By Claire Taylor, RPS Education and Training Pharmacist

Keeping our knowledge and skills up to date throughout our pharmacy careers is fundamental. The RPS Education and Professional Development Team supports pharmacists through the provision of high-quality educational content and blended learning is central to our approach.

The rise of blended learning

Blended learning combines online learning activities with live learning. This approach came about from the development of online learning dating back to the 1960’s¹. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic created a need for education and learning to be remote, which RPS responded to rapidly by developing online training. We are now focused on striking a balance between live learning events (known as synchronous learning) and online learning content that can be accessed at any time (asynchronous learning).

Why is a blended learning approach important?

One size does not fit all when it comes to adult learning, and it’s important to ensure that learning is accessible to everyone.

We all learn in different ways, so our education and training offer at the RPS reflects this. In the past, we have focused more on synchronous learning, but this has its disadvantages such as all learners must work at the same pace. We are now creating much more asynchronous learning, where individuals can access material online in a variety of formats to enable them to go at their own pace, making learning much more inclusive.

What does blending learning offer?

Our blend of learning formats from live webinars and in-person learning sessions, to online learning where written content is complemented by videos, podcasts and interactive activities, has many advantages.

Online learning such as e-learning supports the blended approach by allowing flexibility. Learning can be accessed anywhere and at any time. Learners can learn at their own pace, skip ahead, or revisit topics as needed. E-learning also allows a more inclusive experience for those who can’t attend face-to-face sessions.

Supplementing e-learning with live sessions promotes collaboration and can help with teamwork skills. The blended approach is more cost-effective for learners by reducing travel expenses. Combining learning in different formats has been proven to boost understanding and retention of information. Blended learning is suitable for many different learning styles and learners can tailor their learning experience to their own needs.

Meeting diverse needs through blended learning

We have decided to take this blended learning approach to education so we can meet the diverse learning needs of our members and empower pharmacists to access their personalised learning journey at a time, place and pace that suits them. We are currently developing a learning hub which will provide development opportunities for pharmacists in all sectors, career stages and locations. Blended learning is central to effective and inclusive education and we will maximise new and innovative technologies to deliver the best experience for our learners.

Visit our Education and Training pages. 

Read more RPS blogs. 

¹Oxford Learning College.  The History of Distance Learning [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Oct 10].  Available from: https://www.oxfordcollege.ac/news/history-of-distance-learning/