Electrifying a Medical School Course: A Case Study

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Abstract
Background: At Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, the Dean charged the curriculum office to "electrify the curriculum". An instructional development team chose a 2nd-year course to serve as a model e-course and to provide evaluation data for a 2-year study. Description: The instructional development process used instructional and Web design principles. An evaluation plan included a number of data collection methods: e-mail surveys, a focus group, student diaries, and comprehensive end-of-course student assessments. The e-course allowed students to take advantage of learning opportunities that traditional face-to-face instruction normally does not. Evaluation: Students found access to multiple images; interactivity; and meaningful, efficient navigation within the site to be useful. Web-based instruction shows promise to aid students in the transition from concept acquisition to complex "doctor thinking." It does not replace the need for human teachers. Conclusion: The authors conclude with instructional design suggestions to exploit the power of Web-based teaching for the enhancement of complex learning.

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