The educational and methodological activities of the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Technologies were organized in accordance with established educational and regulatory documents, educational programs, course syllabi, working curricula, as well as the annual work plan of the Department.

  One of the main objectives of the Department was to organize the educational process in accordance with modern requirements, consolidate students’ theoretical knowledge through practical skills, develop their ability to think independently, and form the competencies necessary for professional pharmaceutical practice.

  Lectures, practical classes, and laboratory sessions in the disciplines taught at the Department are conducted in accordance with the approved educational programs. Particular attention is paid to the effective use of modern pedagogical and information and communication technologies in the educational process.

  Educational Activities

  During the reporting period, the educational process at the Department was organized in accordance with the approved curricula and course programs.

  The teaching staff conducted the following activities in accordance with the established procedures:

-lectures;
-practical classes;
-laboratory sessions;
-students’ independent learning;
-consultations;

assessment and knowledge evaluation activities.

  During the classes, students were provided with theoretical and practical knowledge in pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical technology, the technology of preparation of dosage forms, and other relevant areas.

  Special attention was paid to developing students’ practical skills during laboratory sessions. In particular, practical classes were conducted on the macroscopic and microscopic analysis of medicinal plant raw materials, identification of biologically active substances, performance of qualitative reactions, preparation of dosage forms, and evaluation of their quality indicators.

  Use of Modern Pedagogical Technologies

  Modern pedagogical technologies are used at the Department to improve the quality of education.

  In particular, the following pedagogical methods were effectively applied:

  “Brainstorming” – to identify students’ existing knowledge on a particular topic and generate new ideas and suggestions;

  “Cluster” – to systematize concepts related to a topic and identify relationships between them;

  “BBB” (Know – Want to Know – Learned) – to compare students’ initial and final knowledge of a topic;

  “Case Study” – to analyze problematic situations related to pharmaceutical practice and develop students’ skills in independent decision-making;

  “Problem-Based Learning” – to involve students in problem situations and guide them toward finding scientific and practical solutions;

  “INSERT” – for independent study and analysis of educational materials;

  “Venn Diagram” – to identify similarities and differences between concepts and processes;

  “Boomerang” and “Step-by-Step” – to consolidate the topics covered and conduct rapid assessment of students’ knowledge;

  Small-group work – to develop students’ cooperation and teamwork skills.

  In addition, multimedia presentations, electronic educational materials, video materials, electronic tests, and other information and communication tools are used in the educational process.

  Organization of Interactive and Practical Classes

  The Department pays particular attention to strengthening the practical orientation of classes. Students are given the opportunity not only to receive theoretical information but also to apply the knowledge they acquire in practice.

  In pharmacognosy courses, students performed practical tasks related to the identification of medicinal plants, examination of the external characteristics of medicinal plant raw materials, microscopic analysis, qualitative reactions, determination of biologically active substances, and standardization of medicinal plant raw materials.

  In pharmaceutical technology courses, practical classes were conducted on the preparation of various dosage forms, organization of technological processes, selection of excipients, evaluation of the quality indicators of finished products, and control of technological processes.

  Methodological Activities

  The methodological activities of the Department were aimed at improving the pedagogical activities of the teaching staff and enhancing the quality of education.

  During the reporting period:

-course programs and working programs were reviewed;
-educational and methodological complexes were improved;
-lecture materials were updated;
-methodological guidelines for practical and laboratory classes were prepared;
-assignments for students’ independent learning were developed;
-assessment questions and test items were improved;
-assessment criteria for the courses were reviewed;
-the database of electronic educational materials was expanded;

  work was carried out to study and implement advanced pedagogical practices.

  The teaching staff paid particular attention to enriching the content of academic disciplines in accordance with modern pharmaceutical requirements, as well as introducing new scientific data and modern pharmaceutical technologies into the educational process.

  Organization of Students’ Independent Learning

  In order to effectively organize students’ independent learning, topics and assignments for independent work were developed for the courses.

  During independent learning, students carried out the following activities:

-working with scientific literature;
-using electronic information databases;
-preparing reports and presentations on specific topics;
-analyzing scientific articles;
-completing test assignments;
-analyzing practical situations;

  conducting independent research on medicinal plants and dosage forms.

  This process contributed to the development of students’ independent thinking, information-searching and analytical skills, as well as their ability to work with scientific sources.

  Methodological Activities of the Teaching Staff

  In order to improve their pedagogical and methodological skills, the teaching staff of the Department participated in open classes, peer observations, methodological seminars, and experience-sharing activities.

  During open classes, the teaching staff demonstrated experience in using modern pedagogical technologies, interactive methods, multimedia tools, and practice-oriented teaching methods.

  During peer observations, the organization of classes, student engagement, the level of use of pedagogical technologies, and assessment processes were analyzed.

  Based on the identified shortcomings, appropriate recommendations were provided, and methodological activities were carried out to address them.

  Achievements

  During the reporting period, a number of positive results were achieved in the educational and methodological activities of the Department.

  In particular:

• The quality of the organization of the educational process was improved.
• The use of modern pedagogical technologies in classes was expanded.
• The quantity and quality of classes aimed at developing students’ practical skills were increased.
• Educational and methodological materials for the courses were improved.
• The use of electronic educational resources and multimedia materials was expanded.
• Students’ independent learning activities were strengthened.
• Students’ interest in the academic disciplines and their participation in classes increased.
• Systematic work was established to improve the methodological and pedagogical skills of the teaching staff.
• Advanced pedagogical practices were disseminated through open classes and peer lesson analysis.
• Efforts to involve students in research activities and support their scientific research were strengthened.
• A closer connection was established between pharmacognosy and pharmaceutical technology disciplines and practical professional activities.
• Greater attention was paid to the competency-based approach in the educational process