2_kurs_english
.pdf3It seems absolutely paradoxical in the age of microchips and high technology, these old-fashioned cures that our grandparents relied on, are making a comeback. We are turning the clock back in medicine.
Do you agree or disagree?
Do you believe in conventional medicine? Why? / Why not? Do you resort to conventional medicine sometimes?
Talk about your case, if any.
MODULE 3
DISTANCE EDUCATION
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PREPARING TO READ…
as you read, notice how:
-distance education makes home study attractive;
-distance learning programmes meet the continuing education needs of pharmacists;
-study by distance learning allows students to fit their study time around their work and family schedules;
-the Postgraduate Certificate Study programme delivers with Distance learning;
-the Postgraduate Diploma Programme aims to promote best practice in Psychiatric Pharmacy.
UNIT 1
DISTANCE LEARNING IN GREAT BRITAIN
Task 1 Read the text and get ready to discuss it.
TEXT.
WHY DISTANCE LEARNING?
Do you have work or family commitments that make home study attractive? We recognise that most pharmacists find it difficult to take time out of work to attend day classes or clinical placements. Therefore, we have developed our distance
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learning programmes to meet the continuing education needs of pharmacists and their employers without requiring our students to attend the university at any stage. This means that we can offer our courses to pharmacists worldwide; to date over 2000 pharmacists from more than 25 countries have graduated from our courses.
The Queen University in Belfast School of Pharmacy was named as the top overall Pharmacy School in the UK. It has been providing distance learning courses for pharmacists for over 15 years. During this time the school has developed expertise in authoring and delivering distance learning materials. This is a neverending process - it reviews the courses annually and has embraced opportunities provided by the World Wide Web for course delivery and student support.
Is distance learning for you?
Study by distance learning has many advantages - no attendance is required at the university and students can study at a time and place that suits them. This allows students to fit their study time around their work and family schedules. However, distance learning may not be suitable for everyone, it requires discipline to make the time to study and some people prefer face to face contact with fellow students and teachers. Students who tend to be most successful with distance learning are those individuals who are self-directed and self-motivated in their learning and study habits.
The following points will help you to decide if you are suited to studying by distance learning:
Having a compelling reason for taking the course helps motivate the student to stick with the course.
Some students prefer the independence of Distance Learning; others find the independence uncomfortable and miss being part of the classroom experience.
Distance-learning courses give students greater freedom of scheduling, but they can require more self-discipline than on-campus classes.
Some people learn best by interacting with other students and instructors. Others learn better by listening, reading and reviewing on their own.
Distance-learning courses provide less opportunity for group interaction than most on-campus courses.
Distance Learning requires you to work from written directions.
It will take several weeks to get comments back from your instructors in distance-learning courses.
Distance Learning requires at least as much time as on-campus courses. Students surveyed say that distance-learning courses are as hard or harder than on-campus courses.
Most people who are successful with Distance Learning find it difficult to come to campus on a regular basis because of their work, family or personal schedules.
Print materials are the primary source of directions and information in distance-learning courses.
Students who do well in distance-learning courses are usually comfortable contacting their studies advisor as soon as they need help with the course.
Distance-learning students sometimes neglect their courses because of personal or professional circumstances.
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GETTING THE MAIN IDEAS …
Task 2 As you read … stop periodically to underline distance learning words and phrases to add to your dictionary. Learn to use them.
Task 3 Find the principal clues that suggest the main idea of the text.
UNDERSTANDING DETAILS AND DISCUSSION …
Task 4 With your partner skim through the text to find and copy out the sentences which allow to figure out how:
-distance learning allows students to fit their study time around their work and family schedules;
-distance learning may not be suitable for everyone.
GOING BEYONG THE TEXT … ACT OUT THE AUTHNETIC SITUATIONS…
DISCUISSION …
Task 5 How might you respond to OR how would you be ‘ideal with’ the above mentioned facts?
Task 6 Discuss the points to decide if you are suited to studying by distance learning. Think of positive sides of distance learning.
UNIT 2
PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACY BY DISTANCE LEARNING
Task 1 Read the following text, checking the unknown words in a dictionary. Get ready to discuss it.
TEXT.
POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACY
The Aims of the Postgraduate Certificate Programme are:-
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to provide an introduction to professionally relevant and academically challenging postgraduate education that will enable pharmacists to make maximal contribution to the use of medication in psychiatry;
to further knowledge and understanding of the drugs used in psychiatry as a basis for patient centred decision making. A problem solving approach to therapeutic dilemas will be encouraged in order to appreciate the role of drugs in the treatment of individual patients and to engender a critical analysis of the different therapies available;
to provide a foundation year to a 1-year Postgraduate Diploma Course in Psychiatric Pharmacy which it is planned to submit for approval during the current academic year. The Diploma Programme will promote best practice in Psychiatric Pharmacy.
The Postgraduate Certificate consists of six modules covering the following topics :
An introduction to psychiatry;
Underlying principles: Psychopharmacology, pharmacokinetics and the molecular basis for psychiatric drug action;
The affective disorders;
Psychotic illness;
Anxiety and insomnia;
Psychiatric disorders associated with brain degeneration.
Each module has been written by expert practitioners in the field and academic staff of the University. A variety of support material will also be available.
The Modules are assessed individually by:-
formative, problem-based exercises, with answers for self assessment, included in the text of each module;
tutor marked assignments and multi-choice questionnaires.
These will provide a structured foundation to clinical practice in psychiatric pharmacy.
The Postgraduate Certificate Study programme is to be part-time and delivered by Distance Learning:-
Each of the six Modules are designed to take a total of 100 hours. This will involve approximately 60 hours of study and directed learning with the rest made up of application to professional practice and independent reading;
Two Modules will be delivered during each University term;
Each Module will be worth ten credits;
Sixty credits and a pass at the final "open-book" examination at the end of the year, will lead to award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Psychiatric Pharmacy; With the exception of the examination there are no attendance requirements for this programme of study. Student support from a member of the course team is
available on a regular basis via a telephone help-line.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Psychiatric Pharmacy leads to a one year practice based Postgraduate Diploma Study Programme offered from this University for those successful students who want to progress further.
The Postgraduate Diploma Programme aims to promote best practice in Psychiatric Pharmacy by:-
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integrating and building on the pharmaceutical, therapeutic and clinical knowledge gained in the Certificate Programme in a patient oriented approach to the practice of Pharmacy within the Psychiatric specialty;
engendering a problem solving approach to the therapeutic dilemmas of the individual patient;
improving the communication skills of the Psychiatric Pharmacist in order for them to become a more effective member of the multi-disciplinary team .
Following on from the Diploma it is likely that successful students are able to progress to a research-based one year Masters Programme offered by another university.
The fees for the Postgraduate Certificate Programme will be £1000 per year.
GETTING THE MAIN IDEAS …
Task 2 As you read … stop periodically to pick up unfamiliar words and phrases to add to your vocabulary. Copy them out and learn to use them.
Task 3 Underline the main clues to express the main idea of the text.
UNDERSTANDING DETAILS AND DISCUSSION …
Task 4 Using the context, work out the underlined words and phrases. Check them with a dictionary.
Task 5 As you read the text, find the paragraph in the Postgraduate certificate in psychiatric pharmacy to show:
-modules’ topics and how the modules are assessed by;
-how the students are able to practice in psychiatric pharmacy.
Task 6 As you found the mentioned paragraph, think about and discuss with a partner, if the postgraduate certificate programme is really proved to be valued. Give its advantageous sides. Ground your arguments.
GOING BEYOND THE TEXT … PRACTICE AUTHENTIC SITUATION …
DISCUSSION …
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Task 7 Choose a topic paragraph to prepare a dialogue and act it out with your classmates. Be sure not read off a paper.
UNIT 3
INNOVATE POSTGRADUATE DISTANCE LEARNING
PROGRAMME
Task 1 Read the text given below, checking the meaning of the unknown words. Get ready to discuss it.
TEXT.
INNOVATE POSTGRADUATE
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME
Pharmacy. The Medway School of Pharmacy’s innovative postgraduate distance learning programme in Medicines Management aims to equip health care professionals with the skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to medicines management services and to individual drug therapy decisions.
The programme emphasises clinical and cost-effective prescribing in the context of holistic consideration of patient needs, and one of its two pathways offers you the chance to qualify as a supplementary independent prescriber. You can take the course as an MSc or through stand-alone units, which you can also take as practice certificates.
Taught programmes include a postgraduate certificate (60 credits), diploma (120 credits) or a masters degree (180 credits) through a combination of distance learning plus four or seven days contact time up to diploma level (depending on the pathway chosen) plus an additional two days contact time to masters level. At each level there is some flexibility in the order and timescale in which you can take the modules. You must complete the MSc programme within six years. You can also take stand-alone five and 15-credit courses.
The course content is up to the minute and comprises a mixture of text, resources for self-study and case studies, interspersed with suggestions for activities which link the learning directly to your practice. The courses are fully supported by experienced pharmacists, many of whom have a continuing clinical or management role within the NHS.
The School of Pharmacy also accepts full-time MPhil and PhD students into its ongoing research programme.
Taught programmes
Medicines Management - PCert, PDip, MSc
There are two main pathways to the qualification of Masters in Medicines Management. One is through completing a 60-credit module in Supplementary Independent Prescribing; for the other you take four 15-credit optional modules from the list below.
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Whichever pathway you choose, you must complete three compulsory 15credit modules for the Diploma in Medicines Management. These are Patients as Partners, Principles of Medicines Management, Advanced Medication Review.
The optional modules include: Applied Therapeutics: Cardiovascular Disease; Applied Therapeutics: Diabetes and Impaired Glucose Tolerance; Applied Therapeutics: Gastrointestinal Disease; Applied Therapeutics: Mental Health; Applied Therapeutics: Minor Ailments; Applied Therapeutics: Respiratory Disease and Medicines Information. We plan to introduce other options in the future.
For both pathways in order to gain the MSc you study research techniques and then do a research project based on your own practice.
Supplementary Prescribing - PCert
This programme, ratified by the necessary professional bodies, provides a distance learning option for qualification as a non-medical prescriber. Five contact days cover communication and diagnostic skills. Other topics on the syllabus include the legal, policy, professional and ethical aspects of prescribing, plus pharmacology and patient assessment and monitoring.
You can take the programme as a stand-alone PCert in Supplementary Prescribing, or as part of the certificate, diploma or MSc in Medicines Management (see above).
GETTING THE MAIN IDEAS …
Task 2 As you read … stop periodically to pick up unfamiliar words and phrases to add to your vocabulary. Copy them out and learn to use them.
Task 3 Underline the key words expressing the main idea of the text?
UNDERSTANDING DETAILS AND DISCUSSION …
Task 4 Use context clues to understand the underlined words and phrases. Check them with a dictionary.
Task 5 As your read … find the points in the Postgraduate Distance Learning Programme to show:
main pathways to the qualification of Masters in Medicines Management;
the optional modules and what they include to gain the MSc.
Task 6 Think about and discuss with a partner your attitude to the Medway School of Pharmacy. Give its advantageous sides. Ground your proper arguments.
GOING BEYOND THE TEXT … PRACTICE AUTHENTIC SITUATION …
DISCUSSION …
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Task 7 Choose a topic paragraph to prepare a dialogue and act it out with your classmates. Memorize it and be sure not read off a paper.
UNIT 4
READING COMPREHENSION
DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE USA
Task 1 Scan the text to obtain some more additional information about distance learning:
-how it is also known;
-what types of qualifications are offered;
-what media are available for?;
-what is necessary to be applied?
TEXT.
WHAT IS DISTANCE LEARNING?
Distance learning, also known as correspondence study or independent study, is any non-traditional educational process which exists outside a classroom setting. Courses are taken by students in their own homes using a variety of means, from traditional pen and paper correspondence, to lectures delivered by videos or by computer.
In the past, education was largely confined to the classroom. As technology has changed over time, so has the process of learning. No longer do students and professors have to be in the same place at the same time. In some rare cases, the instructor has been replaced altogether by that of a computer programme. Many individuals, who in the past were excluded from education, have another opportunity or option to pursue education.
The demographics of individuals who use distance learning are changing. In the past, this education process was used by individuals who were immobile or had a disability. Currently, this form of education has expanded to include individuals of all backgrounds. However, the typical distance learning student is older in comparison to students of the same education level and often has additional commitments to a job or family.
What Types Of Qualifications Are Offered?
Individual courses can take from as little as a few hours to one traditional 1215 week semester to complete. Courses may be taken on a credit basis, which can be applied towards degree programmes, or on a non-credit basis for personal satisfaction.
Undergraduate degrees:
Associate degree programmes require students to complete approximately 60 credits-worth of courses and traditionally take two years of full-time study to
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complete. Community Colleges and Vocational and Technical Schools traditionally offer Associate degree programmes.
Bachelor degree programmes require students to complete approximately 120 credits worth of courses and are normally offered at four-year colleges and universities. Bachelor degrees are traditionally completed in four years of full-time study but may take approximately six years of part-time study by the distance learning method.
Postgraduate degrees:
Master’s degree programmes require students to complete 30-35 credits worth of postgraduate level courses and are normally completed in 18 months to two years of full-time study or two - three years by part time distance learning. PhD programmes usually take between four to eight years of study.
Certificate programmes:
These are usually vocational or professional courses that can last from a few days to one year of study depending on programme and topic.
When Choosing a Distance Learning Programme…
Many universities and colleges are still in the trial phases with this new form of education. When researching, make sure you will be able to take all the necessary classes for a qualification through distance learning. Some universities may not have the capability to offer all required courses for distance learning. This is changing as more universities are competing against each other but there are still some limitations. Some universities may limit the distance from which you can study to a predetermined region or area. Depending on the requirement of each class, you might be required to travel to the institution on some occasions for labs, lectures, etc. Likewise, time zones have a large effect on those classes which require video/audio-conferencing.
What Different Media Are Available For Distance Learning?
As technology changes, so will the media in which distance learning is taught. Currently, there are four different ways one can use distance learning:
Voice - Information is exchanged via the telephone or by audio cassette.
Video -The use of video-conferencing, video cassettes or any other visual aid. These instruments may be used to convey one or two-way communication. Lectures are typically given through this medium. International students considering programmes which rely heavily on the use of video are advised to check the compatibility between the US NTSC video system and that of their own country.
Computers -The use of e-mail, faxes, and World Wide Web is most common. Computer applications may be used as the proctors of lessons, for monitoring work, or administering tests.
Print - In addition to the above mediums, there will be a component of printed material which might include textbooks, guides, course syllabi and/or case studies.
Distance learning typically uses a combined medium approach. For example, a majority of the education might be from printed materials with some e-mail contact with the professor. The administration of tests and grades could be
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completed by e-mail or by fax but will vary depending on the course instructor and testing procedures of the university.
What Challenges Can One Expects?
Previous studies comparing distance learning with traditional on-campus learning have indicated similar, if not higher, success rates. The distance learning student, however, will have to compete with other distractions such as family and work unlike the “traditional” student. Make sure your schedule will enable you to successfully complete requirements for each class.
Keep in mind that some course work will strictly adhere to pre-established timelines while other programmes are flexible and self-adjusting to the rate of study. All educational institutions have policies concerning refunds, renewals periods, transfers, and withdrawals from course work.
How to be Applied?
Each university in the US establishes its own admission requirements and procedures. There is no central application clearing house like UCAS in the UK and international students will need to deal directly with the US institution they wish to attend. In general most two-year colleges, vocational and technical schools, and short courses have simple admissions procedures. You should write to the Office for Distance Learning at the institutions you are considering requesting information and an application form. Applicants will need to complete the application form and some may ask for a transcript of previous academic work. A transcript lists courses you have attended at a previous institution and the grades you achieved.
The procedure for applying to distance learning degree programmes is similar to traditional degree programmes. You should contact the admissions office at the institutions you are considering and request information about admission requirements for distance learning degree programmes. The application package will usually consist of: a lengthy application form; a transcript; possibly a score from one of the standardised admission tests e.g. the Scholastic Assessment Test for undergraduate degree programmes or the Graduate Record Exam for postgraduate programmes; plus one or two essays. Prospective distance learning degree students should read our Beginner’s Guide to Undergraduate Study.
GOING BEYONG THE TEXT … DISCUSSION …
Task 2 Have you gained any experience in distance learning? … As you read the above mentioned text, make some comparisons. Think of positive and negative sides of distance learning. What effective moments have you discovered, that you hope to use later?
Task 3 Comment on …
Be aware of other similarities between admission requirements and procedures in distance learning in the USA and in the UK.
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