From: <abstracts@gsm

POSTER

 

Integrating Nephrology into the Curriculum Using the Online Multimedia Educational System, LaMedica

 

S. Stracke, C. Aymanns, N. Kadlec, B. Lindemann, S. Huettner,  F. Keller, R. Friedl  Div. Of Nephrology  and Dept. of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Ulm, Germany

 

ABSTRACT:

Background: Complex renal diseases like the glomerulonephritides are difficult to understand. An online multimedia teaching system that addresses medical students and residents, (http://www.LaMedica.de/) has been developed and implemented into the curriculum. The system is database driven and enables multiple re-use and flexible composition of media-data. Difficult procedures are visualized with high quality video and 3D-animations using VRML, QuickTime, Flash, SVG and MPEG-4 applications [1,2,3,4]. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of this newly developed teaching system in improving student motivation and knowledge.

 

Methods: We used the LaMedica system in a seminar setting. A self-study time was followed by tutor-guided patient contacts. In a prospective study, we performed a psychometric evaluation (HILVE, SUCA, FIDEC) with 32 medical students and an additional summative assessment in a double crossover design with 12 students to compare the knowledge gain using either a print version or the LaMedica online nephrological module. Frequent confounders as using identical instructional methods, giving the identical content and amount of information and providing an identical learning environment were carefully controlled.

 

Results: The system contains instructional applications on eight various forms of glomerulonephritis. The psychometric evaluation revealed that medical students are motivated to a higher degree and feel more pleasure when learning with the nephrological online module of LaMedica. However, the summative assessment of the online versus print medium showed equal results in both groups with no significant difference.

 

Conclusion: We successfully implemented LaMedica Nephrology into the curriculum where it is routinely used. Knowledge gain was equal when using either print or online medium in a seminar setting while the subjective evaluation revealed a higher motivation of the online group.

 

Supported by the German Ministry of Research and Education

 

1.         Stracke S, Aymanns C, Kadlec N, Lindemann B, Huettner S, Keller F, Friedl R. Teaching Glomerulonephritis using the multimedia online system LaMedica. presented at the World Congress of Nephrology 2003, Berlin

 

2.         Friedl R, Preisack MB, Klas W, Rose T, Stracke S, Quast KJ, Hannekum A, Godje O.: Virtual Reality and 3D Visualizations in Heart Surgery Education. Heart Surg Forum. 2002;5(3):E17-21.

 

3.         Melamed RJ, Friedl R, Engl T, Lanwert S, Preisack MB, Jonas D, Bickeboller R. LaMedica. The medical education academy on the internet. Urologe A. 2002 Jan;41(1):18-25. German.

 

4.         Friedl R, Klas W, Westermann U, Rose T, Tremper J, Stracke S, Godje O, Hannekum A, Preisack MB. The CardioOP-Data Clas (CDC). Development and application of a thesaurus for content management and multi-user teleteaching in cardiac surgery. Methods Inf Med. 2003;42(1):68-78

 

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION: 

LaMedica uses a content-management system that allows multiple re-use, sharing and exchange of multimedia data. Authentic visualization of contents in nephrology, virtual simulations and interactive multimedia-items may lead to realistic, self-paced and efficient ways of imparting knowledge and information.

 

Sylvia Stracke, MD

Dept Internal Medicine II, Div of Nephrology

University Hospital Ulm

Robert Koch Strasse 8

89081 Ulm

Phone: +49-731-50024341

Fax: +49-731-50024483

mailto:sylvia.stracke@medizin.uni-ulm.de

Website: http://www.lamedica.de

 

CO-AUTHORS:

C. Aymanns (1), N. Kadlec (1), B. Lindemann (1), S. Huettner (1), F. Keller (1), R. Friedl (2)

(1) Dept Internal Medicine II

Div of Nephrology

University Hospital Ulm

Robert Koch Strasse 8

89081 Ulm

(2) Dept Heart Surgery

University Hospital Ulm

Steinhˆvelstrasse 9

89075 Ulm

Phone: (1) +49-731-50024341

(2) +49-731-50027322

Fax: (1) +49-731-50024483

(2) +49-731-50027319

Email: [first name].[family name]@medizin.uni-ulm.de