How do we balance science & practice
in pharmacy curricula?
Physical sciences
Mauro Mocerino
Department of Chemistry, Curtin University
Perth, Western Australia
Professional competencies
A selection from Curtin B. Pharm course
• Compound pharmaceutical products
• Participate in therapeutic decision making
• Evaluate prescribed medicines
• Evaluate and synthesise information
• Apply communication skills and participate in
negotiations
• Prepare cytotoxic drug products
• Explore problems/potential problems
Professional competencies
A selection from Curtin B. Pharm course
• Compound pharmaceutical products
• Participate in therapeutic decision making
• Evaluate prescribed medicines
• Evaluate and synthesise information
• Apply communication skills and participate in
negotiations
• Prepare cytotoxic drug products
• Explore problems/potential problems
Process skills
When do students develop these?
Process skills
When do students develop these?
Or more specifically
When do we give students opportunities to develop
these process skills?
Active Learning in University Science
Pedagogy
Process Oriented
Guided Inquiry Learning
The student is guided through the
An exploration of a
model by a set of questions
concept, application of a
allowing them to construct their own
theory or experimental
knowledge and test the knowledge
data is presented in a
in applications of the theory or
model or series of models
concept
http://www.pogil.org/
Thinking About Process Skills
POGIL’s targeted process skills
1.Oral & written communication
2.Teamwork
3.Problem solving
4.Critical & analytical thinking
5.Team & self-management
6.Information processing
7.Assessment & self-assessment
Learning cycle paradigm
Sample activity
Molecular
formula
C4H8O2
Condensed
structure
HOCH2CH2COCH3
H2
C
C5H11N H2C
H2C
"Lewis" Structure
H
O
H
H
O
H
C
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
H
CH
NH2
C
CH3CHCHCH2CCCH3H
H
C
C
H
H
NH2
H
C
HH
C6H8
HO
H
H
H
H
N
C
C
O
H
H
C
CH2
Line structure
H
H
H
C
C
H
C
C
H
Sample activity
‣ Provide a table showing common representation
styles for organic molecules
‣ Ask student questions to explore the styles
‣ Have students develop their own rules for using
the line structure style
‣ Have them apply their rules in some questions
Folders
‣ Each student is assigned a team
‣ Each team is given a folder
‣ Names of the elements
Xe
Xenon
‣ Folders are distributed at the
start of the class and returned
at the end of the class
‣ A copy of the day’s activity is provided (on
coloured paper)
‣ Teams are also given communication tools via
Blackboard
Teams
Manager
Keeps the group ontrack, delegates tasks
to other team
members
Recorder
Presenter
Keeps the record of
the group activity on
the copy provided
Asks questions of the
lecturer and enters
clicker answers
Teams of three
Teams
Manage
Recorder
Reflector
Presenter
Teams of four
Keeps a reflection on
the groups progress
and performance
Sample Lecture slide
Class Activity: Reactions of alkanes
Group Roles:
Manager: Responsible for keeping group on task and ensuring all members
have an input
Recorder: Responsible for recording the groups answers on the coloured
activity sheets (should sit in the middle of the group)
Presenter: Responsible for asking and answering questions for the group
(including clicker questions)
Today's allocation:
Recorder - the person who has their birthday earliest in the year.
Manager- the person to the right of the recorder
Presenter - the person to the left of the recorder
Clicker question in 5 minutes
Clickers
‣ Audience response system
‣ Allows immediate feedback
‣ Revision of previous
lecture’s concepts
‣ Can easily monitor progress
‣ Useful teaching tool
‣ Can be used for assessment
Sample clicker question
Highlights of last lecture
What is the number of stereocentres in nootkatone
(grapefruit oil) shown below?
O
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
none
one
two
three
four
five
Feedback clicker question
Highlights of last lecture
What is the number of stereocentres in nootkatone
(grapefruit oil) shown below?
30
25
O
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
none
one
two
three
four
five
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Outcomes C101 & C102
‣ Class attendance is improved
‣ Improvement in some traditionally poor areas
‣ MO theory
‣ Coordination chemistry
‣ Mechanisms and use of curved arrows
‣ Student feedback is very positive
Outcomes - US data
‣ Common exam data
Key
A
B
C
D, F or W
Institution A
Institution B
Institution C
Institution D
Institution D
Course
Organic 1
Organic 2
Organic 1
Organic 1
Organic 2
POGIL
Inst.
12%
7%
29%
4%
9%
14%
27%
28%
21%
29%
24%
31%
58%
N = 20
N = 14
20%
16%
N = 75
N = 93 (2 sections)
N = 91 (2 sections)
10%
5%
12%
16%
22%
33%
32%
19% 44%
20%
(3, N=35) =
2.17, p = 0.22
29%
53%
36%
32%
29%
29%
16%
27%
N = 15
2
36%
40%
40%
Lecture
15%
32%
35%
Sig.
9%
N = 19
(3, N=33) =
4.96, p = 0.24
2
N = 109
(3, N=184) =
29.30, p<0.01
2
N = 793 (18 sections)
(3, N=886) =
10.76, p =0.013
2
N = 388 (11 sections)
(3, N=479) =
57.70, p<0.01
2
People
Charles Sturt University
Danny Bedgood
Curtin University
Mark Buntine, Daniel Southan,
Mario Zadnik & me
POGIL
Suzanne Ruder (Virginia Commonwealth)
Rick Moog (Franklin & Marshall)
Jennifer Lewis (South Florida)
Vicky Minderhout (Seattle)
Renee Cole (Central Missouri)
Deakin University
Kieran Lim, Gayle Morris
The University of Adelaide
Simon Pyke
University of Sydney
Adam Bridgeman
University of Tasmania
Brian Yates
Michael Gardiner
ALIUS website at www.alius.edu.au