Griffith School of Pharmacy’s innovative virtual learning environment has openedjust in time for the new students to be introduced to a whole new way of learning.

“This cutting edge facility is the future of technology-driven education and will provide students with a truly immersive virtual environment,” says Dr Gary Grant, Deputy Head Learning and Teaching from the School of Pharmacy.

The new teaching tool – which opened Tuesday 24 February – offers students a totally immersive and interactive experience enabling them to work in different environments including hospital and community pharmacy from anywhere in the world without ever having to leave the classroom.

“Students are able to completely control the pace of their learning and interact with virtual patients in more or less any environment that is relevant to their work-integrated learning needs,” says Dr Grant. One big advantage of the new technology will be to facilitate better student preparation for placements which will give both the student and their supervisor a better on-site experience.

In addition, the new technology is to be made available on portable devices allowing students to easily interact with this tool in any environment.

“This facility — which can be adapted for students from all health disciplines – will not only be a highlight for Griffith but will also showcase the fact that we are at the forefront of this type of education,” says Professor Andrew Davey, Head of School, Pharmacy.