Purpose: Changing medical knowledge and training settings require that medical educators have new ways to insure that students are consistently exposed to important clinical problems. New technologies, such as Web-based computer-assisted instruction (CAI), offer the ability to deliver the desired curricular content in a consistent, efficient and interactive manner to students at training sites across the country. Methodology: The CLIPP project is a U.S. federally funded 3-year project that will develop a comprehensive set of Web-based CAI cases to teach third year medical students. The project's major objectives are:

Objective 1: To define the content, scope, and priorities for the CAI cases through a national consensus of pediatric educators.

Objective 2: To develop the CAI cases that encompass the comprehensive learning objectives of the CLIPP program, through a national development process.

Objective 3: To implement the CLIPP cases incrementally at 2 medical schools and then disseminate the comprehensive CLIPP program nationally.

Objective 4: To evaluate the national development process and educational feasibility of CLIPP as it is progressively implemented.

The CLIPP project has now completed its first year. An advisory group comprised of leaders of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) developed overall project scope, guidelines and direction. A Content Working Group, comprised of national group of Pediatric educators, developed specific case level guidelines to insure that the completed cases cover all of the desired curricular content. A CAI Working Group, comprised of recognized experts in CAI from within COMSEP, developed a case blueprint to insure that cases utilize the CAI program in the most effective manner possible. Pilot cases are in development and are being progressively implemented at two pilot schools.

Discussion: The CLIPP project can serve as a model for the national development and implementation of CAI in other fields of medicine, and at different levels of medical education. Evaluation of the feasibility and effectiveness of national CAI development and implementation remains an important project goal.

The broad scope of this CAI project is, we believe, unique. Development of a comprehensive CAI program, based on a nationally accepted curriculum and authored nationally is a new approach to CAI. We believe this approach can be applied to other fields of medicine and to different levels of medical education.

Norman Berman, M.D.
One Medical Center Drive
Department of Pediatrics
Lebanon, NH 03756
Phone: 306-650-8658
Fax: 603-650-8601
Email: norman.b.berman@dartmouth.edu

CO-AUTHORS:

Leslie Fall, M.D.
One Medical Center Drive
Department of Pediatrics
Lebanon, NH 03756
Phone: 603-650-5767
Fax: 603-650-8601
Email: leslie.h.fall@dartmouth.edu