University of Florida College of Pharmacy Elluminates Master’s Program

By David Brushwood, R.Ph., J.D., Professor of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy

Recently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top colleges in the U.S., the University of Florida College of Pharmacy has been using Elluminate technology since our Online Master of Science in Pharmacy program began four years ago. The program now has nearly 200 students and 75 alumni across the country.

The Online MSPharm program is a great opportunity for pharmacy-industry professionals to set themselves apart by gaining expertise in drug regulation, compliance, patient safety, risk management, and more, opening doors to a variety of expanded career options. And because this is a part-time program, students take one class at a time live, online in Elluminate, allowing working professionals a format that fits into their busy schedules.

Without Elluminate, the UF MSPharm degree, which began in 1923, could not be offered in a distance learning format. When the College sought to expand the residential program to an online format, the faculty decided frequent class meetings in a virtual classroom were essential. Elluminate has made it possible to create a culture of collaborative learning that bonds students as academic colleagues despite the thousands of miles that physically separate them.

In addition to being an ideal learning platform, Elluminate is very easy to learn to use as moderators and instructors. When we launched the online program, some faculty had virtually no computer skills, but were able to quickly develop user skills and expand their curriculum because of the functionality Elluminate offers. Additionally, the ease of using Elluminate has led them to learn other computer applications that previously had been too intimidating to attempt.

How do we use Elluminate at the UF College of Pharmacy? Here’s a video we developed. You can also view a sample Elluminate class.

Students Build Confidence in Interactive Online Environment

Often, students share with me how Elluminate has led to greater participation in class. One student said, "I never spoke in class during my undergraduate program in a physical classroom. I'm just too shy. But an Elluminate classroom is a safe place to participate in class discussions because I feel secure in my own home. Now I participate in class all the time. Elluminate has helped me overcome my shyness about speaking to groups of people, and now I have the confidence to talk in groups even when we are physically together."

Most applicants are surprised to learn our classes are held live at set days and times. And occasionally we are asked, "You mean we have to attend class?" by students who ultimately choose another program. And that’s fine with us. Active in-class participation is essential to our teaching philosophy, and students who want to avoid that would not fit well in our program.

Registered Pharmacist and MBA Candidate Values Interaction and Collaboration

According to 2010 program alumnus Harold Newton, Elluminate made this program doable. “Most online classes are essentially self-learning in a vacuum,” explained Newton. “But with Elluminate, classes are live and interactive. It is as close to attending class on campus as you can get without actually being there physically.”

Newton cited the ability to “check out” a classroom for student-led study groups as one of the program’s best attributes. “My cohorts consisted of pharmacy professionals across the country,” he said. “We were everywhere, from Maine to California, yet Elluminate’s functionality allowed us to interact just like we were all in the same room.”

“Collaboration has been the cornerstone of my education, and Elluminate provided a venue where students and faculty can interact “live” from any time zone,” said Newton. “If you believe the expression “technology is making the world flat,” then Elluminate has made the world a little flatter.”