In the world of diminishing budgets for lab technologies and wet lab space, the use of a well-produced virtual lab can be vital as a teaching resource in the medical school lab curriculum.

The goal of this project is the development and implementation of an interactive, self-paced teaching tool for undergraduate medical students that can be accessible in a CD-format or via the web. This teaching tool, called The UltraSlideSTUDIO, integrates basic microbiology review with the essential elements of a wet lab: review of correct lab procedures, viewing slides via a virtual microscope, and self-testing through interactive quizzes. The basic microbiology review incorporates animations and supporting text. The virtual microscope enables a student to identify cells and structures while "panning a slide" and "changing depth of field." For the student, the advantage of this teaching tool is that it increases "exposure to the lab," at their convenience, using time more efficiently, while promoting independent learning. For educators, this tool can significantly reduce the cost of teaching microbiology by reducing wet-lab space and faculty teaching time. Improvements have been made in UltraSlideSTUDIO with the improvement of text support in the textbook module, more case studies with increased interactivity, and the addition of informative feedback in the quiz module. Assessment and evaluation are scheduled for Fall of 2002.

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

We will demonstrate a prototype of The UltraSlideSTUDIO, an interactive self-paced learning module that may replace or complement a traditional microbiology laboratory environment. We will discuss the use of Flash 5.0 and DHTML in the development of the module. Attendees may find our module of interest in developing their own virtual microscope-teaching modules.

Deborah Moulton, MAMS
Office of Information Resources (MC 785) College of Medicine, UIC
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 996-1598
Fax: (312) 996-6415
Email: dmoult1@uic.edu
Website: http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcmi/ultra/

CO-AUTHORS:
Carolynn Crouch, MAMS
William G. Hendrickson, PhD
Robert J. McAuley, PhD
Paul Schreckenberger, PhD

Carolynn Crouch, MAMS
Office of Information Resources (MC 785) College of Medicine, UIC
Chicago, IL 60612

William G. Hendrickson, PhD
602-A MSB (MC 790)
Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology
College of Medicine, UIC
Chicago, IL 60612

Robert J. McAuley, PhD
UIC College of Medicine
1853 W. Polk MC/785
Chicago, IL 60612

Paul Schreckenberger, PhD
Pathology (M/C 750)
238 CSB
Chicago, IL 60612

Phone: Carolynn Crouch, MAMS
(312) 996-2158
William G. Hendrickson, PhD
(312) 996-5600
Robert J. McAuley, PhD
(312) 413-0109
Paul Schreckenberger, PhD
(312) 996-3150
Fax: Carolynn Crouch, MAMS
(312) 996-6415
William G. Hendrickson, PhD
(312) 996-6415
Robert J. McAuley, PhD
(312) 355-0253
Paul Schreckenberger, PhD
(312) 413-0156

Email: Carolynn Crouch, MAMS
ccrouc1@uic.edu
William G. Hendrickson, PhD
whend@uic.edu
Robert J. McAuley, PhD
RMcAuley@uic.edu
Paul Schreckenberger, PhD
pschreck@uic.edu
Website: http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcmi/ultra/