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Chapter 3
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0248-7.ch003
ABSTRACT
Web 2.0 technologies are being rapidly integrated in higher education, which dramatically influences
the ways learners approach and use information. Knowledge transfer has evolved into a two-way pro-
cess. Users no longer simply consume and download information from the web; they create and interact
with it. Several theoretical works were developed in order to discuss the possibilities of integration of
Web 2.0 tools in Pharmacy, Medicine, Allied Health, Nursing and many other Biomedical Areas. Other
works have started gathering qualitative and quantitative evidence of the importance of Web 2.0 tools
in the learning process. By performing this integrative review, this paper will provide an overview of
what is being done in biomedical and pharmaceutical education, and elaborate some of the potential
opportunities and challenges that these applications present. With this updated review we hope to give
our contribution to consolidate research in this promising area.
INTRODUCTION
Internet social applications, normally referred as Web 2.0 tools, are making their way in the new teaching
paradigms of higher education. Since their early development, primarily for entertainment and social
communication within the general population, applications such as blogs, social video sites, and virtual
worlds (Barsky, 2006) are being adopted by higher education institutions in a vast range of scientific
areas (Boulos, Maramba, & Wheeler, 2006). It has been argued that Web 2.0 technologies have the
potential to change the education of healthcare professionals, from a didactic one way process to a col-
laborative and participative process, empowering the student to be an equal participant in the learning
Web 2.0 Tools in Biomedical
and Pharmaceutical Education:
Updated Review and Commentary
Ângelo Jesus
Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Portugal
Maria João Gomes
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
53
Web 2.0 Tools in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Education
process(Ward, Moule, & Lockyer, 2009). Web 2.0 applications appear to offer exciting new ways to
teach, however, research into the use and evaluation of Web 2.0 tools in Biomedical and Pharmaceuti-
cal Education is still in its infancy, and the current pedagogic evidence about these tools is still lacking
(Boulos et al., 2006)(Cain & Fox, 2009). In specific areas such has Pharmacy and Allied Health educa-
tion, the examples are not wide, but the increasing use of teaching methodologies such as case based
learning (Jesus, Cruz, & Gomes, 2011), might contribute to the implementation and dissemination of
these tools. Wikis, blogs, podcasts and other tools have already been mentioned in some papers regard-
ing higher education (Poonawalla & Wagner, 2006) (Kamel Boulos & Wheeler, 2007). These Web 2.0
technologies are in fact emerging as platforms to enable or encourage students to collaboratively create
and share their own insights into current and emerging themes within their education. The number of tools
and users are increasing and finding a place in healthcare management, education and practice (Ward et
al., 2009). While it seems Web 2.0 might offer the potential for online learning to support pedagogy, in
higher education there is little understanding of how and where it is being used to support biomedical
education (Ward et al, 2009). This study is aimed to explore what specific Web 2.0 tools are being used,
with what purposes and in what contexts.
In this updated review we will also focus on the most recent evidence about the use o Web 2.0 tools
in pharmaceutical education, and share our own experiences on this topic.
METHODOLOGY
The study design is descriptive (MacMillan & Shumaker, 1997) and adopted the format of an integrative
review (Cooper, 1984) since the objective was to make a synthesis of results (secondary analysis) from
previous studies (primary analysis), in order to respond to new questions, new hypotheses and to verify
or establish new relationships (Fortin, 2009). It is well documented that research reviews are considered
research of research, and therefore should meet the same standards as primary research in methodologi-
cal accuracy (Cooper, 1998). Cooper (1998) has delineated the process of conducting a research review
as encompassing a problem formulation stage, a literature search stage, a data evaluation stage, a data
analysis stage, and a presentation stage.
Problem Formulation Stage
This study primarily aims to characterize the use of Web 2.0 tools in biomedical and pharmaceutical
education between the years of 2004 to 2014, and gather data to assess the potential educational values
and hurdles to overcome. To constitute the categories of analysis we kept in mind the specificity of the
object. Accordingly, the following variables were considered:
1. Year of publication,
2. Type of web 2.0 tool,
3. Biomedical area,
4. Type of publication,
5. Type of article and, finally,
6. Type of empirical study.
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