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1.
Introduction
Historically,
students in the Biology Department at Douglas College were taught introductory
Anatomy and Physiology through an audio-tutorial system. Students were
required to listen to audiotapes, hear verbal descriptions of various
topics, and then they were encouraged to consult either an instructor
or a reference textbook if they had questions about the material. Human
Anatomy and Physiology courses are presented as service courses in
Nursing and Sport Sciences programs. Students survey the major anatomical
and physiological features of several organ systems in rapid succession.
Students enter these courses with differing levels of academic skills
and prior training in Anatomy and Physiology.
Anecdotal complaints
from students suggested that the taped verbal descriptions were inadequate
to conceptualize dynamic processes or complex structures. Also, when
complex topics were presented in classroom lectures, students either
retained a simplistic overview of the topic, or were confused when
introduced to a topic based on an understanding of sequential processes.
In response to repeated complaints about the mode of delivery associated
with certain topics, some members of the Biology Department resolved
to increase the visual content presented with selected topics.
Based on a survey
of the prior instructional experiences of instructional staff working
in a laboratory setting, we determined that student learning was often
enhanced when topics were explained using diagrams, models and other
visual aids. The potential educational value of using well-designed
computer-based, interactive multimedia modules was perceived as one
way to complement traditional laboratory teaching methods. Since commercial
multimedia products did not address the specific concerns raised by
our students, nor reflect the exact content of our curriculum, faculty
and staff collaborated to develop and produce multimedia units initially
for internal use. However, the design team also resolved to produce
instructional modules that could be adapted for use in introductory
Anatomy and Physiology courses offered at other institutions.
A faculty and staff
team in the Biology Department at Douglas College developed a series
of web-based instructional units on basic topics in Human Anatomy and
Physiology. Modules were developed to specifically address problems
identified by Nursing and Sport Sciences students in visualizing key
concepts in three areas of basic Anatomy and Physiology.
The modules developed
to date review the topics of Ossification, Muscles and Muscle Contraction,
and Articulations. The two most recently developed modules, Ossification
and Muscle Contraction, will be discussed in this paper. The antecedent
module, Articulations, is mentioned solely to illustrate how the development
and form of these modules has changed as our team learns more about producing
web-based teaching units. The modules presented are currently hosted on
the Douglas College server for people with an interest in teaching or
learning basic Anatomy and Physiology. The "Ossification - An Introduction
to Bone Formation" module is available at http://www.douglas.bc.ca/ossification/
(Figure 1). The "Muscles - An Introduction to Muscles
and Muscle Contraction" module is available at http://www.douglas.bc.ca/muscles/.
The "Articulations" module is available at http://www.douglas.bc.ca/biology/project/articulations/index.html
.
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An external link to the authors' The "Muscles - An Introduction to
Muscles and Muscle Contraction" module.
An external link to the authors' The "Articulations" module. |
