Demonstration:
Development of a Pathology Education Instructional Resource (PEIR)
Kristopher Jones, (3rd year medical student) and Peter G. Anderson, DVM, PhD University of Alabama at Birmingham
Abstract:
Distance learning and just-in-time access to information are powerful teaching and learning tools for use in medical education. However for many institutions implementing these techniques and technologies is problematic and requires extensive logistical expertise and infrastructure. We have developed a Pathology Education Instructional Resource (PEIR) designed to provide resources for teaching and learning that are user friendly and dynamic. Our main goal in creating this resource was to facilitate development of materials that would augment the learning environment for our students.
We have used DiscusTM--a freeware curriculum management and discussion board program--as our interface for the course Web site. Through a Web browser interface, Discus allows users to publish information on the Web without requiring knowledge of HTML. Teaching materials can be composed and uploaded through the browser interface, including the uploading of any type of electronic file--e.g., images, PowerPoint presentations, and Word documents--as well as allowing the creation of links to existing materials on the Web. In addition, Discus lets the course director manage the course materials and assign reading and posting privileges to various portions of the Web site. Students can access course materials remotely and can use the site as a communications link that augments discussion between students and faculty as well as (and more importantly) between students themselves. Existing materials can be modified and new materials uploaded by any user (faculty or student) with appropriate posting privileges.
The second main feature of the Pathology Education Instructional Resource is a collection of resources that faculty can use for developing on-line teaching materials and examinations. Using an Internet-enabled freeware database system we have cataloged over 15,000 digital images and over 7,500 examination questions. These password-protected databases can be accessed remotely by our faculty members to facilitate development of teaching materials. We have also developed templates and tutorials that busy faculty members can use to develop their teaching materials. The PEIR is designed to encourage our faculty to make the transition from traditional lecture slides and instead develop lectures/teaching modules that can be easily ported to the Web site for use by the students. Using the combination of resources provided to the faculty in the PEIR and the ability of Discus to allow faculty to remotely manage the course materials; faculty can develop on-line teaching material or on-line examinations from their
The PEIR provides powerful resources that facilitate distance learning and just-in-time access to information by utilizing relatively inexpensive or freeware programs running on a desktop PC server. The keys to success are the ease with which students and faculty can access the information; the intuitive protocols for using, viewing, and adding information to the program; and the enhanced communication between faculty and students and between students themselves.
Benefit in Attending Session:
Many schools today are seeking to computerize curricula. During our session, we will demonstrate a variety of software solutions to many of the common hurdles facing course directors and faculty in this endeavor. We will emphasize user-friendly tools that decrease faculty apprehension while increasing student participation. We will also share our experiences in determining "what's hot and what's not" in Web-based course content as culled from our students and faculty.
Kristopher Jones and Peter G Anderson, DVM, PhD UAB Dept of Pathology 1670 University Boulevard, G004 Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0019 205.934.1915 KJ 205.934.2414 PA Fax Number: 205.934.1775 knjones@uab.edu pga@uab.edu http://peir.path.uab.edu Fax Number(s):