Outcome 4. Educator resource development and implementation of core concepts within curricula (2023-2026)
We will develop tools that help educators and curriculum developers embed core concepts within the curriculum and resources that can be used in teaching and learning. Given the importance of the core concepts in pharmacology, there will be instances in which educator and student resources aligned with these concepts already exist. We hope to facilitate the sharing of these resources through platforms and events during which educators can share existing resources. However, as was the case in physiology, we would also like to create resources that are tailor-made to support meaningful and active learning and help students to recognise, test and revise their current mental models [48]. Once these resources are created, we will need to validate them, which can be done using the Core Concept Inventories as an assessment tool.
In terms of curriculum development, many educators have already started and more will continue to embed the core concepts. Their experience will help guide the tools that we develop in this area. However, there will always be educators and curriculum developers who are reluctant to instigate change in the absence of evidence. Our role will be to identify factors that inhibit adoption of core concepts and use this information to develop tools that overcome such limitations. For those who want to get a head start on embedding the core concepts within their curriculum, we outline some potential strategies below.