Now it's over to you: a workbook approach.

During the oncology topic within the third year 'Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2' module (CPT2) of the MPharm at Robert Gordon University (RGU), it quickly became apparent that students had difficulty in placing complex concepts into context. As a response to these identified learning difficulties, a just-in-time, step-by-step guided workbook approach was developed using common e-learning software. The outcome was a person-centred case study, signposting the students to information they already have and aiding them to put it into context. The intention was to enable students to critically appraise the information provided and subsequently drive their own learning, rather than simply provide them with the solutions. Students should perceive their lecturers not as a transmitter of knowledge, but more as a facilitator who is guiding their learning. In constructivist learning theory, students should draw on existing knowledge, beliefs, and skills and build on these, allowing them to synthesize new understanding from prior learning and new information. The opportunity is then open for the students to create their own case studies and workbook around the solid tumours and haematological malignancies covered within the course. The basic cognitive competences that the students (future pharmacists) should successfully demonstrate were described in Bloom's (1956) taxonomy – namely knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In tandem with these cognitive skills, students should be able to reflect on their own learning experience. Pharmacists' mandatory continuous professional development (CPD) is based on Kolb (1984) and Gibbs (1988) theories on reflection, and both these cycles were used to develop this software. These learning cycles propose that theory and practice enrich each other in a never-ending circle. In this model, students' learn more effectively if they are actively involved in the learning process than if they are passive receivers. By providing the conditions for students to learn, their learning is deep rather than mere regurgitation

VirtualArm. [Educational resource]

This virtual educational resource consisted of a three-dimensional computer model of a human arm, presented alongside text-based information in an interactive format using software from Articulate ( https://articulate.com/ ). The aim of this resource was to address feedback from students who were having difficulty visualising the different layers of the skin when learning about the integumentary system

Integrative physiology: the integumentary system. [Case study]

This case study discusses the development of a three-dimensional e-Learning software package, designed to help teach students on a first-year "Integrative Physiology" module about the skin and integumentary system

I can step outside my comfort zone.

On embarking upon such a multifactorial, professional degree as Pharmacy, students often find it difficult to meld the scientific- and practice-based components of the course. In final year of the undergraduate Masters of Pharmacy degree (MPharm) within the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences at Robert Gordon University (RGU), students undertake a research project within a specific area. The aims of this study were to explore the effectiveness of a novel practice based approach to a biomedical science project, to identify elements of difficulty in the process, and to explore students' perceptions and reflections. Final year students were assigned to perform a systematic literature review working within a defined area of pharmacovigilance. Students were given individual ownership of the research question and were able to choose a topic of interest. Following the successful completion of the assignment, students were invited to explore their attitudes and views of the project and reflect on the process through a focus group using a talking wall method. The findings clearly identified a shift in mindset from predominantly negative opinions initially to an overwhelming positive viewpoint

Exploring just-in-time teaching 3D development as a tool for enhancing knowledge and understanding.

The integumentary system (skin) is the first line of defence in the body and part of the innate immune system. Within first-year modules on Pharmaceutical Biology and Integrative Physiology in the Masters of Pharmacy degree at Robert Gordon University (RGU), several software tools were used to support both lecture and coursework material for the immune and integumentary systems. However, students had difficulty visualizing the various layers of the skin and how they become affected by different skin lesions. As a response to these identified learning difficulties, a just-in-time teaching three-dimensional e-learning object was developed using free-to-use 3D CAD packages, alongside common elearning software. The outcome was a virtualised human arm equipped to illustrate and label primary or secondary skin lesions whilst allowing spatial manipulation of the arm. This allowed students to manipulate and identify the specific skin layers involved. Evaluation of student engagement and learning was favourable, with students reflecting that they had a better understanding of the topic. Initial findings from this study highlight the benefits of quick, low-cost 3D production processes as just-in-time teaching elearning tools that have a positive impact on students' performance

Metabolically active cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 in solid tumours: a novel target for chemotherapeutic intervention.

Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 is a member of a superfamily of haemoproteins that are central to the oxidative metabolism of a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. Several of these enzymes have an established role in the metabolic bio-transformation of a variety of anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we demonstrated both CYP1B1 and CPR activity in the microsomal fraction of ovarian and kidney tumours

Playing games in IPE: a Japanese and Scottish experience.

This report describes the outcomes of a project funded by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation in 2013, which aimed to develop an educational toolkit for health and social care students and professionals

Interprofessional basic life support.

This presentation focuses on the implementation of basic life support (BLS) for health and social care students. BLS is the first action taken to resuscitate a person who has become unresponsive. This interprofessional peer-teaching initiative used senior students from medicine, nursing and diagnostic radiography, from the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. These students taught undergraduate students from schools that currently have minimal BLS teaching; health sciences, pharmacy and life sciences, and applied social studies. Student teachers were trained in pairs to teach their skills to first- and second-year students, facilitated by academic staff from both universities

Quantitative analysis of the Ah receptor signalling pathway.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand activated receptor. On dimerisation with the aryl hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (ARNT), AhR binds to xenobiotic responsive elements (XREs) that promote the activation of a battery of genes, including the cytochrome P450 drug metabolising enzymes CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. These two P450s are known to demonstrate distinct cell type expression. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of cellular regulation of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in three cell lines known to differentially express CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 mRNA (MCF7, HEPG2 and MOG-G-CCM)

Cytochrome P450 CYP1B1: a novel mechanism of drug resistance.

CYP1B1 is a member of the cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are central to the oxidative metabolism of a wide range of substrates, including endogenous compounds involved in cell signaling, environmental carcinogens and anti-cancer drugs. This presentation discusses the authors' recent studies investigating CYP1B1 activity in a number of human tumours and its role in the metabolism of anti-cancer drugs in these tumours