Transforming College-Wide Didactic Course Delivery During COVID-19

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ACCP member Robert DiDomenico, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, reports how the University of Illinois – Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy rapidly adapted the delivery of its didactic courses in response the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 91 UIC pharmacy practice faculty were participating in 29 didactic courses when the pandemic hit in the middle of the Spring 2020 semester. Like other institutions, UIC converted live didactic instruction to an all-online format. This was a complex undertaking due to the number of courses and faculty involved, and the short timeframe (about 2 weeks) during which this transformation was implemented. Nevertheless, faculty utilized various tools within Blackboard to provide synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. Live lectures moved from the classroom to the virtual environment using Blackboard Collaborate. Courses implemented online active learning activities (utilizing TurningPoint) and employed Blackboard Collaborate’s recording capabilities. Panopto was also used by faculty for lecture capture and by students to record presentations and demonstrations that would have otherwise been performed live. Small-group active-learning sessions were conducted using Blackboard Collaborate alone and in tandem with non-Blackboard applications (e.g., Google Hangouts) to facilitate virtual discussions between group members and faculty. Examinations were migrated to the online environment using both Blackboard and ExamSoft platforms.