the class were randomized to receive either audio or written
feedback on their case summaries.

24
Audio feedback was embedded through an audio file in each case summary at
the point where the instructor wanted to comment. At the end of the paper,
students received an audio report of their grade based on a standardized rubric.
To listen to the audio feedback, students clicked on the icon of a speaker
embedded into their papers.

Students who were randomized to receive written feedback had professor
comments handwritten into their case summaries. They also received a copy of
the rubric with their earned score.
Course evaluations were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data for
group comparison.

Describe any changes in the implementation: None


There was no difference in means for the final course grades between the audio
(A) and written (W) groups at the end of the semester (Mean A: 85.1, std.
deviation 3.93, CI 83.625-86.627; Mean : 86.2, SE 3.19, CI 84.706-87.644). The
final course grades included three written case summaries as well as
examinations and participation.

When looking at the difference between groups using only the case summaries,
there was borderline significance with p=.05, favoring the audio feedback group
(mean A 90.4, SE .753, SD =5.889, CI 88.948-91.924; mean W 88.3, SE .769,
SD =6.864, CI 86.789-89.828). Although the difference between the groups was
borderline, this could mean the difference between earning an A- versus a B+for
a student.

On the course evaluations, the students reported:

40% of the audio group strongly agreed that this was a good course compared to
23.8% of the written group.

23.8% of the written group strongly agreed that the written feedback was helpful
and 47.6% agreed that it was helpful. 31.8% of the audio group strongly agreed
that the audio feedback was helpful while an additional 42.9% agreed with this
statement. When combining the categories of "strongly agree," and "agree," there
was little difference between groups (W 71.4%; A: 74.7%)


There was a favorable response to the audio feedback from the students and the
instructor. Audio feedback may be useful for those whose learning style is
auditory. In addition, the instructor was able to provide more detailed comments
25
using the audio file than could have been achieved with the written format in the
same amount of grading time.


Additional feedback was collected through an open text response on the course
evaluation which asked for comments about the use of audio or written feedback
in the case studies.

Here is a sample of responses.

"I liked the audio feedback because I felt that I paid more attention to your insight
because it felt as though you were speaking to me directly. Whereas if the
feedback had been written I would have just read over the statement without
much thought."

"I thought the audio feedback was a great idea. It was quick and easy to
understand rather than struggling to read a professors handwriting."

"I liked the audio feedback so much better.. It was really helpful in improving my
paper.

I liked having the audio clip at the end of each paragraph or where it needs
improvement."

"The written feedback was enough for me to understand where I lost points and
how I could have made my paper more of a success."

I think that if we had both audio and written we would be able to visually see
where we went wrong. This is easier for visual learners."


Mac users were not able to hear the audio feedback. In the future, I need to find
a program compatible with all computers.


I may use audio feedback in other courses to provide both formative and
summative feedback on assignments, projects & lab work.

26

Prior to the semester take time to learn the audio program. This will speed up
grading when the semester begins.

27
Title of Innovation: Using MeduMaZe to Simulate the Drug Development
Process
Name of Innovators: Allison E. Radwick, Anil D'Mello
Telephone Number(s): 610-888-2114, 215-596-8941
Email Address(es): aeradwick@gmail.com, a.dmello@usciences.edu
Department: Pharmaceutical Sciences Department
Type of Students: B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences
Course or activity where implemented: Pharm Sci Orientation II-11SP-
PH203-01


This course introduces students to the different areas of the Drug Development
Process and familiarizes them with FDA regulations pertaining to each of these
steps. At the end of the student presentations, the MeduMaZe game allowed the
students to integrate all of the concepts learned in a group setting.


The MeduMaZe game represents a simulation of the entire drug development
process and allows the students understand the 'The Big Picture' of drug
development including key learning points about:

*Early Discovery & Development
*Full Development & Clinical Studies
*Regulatory Review & Approval.

The game provides an understanding of where different scientific and
commercial disciplines contribute at different stages so they may interact
appropriately and deliver high quality science and effective products with
maximum efficiency.

MeduMaZe brings global drug development to life and teaches the importance of
good science and planning in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere of monopoly
format.


This is the first year using the MeduMaZe game in this class and the fourth year
Dr. D'mello and I have worked together in this course. We will definitely use the
game again next year and depending on the number of the students more teams
may be added. Having the students more invested in the product they are trying
to get to market would be help the student in navigating the game.

28

The game was very well received by the students and the facilitators, Drs.
Radwick and D'mello.

All students felt the game should be played next year as well. Many of the event
cards included ideas discussed in class, such as animal testing, IND, etc. The
game aided in understanding the drug development process and what problem
could be faced during the process. The game allowed the students to use what
was learned throughout the course to apply to real drug development situations.

Reflect on what is working and why it is working

A relaxed atmosphere to integrate concepts learned throughout the semester.


The students responded extremely well to the innovation from individual
presentations to group interaction for the game.


Depending on class size -add more teams, have students investigate and choose
their own drug/dosage form to market.


Pharmaceutical Sciences Club - game night!
PharmD program -PP642 Research Design and Statistics


Know your audience. Adapt and facilitate to the situation as needed.

29
Title of Innovation: Creating Future Pharmacy Educators Through
Innovative Experiential Learning
Name of Innovators: Jean M. Scholtz and Karen J. Tietze
Telephone Numbers: 215-596-8524, 215-596-8854
Email Addresses j.scholt@usciences.edu, k.tietze@usciences.edu
Type of Students: Doctor of Pharmacy
Course or activity where implemented: PP551-8 APPE I-XIII


There is a severe nation-wide shortage of pharmacy faculty. A 2002 survey
conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
identified 417 vacant teaching positions among the 67 schools of pharmacy that
responded to the survey.
1, 2
on average, there were six vacancies at each school.
The majority of the vacancies were in the areas of pharmacy practice (223
vacancies; 53.5%) and pharmaceutical science (190 vacancies; 45.6%). The
shortage of pharmacy faculty continues as evidenced by the large number of
advertised faculty positions at the 2010 American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting. The pool of qualified candidates for faculty
positions is limited. Pharmacists completing post-graduate training programs
typically seek out clinical pharmacist or research-based positions instead of
faculty positions. It might be possible to increase interest in academic careers by
providing formal teaching experiences for pharmacy students.

Few pharmacy schools offer elective teaching/academic rotations.
3-5
Although elective teaching rotations for Doctor of Pharmacy students have been
offered by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy
Practice and Pharmacy Administration since 1982, the rotations have been very
unstructured and highly dependent on the individual preceptors' experience. The
number of students interested in the teaching rotation has increased from 1-2 per
semester to 10 or more per semester. Due to the increased number of students
and faculty interest in teaching rotations, we recently sought to formalize and
standardize the elective P4 teaching rotation.


A series of meetings were held with department faculty with experience at
precepting teaching rotations. A standardized set of goals and objectives,
activities, and teaching expectations were developed. Activities were designed to
provide opportunities for students to learn and understand pedagogical theories
and apply the theories in a variety of teaching settings under direct faculty
mentorship.

30
Student responsibilities include teaching, service, and scholarship. The elective
teaching rotation is designed so that each student works with and is mentored by
an individual primary preceptor but interacts with and is mentored by many
faculty.

The five-week rotation is structured so that pharmacy students experience the full
spectrum of faculty responsibilities. A model was created to standardize rotation
content and avoid individual faculty duplication of effort. The student serves as a
teaching assistant for all courses taught by the faculty preceptor and assists
faculty in other courses for a total of 12 classroom hours per week. The student
attends department, college and university meetings and proctors exams.
Students learn about teaching strategies and philosophies through small-group
discussions of required readings led by faculty experts. Each student is required
to develop a teaching philosophy statement, student-specific rotation goals and
objectives, discuss teaching-related literature, observe faculty classroom
teaching styles and develop and teach at least one large class period.

An on-line course page was created for the rotation which served as the central
repository for reading materials and other course documents. Orientation is
conducted with all students on the first day of the rotation. The teaching students
meet weekly or biweekly as a group to discuss assigned topics; the discussions
are organized and led by faculty experts. The students organize and schedule
the group sessions. Topics include writing goals and objectives, teaching
portfolios, learning styles, developing assessment rubrics, active learning,
classroom management, peer evaluations, exam writing. The Academy,
pharmacy profession advocacy, and pharmacy professional organizations. Many
students develop and maintain a teaching portfolio and complete a writing or
research project.


Over the past year the number of students and faculty involved with the elective
teaching rotation has greatly increased. This has allowed for a greater diversity of
student and faculty interactions an student experiences.


The students are now provided with a more standardized teaching rotation with
better defined expectations and experiences. Faculty duplication of teaching has
been minimized. Student input in committee and department meetings has
increased. Although outcome data in terms of students choosing academic
careers are not yet available, informal feedback indicates that students who
complete the elective teaching often select post-graduate opportunities that
continue their development as an academician.

31

The elective teaching rotation design, content, activities and learner-centered
teaching methodologies all seem to be working to achieve the goals of the
rotation. A standardized structure provides a more uniform experience for
students and faculty. Students interact with and are mentored by a greater range
of faculty preceptors. Students assume greater responsibility for their learning
and gain insight into the complex roles and responsibilities of pharmacy practice
faculty.


Students accept their responsibilities with a great deal of enthusiasm and enjoy
working on the group based activities. Students enjoy teaching and interacting
with P1, P2 and P3 students. Students are often surprised by the diversity of
faculty responsibilities, and are typically shocked by the complexity of teaching
responsibilities.


We have identified that we need to better define the student's role during the 12
hours of classroom time when not directly working with the primary preceptor. In
addition, we need to have a clearer definition of faculty preceptor qualifications.
The increasing complexity of coordinating the teaching rotation has made it clear
that there needs to be a single administrative coordinator for the teaching rotation
experience.

Will you implement this innovation in other courses? No
Describe the other courses: N/A


The students embrace the responsibilities and opportunities given them during
this rotation. The students need to be challenged with individualized experiences
yet need guidance and mentorship throughout the rotation.

Additional Comments:

REFERENCES

1) American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. Acute Shortage of
Faculty at U.S. Pharmacy Schools Threatens Efforts to Solve Nation's
Pharmacist Shortage. Available at
http://www.afpenet.org/news_acute_shortage.htm. Accessed April 19, 2011
32
2) Knapp KK, Manolakis M, Webster AA, & Olsen KM. Survey of US Pharmacy
Deans: Continued Growth in Pharmacy Education and Research Is Projected
for 2010-2015. (presented at annual meeting of the American Association of
Colleges of Pharmacy, Seattle WA, J uly 10-14, 2010.)
http://www.aacp.org/governance/councildeans/Documents/1021010AACPgro
wthsurveypaper13.pdf
3) Sylvia LM. An advanced pharmacy practice experience in academia. Am J
Pharm Educ 2006;70(5): 1-10.
4) Slazak EM & Zurick GM. Practice-based learning experience to develop
residents as clinical faculty members. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2009; 66(13)
1224-1227.
5) Guillema S, Ly AV. A pharmacy practice residency (PGY1) with an emphasis
on academia. Am J Pharm Educ 2009 Feb 19;73(1):13.

33
Title of Innovation: Starbucks Chat
Name of Innovator: Sarah Spinler
Telephone Number: 215-596-8576 Email Address: s.spinle@usciences.edu.
Type of Students: P2
Course or activity where implemented: PP466


1) Selected a time mutually convenient to students and myself
2) Did not require a room on campus as none were available
3) Permitted students to learn from each other as I asked the students to
answer each other's questions regarding the material


See above. The exam review was for 14 hours of in class lecture time and I had
44 questions on the exam. Approximately 35 students attended.


None This is the first year


I also learned that students were mistrustful of the lecture objectives. Not mine in
particular but in general. They were afraid to only study from the objectives for
fear of missing something. So many of my answers included a statement such as
- There is no objective for that so that would not be material I would ask on the
exam. It also permitted me to understand which parts of the material they were
less familiar with so I know what to focus on next year.


Students asked great questions and learned from each other. The time and
location were convenient.


I received emails after the exam thanking me for my time and that it helped
prepare/reassure them about the exam.

34

No. Perhaps have two sessions.


For fall will host another prior to exam in an elective I am offering PP530


Do not give new material! Emphasize that you are only answering questions
about the existing materials.

35
Title of Innovation: Ethics Research Project
Name of Innovator: Samuel Talcott
Telephone Number: 215-596-7192 Email Address: s.talcott@usciences.com
Department: Humanities
Type of Students: 3rd year
Type of course or activity where implemented: Elective, Core
Curriculum/General Education
Course or activity where implemented: Ethics and Critical Thought


The structure and content of my course on "Ethics and Critical Thought" is based
on the idea that students will better appropriate and master conceptual material
that they deploy in order to think through human problems.


Each student develops a project for the course in which they 1) produce a case-
study of a particular event, 2) deploy an ethical theory to expose the issue raised
in the case and develop an argument as to how it might be addressed, and 3)
engage in some meta-ethical reflection. The first 11-12 weeks of the course are
devoted to a serious engagement with ethical theory, in which we work together
to understand particular theories and how each responds to a few select issues
and cases. During this time, each student develops her or his own case study,
based on what each finds to be an important ethical issue and in consultation
with the professor. A written proposal, including a bibliography, is required before
a topic is approved for research. Towards the end of this time, after we have
covered the basic theories addressed in our course, the student will be begin to
develop arguments on her or his own as to the nature of the ethical issue in the
case being researched and the kinds of responses recommended by the theory.
The last 2-3 weeks are devoted to presentations of the work that each student
has accomplished so far in deploying an ethical theory to examine and evaluate
the case study. These presentations, based on a detailed outline or rough draft of
the final project, encourage the students to test their own abilities to deploy the
theories in working through actual events. Furthermore, because students assign
each other grades and comments for each presentation, they take each other
and the assignment more seriously. I believe this also gives them a sense of
what it means to engage in criticism in a way that fosters rational discourse,
rather than prevents it. With written feedback from classmates and professor,
each student can then revise and produce a final draft that includes tested
arguments, reasoned responses to potential objections, and some reflection as
to why one ethical theory may be preferable to another. And this is work that
each of the students has accomplished for him or herself.

36

I did not at first have students evaluate each other's presentations. I now do this,
and it makes the activity very engaging to them since they take it seriously.


There are many learning outcomes fostered by this activity. It is helpful for
information literacy purposes and for written communication skills. It also helps
the students come to have their own grasp on ethical theories and understand
how these relate to and shape particular ethical issues. At the same time, by
applying theory they learn about the importance of thoughtfulness and critical
thinking when responding to a problem. Also, in presenting their work to each
other, and evaluating each other, they learn how to engage in debate and
discussion in an open-minded manner.


Overall, I think the different aspects of the activity work well together, making for
a rather successful, sustained activity.


Students, from what I can tell, enjoy this activity, because it makes them feel like
the class is about their interests.


I will continue working on ways to encourage more meta-ethical reflection in the
final project.


I will be deploying a similar project in my Philosophy of Medicine course.


Get the students started on the project early on so they have plenty of time to
work on it.

37
Title of Innovation: What Can You Do With a Fishbowl?
Name of Innovator: Karen J. Tietze
Telephone Number: 215-596-8854 Email Address: k.tietze@usciences.edu
Type of Students: Doctor of Pharmacy
Type of course or activity where implemented: Required, Professional or
Advanced
Course or activity where implemented: PP306 Introduction to Clinical
Pharmacy Skills and PP466 Human Diseases and Application of
Therapeutics I


The increasing expectations of internal peers and administrators as well as
external accreditation organizations such as the American Council on
Pharmaceutical Education that faculty incorporate active learning activities in the
classroom is challenging for many faculty, especially for faculty who teach large
classes in classrooms physically designed for traditional lecturing. Other barriers
include faculty time to create and implement effective active learning activities
and the added costs of active learning supplies. A fishbowl is an inexpensive tool
that can be used for many types of active learning activities for any number of
students. A two and a half gallon plastic fishbowl costs less than ten dollars and
is visually effective even in large auditorium-style classrooms. The "reverse
fishbowl" is an especially useful innovative active learning technique.


The traditional fishbowl active learning exercise is a classroom
discussion/observation activity with two concentric rings of students. The inner
ring of students discusses a topic; the outer ring of students observes the
discussion then comment on the content and process. Another traditional
fishbowl active learning uses an actual (or virtual) fishbowl to collect student
questions typically deposited before or during class. The instructor responds to
randomly selected questions at various times during or after class. The "reverse
fishbowl" technique is an innovation that individualizes a variety of classroom-
based active learning activities such as think-pair-share and other active learning
activities. The "reverse fishbowl" serves as an on-the-spot randomization of
individual assignments in preparation for a variety of in-class active learning
activities and works for any number of students, even with classes of 220+
students.

38
During the 2010-2011 academic year. the "reverse fishbowl" technique was used
in the PP306 Introduction to Clinical Pharmacy Skills course (approximately 140
students) and in the PP466 Human Diseases and Application of Therapeutics I
course (approximately 220 students). In the PP306 course, the "reverse fishbowl"
technique was used for a think-pair-share active learning activity in which
students selected a unique pharmacist job description from the fishbowl then
identified job-specific credentials, post-graduate training, and specific knowledge,
skills and attitudes from an inventory checklist. Pairs of students shared their
decisions with each other; students volunteered to share their ideas with the
class during a wrap-up discussion session. The "reverse fishbowl" technique also
was used for a PP306 patient case scavenger hunt. Students selected a
component of the patient case presentation from the fishbowl; several students
had the same component. Patient case component content was placed in brightly
colored file folders scattered throughout the room. Students had to find the right
content for their component, locate other students with the same component then
organize themselves in the correct component sequence and present the case
as a class. A variation of the "reverse fishbowl" technique was used in the PP466
course. At the start of the pulmonary block of material, students selected one
index card with a content-specific question from the fishbowl. The question was
used several different ways over several hours of class (i.e., pre-individual
student assessment, think-pair-share, sorting of students with relevant
therapeutic choices to questions posed to the entire class, post-individual student
assessment, etc.).

Describe any changes in the implementation: None


The reverse fishbowl technique grabs student attention and facilitates a wide
variety of active learning applications.


The reverse fishbowl technique is a convenient, inexpensive, and efficient on-
the-spot individualization for a wide variety of active learning applications.


Students react very positively towards any active learning activity, but seem
especially appreciative of the individualization afforded by the reverse fishbowl
technique, especially in large classes.

39

The innovation will be applied to a wide variety of activities in a broader variety of
courses.


The innovation is already used in multiple courses.


Plan the fishbowl content for the desired activity. For some activities, it is
important that every student have a unique selection. For other activities,
duplicate items are suitable, especially if the intent is to form discussion groups.


40

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