Michael D. Mann
University of Nebraska Medical Center

ABSTRACT:

There are many neuroscience "lessons" already in existence on the web, but there is no comprehensive course. It seems that such a course is merited now that faculty in medical schools are so specialized. Often the courses offered do not include discussions of important topics because there is no local faculty to teach them. A web course would offer "standardized" training to medical students worldwide. Because problem-based learning is the de facto standard for medical education, we are developing a web-based course that will present the major topics of medical neuroscience by having students confront a number of problems, each focusing on a different disease or part of the nervous system. In working through the problems, students will encounter critical concepts and information in physiology, anatomy, neurology, biochemistry and molecular biology (genetics). Students can access information in any of these topic areas at any time during their course through a problem by clicking on always-present menu buttons. This information is problem-specific; what is presented will be different for each problem, but any of it can be accessed for review or preview at any time during the course. At the end of each problem, the students may use a self-test to check their mastery of the relevant topics. We will demonstrate only prototype problems during this meeting in hopes of generating discussion, criticism and suggestions.

The viewer of this demonstration may get some ideas for development of Freestanding web-based courses. Hopefully, he or she will share ideas for improvement of the design of this course.

Michael D. Mann
984575 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-4575
U.S.A.
Phone: 402-559-7166
Fax: 402-559-4438
Email: mmann@unmc.edu