Dr. Shani Salifu, an instructional designer at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), School of Professional Studies, has played a crucial role in scaling professional education offerings while maintaining high-quality, engaging learning experiences for students. His innovative approach to instructional technology and forward-thinking vision for digital learning are shaping the future of healthcare education.

‍A Passion for Instructional Technology

Dr. Salifu’s academic journey began with a BA in Political Science from the University of Ghana, followed by a Master’s in International Affairs and a PhD in Instructional Technology from Ohio University. Reflecting on his early interest in digital solutions, he shared:

“I was always of the opinion that technology was going to be very prominent in our lives going forward. Development work as we had it in person could greatly be enhanced if the technology or digital component was added.”

This vision led him to explore ways technology could enhance education and professional development, particularly in the realm of healthcare.

Role of the School of Professional Studies

Dr. Salifu explained that MCPHS’s School of Professional Studies was established to cater to working professionals in the healthcare industry who need continuing education credits. He emphasized the institution’s role in supporting these professionals:

“These are busy professionals who every year need to find professional credits to maintain their certifications. We thought that if we could present ourselves as a vessel to build and host these classes, they wouldn’t need to search everywhere.”

Recognizing the demand for flexible, high-quality online education, the school sought innovative solutions to bridge gaps in laboratory learning. They launched in 2019 and had 419 unique students that year. The School of Professional Studies has now surpassed 10,000 students overall and enrolled over 3,700 unique students last year. They’re on track to surpass that for the 2024-2025 Professional Studies term.

Evolution from Lab Kits to Virtual Labs

Initially, MCPHS relied on mailing lab kits to students who needed to complete hands-on work remotely. However, this approach had limitations, from supply chain shortages to them not being totally safe. They explored multiple options, but when they learned their institution had access to Labster, they found a scalable and effective solution. Today, Labster supports a range of courses at School of Professional Studies, including microbiology, chemistry, and biology. The adoption has been significant:

“Each course can enroll more than 500 students, and across multiple courses, we are looking at over 2,000 students using Labster annually. When we showed it to the instructors, they liked it. Fortunately for us, they found everything they needed in Labster. So, we just abandoned the idea of mailing lab kits entirely. Once we subbed in Labster, everything worked and then the rest is history.”

Positive Student Feedback

Dr. Salifu shared some student feedback:

• “There were a couple cute moments that made it feel like someone out there in the distance was rooting for me. I can tell someone put a little bit of soul into those simulations.”

• “This course was genuinely enjoyable and the Labster simulations were very engaging and interesting. Thank you for this awesome opportunity!”
• “I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed using Labster. The gamification elements are fun, and I was excited to revisit old techniques while learning many new ones. I especially learned a lot from the Bio Safety Lab - I did not know very much about infectious disease testing precautions. “

Adoption & Room for Expansion

Adopting new learning technologies can come with challenges, as some students and faculty may initially be hesitant. However, when thoughtfully integrated, immersive labs have the power to enhance engagement and comprehension. Dr. Salifu reflected on how his institution successfully introduced Labster and is working to expand its adoption:

"I spoke with my colleague. I explained that while I only work for the School of Professional Studies, there’s a whole instructional design group for the rest of the school. We meet weekly with the MCPHS educational technology coordinator. After our discussion, we started looking at ways to see if we could kickstart something. With everyone talking, we hope to spread Labster use across the school."