Increasingly, medical schools are using web based or CD-ROM based digital images to teach histology. With numerous web histology sites, commercially CD-ROMs and printed atlases and textbooks, students can teach themselves histology. We have used power point presentations to provide histology images to help student learn histology laboratory material. This project is an improvement of the previous power point material. It is designed to increase the efficiency of learning histology material with minimum effort and time. The material is organized into short chapters. Each subject includes a short syllabus outlining the objectives of the subject matter and a short description of the morphological and functional aspects of the tissue type or organ system under discussion. A summary chart is included in the syllabus. Some animations are also linked to the syllabus to illustrate certain concepts.

The chapter also includes a lab atlas with images of micrographs taken from microscope slides used in our histology laboratory. Occasional drawings are included in the atlas to help orient the microscopic images. Students can view the images with the included program by clicking the left or right arrow. Clicking the word item below the image will show the specific cell or structure of interest and a narration will accompany the pointed structure that explains the salient features of the structure.

It usually takes a student about half an hour to read the syllabus and 15-20 minutes to view the lab atlas for each subject. Many students use these atlases to supplement microscope slide laboratory sessions and for reviews. Some use these as sole learning material for the subject. I found the syllabus and atlas substantially reduced my time involved with helping students on the microscopes. Future development will include some self-testing element and links of more detailed information, and relevant physiological and pathological information of the subject matter for students who want to learn more about the subject.

To provide opportunity to compare notes with participants who are interested in developing histology teaching material. The material is produced relative inexpensively and it provides the essential function of facilitating students' learning. This can be used in the web or as CD-ROM.

Hue-lee Kaung, Ph.D.
Department of Anatomy
Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-4930
Phone: 216-368-8561
Fax: 216-844-5570
Email: hck2@po.cwru.edu

CO-AUTHORS:

Curtis Dutton
Department of Computer Science
Case Western Reserve University
Email: ced4@po.cwru.edu