JOURNAL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2, OCTOBER 2011 48

U-Pharmedu: Project Plan to Utilize Ubiquitous Computing in Pharmacy Customized Education Mohamed F. AlAjmi, PhD. Abstract—In the conventional approach for pharmacy students’ training on observation and decision making skills, a teacher need to guide tens or more students in the learning environment to observe, analyze and judge the real objects (patient’s treatment). The learning process is inefficient and ineffective since it is difficult to take care of the needs of individual students. Elearning environment might be a way to provide a personalized learning environment; however, the students can only browse the digitalized images or videos, and are far from the real world scenario. This is serious especially when dealing with highly critical educational contexts such as pharmacy where graduates hold the responsibility of guarantying safety of drug treatment. Reasonable percentage of patients’ admission to the hospital is drug-related problems. Part of this problem is the result of deficiency of patient's education by pharmacists which in turn the result of pharmacist education weakness. Recent progress in wireless and sensor technologies has lead to a new development of learning environments, called context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, which is able to sense the situation of learners and provide adaptive supports. In such a learning environment, individual students are equipped with a mobile device that acts as a personalized tutor to guide them to practice target skills in the real world. In this project, a ubiquitous learning environment is going to be implemented in the hospital, and a series of activities will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this innovative educational approach in pharmacy student’s education. The aim of this project is to implement u-learning environment in a hospital for pharmacy students and evaluate effectiveness of this scenario in observation and decision making skills for pharmacy students during clinical training. Methodology: Both college server and hospital server maintain the database information about students, subject matter contents and patients. In the hospital, the system will provide the full description about the patient’s case. On the other hand, in the college the instructor will enter the subject matter contents, educational activities, feedback statements and evaluation questions in the college’s server. RFID is provided to the students in order to communicate with embedded sensors in the pharmacy and hospital wards. Student-System-Interaction in the authentic environment (in the pharmacy department and beside the patients in the admission words in the hospital) will occur via interaction between RFID held by the students and nearby context aware sensors (Which are linked through wireless communication to both hospital server and college serve). This interaction is monitored and controlled with sets of programmed orders and instructions according to predefined educational objectives. Feedback is then generated against the responses from the students to the questions and activities. The feedback will be presented to both students (either in the form of ‘correct’ or refer to the subject matter content) and to the instructor for continuous evaluation and formative assessment. Detailed project plan is discussed in this paper to serve as a tool for innovators who wish to implement one-one tutor educational system. Advantages, disadvantages and limitations of this approach will be also highlighted. Key words—Pharmacy education, U-learning, technology-based education, wireless RFID-sensor interaction.

——————————  ——————————

1

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacists play major role in patients' care in all health care settings. To provide a proper patient service, qualified pharmacist and pharmacy technicians must be supported to master the essential skills needed in various professional activities such as dilution/concentration expertise, extemporaneous preparations, pharmacokinetics and I.V. admixtures [1]. Due to the big importance of pharmacists in improving quality of patient’s treatment and to minimize medication errors it is needed to pay more attention to qualifying pharmacy students in a way that distinguish accurately between students mastering pharmaceutical skills and those who

still in need for more training [2]. The best strategy to do that is to employ one-one tutor which will provide direct supervision and spontaneous feedback to students while in training. Such educational strategy is very hard to be implemented even in the best academic institutions due to high cost and lack of personnel. Therefore, other strategies that might mimic these strategies can be of help, such as educational robotics and context-aware mobile learning. Context aware mobile learning (Ubiquitous learning) is the result of the rapid advance of broadband and wireless Internet technologies which promoted the utilization of wireless applications in our daily lives. A variety of invisible embedded devices and corresponding ———————————————— software components have also been developed and Mohamed F. AlAjmi is with Prince Sultan College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2454, Riyadh 11451, connected to the Internet i.e. ubiquitous computing. Saudi Arabia.

© 2011 JCSE www.journalcse.co.uk

49

Ubiquitous computing is referred to a new technology which enables people to seamlessly utilize huge amounts and various kinds of “functional objects” anytime and anywhere through network connections ([3],[4]). Another feature of ubiquitous computing is the use of wireless communication objects embedded with sensors to detect users and environment information for the provision of personalized services (e.g., RFID, Radio-Frequency Identification). In recent years, e-learning researchers noticed that the progress of wireless communication and sensor technologies have evolved the research issues of elearning to mobile learning (m-learning), and now is evolving from m-learning to ubiquitous learning (ulearning). Several significant characteristics of u-learning, which make it different from conventional e-learning, have been discussed, including seamless services, contextaware services, and adaptive services ([5],[6],[7]). In an ideal u-learning environment, computing, communication, and sensor devices are embedded and integrated into learners’ daily life to make learning immersive. Based on this concept, Yang (2006) proposed a learning environment facilitated with context-aware peer to peer search to empower learning resource finding and sharing. The context-aware feature of u-computing environments allows the learning system to better understand the learner’s behaviors and the timely environmental parameters in the real world, such as the locations and behavior of the learner, and the temperature and humidity of the learning environment [8]. Such contexts could be brief or detailed; for example, the location of the user could be described by a zip code or a physical address. In comparison with traditional in-class learning, e-learning technology provides several advantages, such as presentation with multimedia and easy-to-access; nevertheless, many learning activities in real world cannot be replaced by multimedia presentation or on-line simulation, e.g., the training for real world observation ability, operational ability and problemsolving skills. Portfolio of such real world training cannot be recorded since those learning activities are not conducted in a digitized environment; therefore, the chance to analyze the learning status of students for improving their learning performance is lost. Thus, it is important to know how to properly use e-learning resources in a real world-learning environment. Several scholars have indicated that, learning in an authentic environment with one or more teachers will enable the students to thoroughly observe and emulate the experiences and behaviours of the teachers. Moreover, the students will be able to experience the complete learning context, and hence the learning motivation can be promoted, and the knowledge and can be constructed, and skills can be developed. Therefore, it is important to provide a learning environment that can assist individual

students to learning in an authentic environment. To investigate the possible tutoring strategies and learning activity models in a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, we propose this project, which aims to develop new context-aware ubiquitous learning environment, situated learning and assessment models, and digital content for medical students’ internship clinical training. In addition, the following issues concerning system development, tutoring and assessment strategies, and learning management have been proposed by [9]: (1) New pedagogical theories for context-aware ulearning environments: New modes of learning will involve new pedagogies. As context-aware u-learning is still in its developmental stage, educational researchers may propose some innovative thoughts about its pedagogy. Perhaps some modifications of existing theories are still feasible for implementing u-learning. For example, some cognitive or learning theories (such as the ideas of situated cognition, [10] may be revised and reexamined to interpret student learning in context-aware u-learning). (2) Tutoring strategies for context-aware u-learning: As context-aware u-learning may induce new ways of learning, the tutoring strategies may be revised accordingly. More research should be conducted to explore the teaching effectiveness of different tutoring strategies for various ways of implementing u-learning. (3) Assessment strategies for context-aware ulearning: The assessment is critical and it is a part of teaching. Context-aware u-learning environments will require more alternative ways of assessment. The assessment strategies for situated learning, adaptive learning and cooperative learning involved in contextaware u-learning need more research. (4) Innovative and practical use of ubiquitous technologies for education, learning and training: Researchers are encouraged to implement more innovative use of context-aware u-learning, and explore its potential to complement other forms of instruction. The actual effects of utilizing ubiquitous technologies need more large-scale research. (5) Psychological analysis for context-aware ulearning and training: It is obvious that a better understanding of the psychological factors related to ulearning can help educators or system designers to develop more appropriate learning environments. As context-aware u-learning environments have the capacity to record a variety of each individual learner’s personal information, related behaviours and environmental parameters (as a personal electronic portfolio), researchers can use these data to analyse in depth student learning processes and related factors which may facilitate learning. The aim of this project is to implement u-learning environment in a hospital for pharmacy students and

50

evaluate effectiveness of this scenario in observation and decision making skills for pharmacy students during clinical training.

2

METHODOLOGY

The structure of the context-aware u-learning environment is shown in Figure 1, which consists of three components: a server, the mobile devices equipped with RFID reader, and the physical learning environment equipped with wireless networks and RFID tags or sensors on the target objects (and/or patient).

Fig. 2.U-Pharmedu Architecture

2.1 Role of Each Component in This Architecture

Fig.1. Schematic representation of U-pharmedu structure[9] The server is used to provide learning guidance and to record the learning portfolio of the students. The mobile devices provide the interface for system/learner interactions. The physical learning environment is the hospital in which each target object (e.g. patients’ beds in hospital ward rooms and inside the pharmacy department) has an RFID tag on it. Before starting the learning activities, each student is asked to log in the e-learning system, such that the system is able to record the learning behaviors of the student, including their locations in the physical learning environment and their on-line learning behaviors. In the meantime, the u-learning system will guide the students to observe the patient and provide him with information about the patients’ case and evolve learning activities with supplemental educational assistance. That is, the students are allowed to observe the real patients in the admission room (which is equipped with an RFID tag beside the patient) with the personalized instructions or hints given by the u-learning systems based on their learning portfolios and assessment results.

Both college server and hospital server maintain the database for students as well as patients. In the hospital, the system will provide the full description about the patients' case. On the other hand, in the college the instructor will enter the subject matter contents, educational activities, feedback statements and evaluation questions in the college’s server. RFID is provided to the students in order to communicate with embedded sensors in the pharmacy and hospital wards. According to the wireless communication with RFID, sensors will transmit the signals to the college server which in turn will communicate with hospital server and provide accordingly feedback in the form of instructions and evaluation to the students by an output machine (hand held mobile device) according to his level of performance and in alignment with preset skills in the curriculum. In other words, the whole system will give output in the form of question or instructions for weak students about the patient's case totally different from those given to good students. The student level can be predetermined by applying student’s needs analysis and assessment.Fig. 2.

2.2 Student-System Interaction (SSI) Student-System-Interaction in the authentic environment (in the pharmacy department and beside the patients in the admission words in the hospital) will occur via interaction between RFID held by the students and nearby context aware sensors (Which are linked through wireless communication to both hospital server and college serve). This interaction is monitored and controlled with sets of programmed orders and instructions according to predefined educational objectives. Feedback is then generated against the responses from the students to the questions and activities. The feedback will be presented to

51

both students (either in the form of ‘correct’ or refer to the subject matter content) and to the instructor for continuous evaluation and formative assessment.

2.3 Pedagogical Feedback According to the responses from the students to the interaction questions and activities presented to the students via sensor-server communication. The students' responses will be sent and stored in the college server (in the student’s portfolio) with spontaneous (predesigned) feedback to both students ( either in the form of ‘correct’ or 'refer to the subject matter content') and to the instructor.

this technology. Student’s achievement will be judged via detecting number of medication errors of the treatment plans where the students are involved, patients’ satisfaction about drugs counselling, physician’s satisfaction about quality of information provided by students and finally student’s satisfaction.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author acknowledge the efforts of Mr.Shakir khan for helping in drawing the U-Pharmeduarchitecture.

REFERENCES

[1] Nathan. “Poor numeracy of students (letter),” 2.4 Students’ Needs Analysis Pharmaceutical Journal, 264, 592. 2000. A questionnaire consisting of 60 questions divided into [2] U. Kazmi, A. M. Saadi, M. I. Khalid, Q. Batool, A. three categories namely; student’s attitude toward Nasir and M. A. Shah. “Calibration of Parallel Forms definition of learning, student’s attitudes toward teaching of an Achievement Test in Educational Assessment at and assessment approaches and student’s attitude toward B. Ed Level,” The International Journal of Learning, information resources type and characteristics. The result vol. 16(5), 271-276. 2009. of the questionnaire is a complete conduct about each [3] M.D. Rodriguez, J. Favela, E. A. Martinez and M.A. student which will give full insight about the type of the Munoz. “Location-aware access to hospital educational contents and severity and type of assessment information and services,” IEEETrans. On and feedback messages. All the results of the students will InformationTechology in BioMedicine vol. 8 (4), 448be saved in their portfolios and utilized in the continuous 455. 2004. assessment and development. [4] M. Minami, S. Saruwatari, T. Kashima, T. Morito, H. Morikawa and T. Aoyama. “Implementation-based 3 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Approach for designing Practical sensor network systems,” Proceedings of Embedded and Ubiquitous The success of the U-pharmedu system will be the extent software Engineering workshop (EUSE 2004), 703-710. which it can afford to constructivism theory of students’ 2004. learning since it provide more efficient teaching-learning [5] B. Bomsdorf. “Adaptation of learning spaces: with an improvement in learning outcomes Supporting Ubiquitous learning in higher distance [11]Constructivism is a theory about how learners come to education,” Daghtul seminar proceedings 05181, know. A constructivist learning environment is defined as schlossDaghtl, Germany. 2005. a place where learners may work together and support [6] G-J. Hwang. “Criteria and Strategies of Ubiquitous each other as they use variety of tools and information learning”. Proceedings of the IEEE international resources in their guided pursuit of learning goals and conference on Sensor networks, Ubiquitous and problem-solving activities [12]. Assessment strongly Trustworthy Computing (SUTC 2006). Vol. 2, 72-77. influences student's learning, including what they study, 2006. when they study, how much work they do and the [7] S. J. H. Yang. “Context aware ubiquitous learning approach they take to their learning [13]. environments for peer-to-peer collaborative Within this framework it is crucial to create new tools learning,“Educational Technology & Society, vol. 9(1), that add value to the teaching-leaning process, but it is 188-201. 2006. also important to assess performance using such [8] G-J. Hwang, T-C. Yang, C-C. Tsai, and S.J.H. Yang. A instrument in order to enable us to exert some control context-aware ubiquitous learning environment for over the expected results of the learning process. Despite the apparent potential of u-learning in assisting students’ conducting science experiments”. Computers & tutoring, we still needed careful evaluation to monitor Education, vol. 53 (2), 402-413. 2009. harvesting the benefits of this system. The evaluation of [9] G-J. Hwang, C.C. Tsai and S. J.H. Yang. “Criteria, the success of the project in supporting pharmacy Strategies and Research Issues of Context-aware student’s education will be done starting from the Ubiquitous learning,” Educational Technology & analysis phase and through design and will be more Society, vol. 11 (2), 81-91. 2008. condensed in the evaluation phase where students [10] B. Collins, and Duguid. “Situated Cognition and the achievements in mastering the desired pharmaceutical Culture of Learning” Educational Researcher, vol. 18, skills will be compared with other students not subject to 32-42. 1989.

52

[11] L. Jimenez, J.J. Martinez, J.A. Gutierrez, J.M. Gutierrez teacher epistemology,” Journal of Research on and S. Oton. “An experiment for improving students Computing in Education, vol. 32(4). 2000. performance in secondary and tertiary education by [13] P. Black and D. Wiliam. “Assessment and classroom means of m-learning auto-assessment,” Computers & learning,” Assessment in Education, vol. 5(1), 7-74. Education vol. 55, 1069-1079. 2010. 1998. [12] B. C. Howard, S. McGee, N. Schwartz, and S. Purcell. “The experience of constructivism: Transforming