To support the implementation of a transformed Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program – which includes didactic coursework, patient care skills, pharmacy practice experiences, and team-based research projects – the School of Pharmacy has deconstructed and rebuilt our approach on how we utilize Ilios as an all-in-one educational platform to collect, manage, analyze, and deliver curricular information to students, faculty, and administrators. For students, it serves as an interconnected portal for their pharmacy education, providing a personalized calendar and course schedule that includes direct links to detailed course information and learning materials. For faculty, it serves as a longitudinal way to track events and activities, learning content, and learning outcomes for accreditation purposes and continuous refinement of the curriculum. For administrators, it functions as a central repository and aids in the streamlining and standardization of content delivery.
As the learner experience continues to evolve, a greater focus on our users’ needs and how technology can enhance teaching and learning has become central to our curriculum’s development. Technology has offered new ways of visualizing, capturing and delivering curricular information, bringing originality and collaboration to what has all too often been a risk-averse, insular process. By collaborating with Valentina Bettencourt, Educational Technologist, and our Ilios partners, we have taken a user-centered approach to optimizing our curriculum management system to align with the needs of our modern learners. We have moved the learner experience from the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE) to Ilios.
In this transition we sought to emphasize the following design principles:
- “Chunking” content
- Avoid visual clutter and noise
- Direct navigation
Throughout our implementation, we have collected both positive feedback and suggestions for improvement as we continually evolve. The core of our continuous efforts will be focused on partnering with student leadership to further improve the learner experience and utilization of Ilios in our next iterations.
Slides: https://ucsf.box.com/s/a3hdzaifk92sdzpn8ix4gg61q1zhgwkx (MyAccess login required)
Basic knowledge of learning management systems/curriculum management systems
Alexa Tan: I am instructional designer (ID) in the School of Pharmacy, and a current graduate student at San Francisco State University concentrating in Instructional Technologies. The foothold in instructional design and interest in learning science stems back to my time studying neuroscience and researching memory and retention at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
As an Instructional Designer, my passion lies in evaluating new technologies to discover new and better ways to enhance instruction and the delivery of new information to learners. This is rooted in the science of learning and the neuroplasticity of the brain. The application to teaching and learning has built the foundation of using cognitive techniques such as chunking of material, repetition to facilitate the process within the brain to solidify connections, and engaging the use of multiple human senses at once to more effectively help blueprint, create, and deliver instructional videos to our students.
Cali Nguyen: I am an education coordinator in the School of Pharmacy where I manage the administration of didactic courses in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program. My interests in education and educational technology stems from my previous experience conducting research at Stanford University on social and emotional learning in children and research-practice partnerships between school districts and research universities.
As an Education Coordinator, I aim to apply my background in engineering and designing thinking to the utilization of education technology and its intersections with teaching and learning methods. I am passionate about improving the student and educator experience by addressing critical issues in empathetic, creative, and sustainable ways.