A CD-ROM on the Peripheral Nervous System was converted from Microsoft PowerPoint into a series of Web pages and loaded into a WebCT shell for online distribution to first-year medical students. The objective for creating the courseware was to reduce the total number of didactic lectures in the human structure course, and to stimulate interactive self-directed and problem-based learning among students. The rationale was to reduce the demands placed upon medical students to manage large volumes of learning resources that often are widely dispersed, and to integrate related disciplines into a format that was readily accessible to them. Active learning was achieved by integrating nine patient-based cases and five drill and practice games with content delivery in a familiar National Board format. Content delivery consisted of eleven online objective-driven lecture units on spinal and cranial nerves with associated sound files and animated diagrams, images, and patient simulations. Authorware and Flash were used to target content areas dealing with applied anatomy, embryology, pathophysiology, and tests/treatments.

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

We will demonstrate the utilization of internet/browser technology to present complex concepts on the peripheral nervous system. The courseware achieves a dimension that cannot be attained by using conventional textbooks, and it complements didactic and practical (dissection) activities of first-year medical students in human anatomy. Anyone with an interest in medical educational software should benefit from this demonstration.

Frank D. Reilly, Ph.D.
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
School of Medicine
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-9128
Phone: 304-293-0607
Fax: 304-293-8159
Email: freilly@hsc.wvu.edu
Website: http://webct.hsc.wvu.edu/

CO-AUTHORS:
Edwin Allen M.A., Jeffrey Altemus, M.A.,Allison Reed, M.A. and Leebrian Gaskins, M.A.
Department of Neurobiology, Anatomy and Academic Technologies
School of Medicine
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-9128
Phone: 304-293-2212
304-293-8605
Fax: 304-293-8159
Email: eallen@hsc.wvu.edu
jaltemus@wvu.edu
lgaskins@hsc.wvu.edu
areed@hsc.wvu.edu