Teaching today for tomorrow’s practice

A new online education innovation will transform the way valuable resources are accessed and shared among the global pharmacy community.

Expanding on its reputation as an international leader, Monash University’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have led the development of SABER (Sharing and Building Education Resources), a web-based networking site which houses contributed resources from world-leading institutions and makes them freely available to the pharmacy and pharmaceutical science community.

With ongoing commitment and contributions from pharmacy education leaders around the world, the unique repository focuses on the collaboration and sharing of teaching resources with an emphasis on supporting pharmacy schools in developing countries by providing resources that assist the healthcare profession.

The first of its kind to be developed globally, SABER was established in conjunction with the prestigious International Pharmaceutical Federation and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Faculty Manager, Marian Costelloe, said the University embraced new technologies in the delivery of innovative educational activities and learning outcomes.

“The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash has lead a strong movement in developing new technologies that offer innovative teaching options for students,” Ms Costelloe said.

“SABER is free, internationally accessible and houses valuable resources for teaching staff and the wider pharmacy community that may not be accessible through traditional approaches.

“It is important to note that SABER has a social aspect to it as a way of creating opportunities for interaction among pharmacy education providers. The philosophy behind the development of SABER is to discover, collaborate and share.”

Launched last week at the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) centennialconference in Amsterdam, SABER was developed using a shared practice model and hosts a variety of online teaching tools and resources, including the faculty’s unique virtual learning spaces, Pharmatopia, MyDispense and Pharmville.

Monash leads Australia in pharmacy and pharmacology and is ranked sixth-best in the world according to the 2012 QS World University Rankings by subject.

For further information or to access SABER, visit the website.