The University of South Florida’s Taneja College of Pharmacy is using hologram technology to transform learning.
By Ryan Rossy
The University of South Florida Health Taneja College of Pharmacy (TCOP) continues to be a pacesetter for innovative education, most recently with its plans to incorporate holographic technology into its educational framework. This ambitious leap aims to elevate the learning experience for both students and faculty, fostering a more immersive and engaging educational environment. “The new holographic technology is the first of its kind in the region,” said Dr. Kevin Sneed, dean of the TCOP and senior associate vice president of USF Health. It is set to transform classrooms and laboratories alike and bring a new layer to an already premier pharmacy program.
One of the key advantages of this technology is its departure from conventional two-dimensional remote platforms like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. With holographic transmission, students can experience a lifelike classroom setting, enhancing their understanding and connection with the material. “With our new holographic technology, we can ‘transport’ anybody from anywhere into the classroom, such as a professor or a renowned scientist that we want to engage in our studies with, creating more diversified collaboration and learning experiences,” Sneed said.
The college also plans to use intricate three-dimensional models, structures and processes that might be otherwise challenging to understand through conventional methods. This realism aids in grasping intricate topics more effectively. While the full implementation of this technology in TCOP’s future location in the downtown campus is scheduled for next July, the college’s dedication to staying at the forefront of education prompts the immediate exploration of their new holographic technology. The college plans to train its faculty before the upcoming move and create intuitive lesson plans for its students.
“The future for us starts today,” Sneed said. “Using holographic technology is just the beginning of what you can expect in terms of the technological advancement that we are going to be putting into our downtown building.
Reprinted with permission from USF Health.
Envisioning a Healthcare TransformationTCOP’s partnership with Proto Hologram grew out of the college’s attempt to resolve the issue of having researchers travel between multiple teaching locations, explained Dr. Kevin Sneed. “While MS Teams and Zoom have been used effectively, the Proto Hologram offered great in-class visual fidelity,” he said. “Ultimately as I expanded my imagination, I began to see multiple use cases for the Proto unit.” Sneed’s vision and focus for the college, he continued, is to prepare pharmacists for the second quarter of the 21st century. “While the Proto Hologram will be an extremely exciting component of our instructional endeavors, we are rapidly building a culture of innovative transformation across the spectrum of healthcare. Utilization of advanced technologies by pharmacists will be among the most transformational actions we can ingrain in our student pharmacists. Fortunately, they are not only very excited but well equipped to move forward in this age of advanced technology.” |
Dr. Kevin Sneed with the Proto Hologram unit that will be installed in the college’s downtown campus next year.
