TEACHING PATHOLOGY IN THE 21ST-CENTURY - AN EXPERIMENTAL AUTOMATED CURRICULUM DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR BASIC PATHOLOGY

  • 1 August 1988
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 112  (8) , 852-856
Abstract
In late 1984, the "General professional Education of the Physican" (GPEP) report recommended, among other things, that medical curricula be revised to relay less on lectures and more on independent study and problem solving. We seem to have anticipated, in 1980, the findings of the GPEP panel by formulating and starting to test the hypothesis that certain "core" information in medical curricula can be as effectively delivered by technology-based self-study means as by lecture or formal laboratory. We began, at that time, to prepare a series of self-study materials using, at first, videotape and the computer-controlled optical videodiscs. The content area selected for study was basic microscopic pathology. The series was planned to cover the following areas of study; cellular alterations and adaptations, cell injury, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation and wound healing, cellular accumulations, circulatory disturbances, necrosis, and neoplasia. All are intended to provide learning experiences in basic pathology. The first two programs were released for testing in 1983 as a two-sided videodisc accompanied by computer-driven pretests, study modules, and postrests that used Apple computers and Pioneer (DiscoVision) videodisc players. An MS DOS (eg, IBM) version of the computer programs was released in 1984. The first wo programs are now used in 57 US, Canadian, European, and Phillippine health professions schools, and over 1300 student and faculty evaluations have been received. Student and faculty evaluations of these first two programs were very positive, and, as a result, the others are in production and will be completed in 1988. Only when a critical mass of curriculum is available can we really test our stated hypothesis. In the meantime, it is worthwhile to report the evaluation of the first two programs.

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