A lead gift from Greg Johansen to distinctlyDrake will fund the Johansen Skills Assessment Laboratory in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The gift from Johansen will allow for the creation of several flexible collaborative learning spaces that will allow students to practice skills in a controlled environment.
Skills-based education is required and valued in the education of health care professionals. This type of education focuses on the development and demonstration of competence in specific skills, such as using medical devices, taking vital signs, counseling patients, providing drug information, and preparing sterile products. It is vital for health care professionals to demonstrate competence in these areas, and the creation of the Johansen Skills Assessment Laboratory will allow students to learn, practice, and demonstrate proficiency.
“The new laboratory will allow students to practice their skills, videotape their performance for critique, and demonstrate competency during testing,” says Raylene Rospond, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “This laboratory will improve the integration of curricular and cocurricular activities to enhance the exceptional high impact learning environment provided to students both in and out of the formal classroom.”
Each of the collaborative learning spaces will be furnished with modular tables and chairs, along with learning technology for projection from a laptop to a large-‐screen television. The learning spaces will be utilized for the following purposes:
• Skill-based instruction and competence assessment in support of the Pharmacy Skills and Applications Course, Immunization Course, Patient Assessment and Health Coaching courses
• Student team-‐based learning
• Faculty-‐student appointments
• Individual student study areas
• Faculty collaborative discussions
• Student organization meetings
Construction is already underway with a goal to have the facility completed and ready for use at the start of the fall semester.
For more information, contact Raylene Rospond at 515-271-1814 or raylene.rospond@drake.edu.