Educational technology use among US colleges and schools of pharmacy

Am J Pharm Educ. 2011 Jun 10;75(5):87. doi: 10.5688/ajpe75587.

Abstract

Objective: To develop a searchable database of educational technologies used at schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used to determine what educational technologies were being used and to identify an individual at each institution who could serve as an information resource for peer-to-peer questions.

Results: Eighty-nine survey instruments were returned for a response rate of 75.4%. The resulting data illustrated the almost ubiquitous presence of educational technology. The most frequently used technology was course management systems and the least frequently used technology was microblogging.

Conclusions: Educational technology use is trending toward fee-based products for enterprise-level applications and free, open-source products for collaboration and presentation. Educational technology is allowing educators to restructure classroom time for something other than simple transmission of factual information and to adopt an evidence-based approach to instructional innovation and reform.

Keywords: educational technology; instructional technology; online learning.

MeSH terms

  • Blogging
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Data Collection
  • Databases, Factual
  • Education, Pharmacy / methods
  • Education, Pharmacy / statistics & numerical data*
  • Educational Technology / methods
  • Educational Technology / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Schools, Pharmacy / statistics & numerical data*
  • United States