Journal Article

Computer assisted learning in undergraduate medical education

Greenhalgh, Trisha

2001

Overview

Summary points Reduced funding, rising student numbers, geographical dispersal, and increased competition in a complex global market have put medical schools under pressure to embrace computer assisted learning New technologies may have important educational advantages, but without support and training for staff and students they could prove an expensive disaster Expansion of computer assisted learning requires cultural change as well as careful strategic planning, resource sharing, staff incentives, active promotion of multidisciplinary working, and effective quality control Developing applications Computer assisted learning applications generally require the student to follow the content without immediate or direct supervision from the tutor. In the spirit of Dr Blunkett's collaborative e-university, a new form of academic commerce in off the shelf, web based course materials is beginning to emerge. 31 Agreements between universities (and countries) on sharing units of education may eventually lead to the awarding of a degree that cannot be identified with a single institution. 25 Funding of a medical degree may even begin to occur on a module by module basis and, arguably, is less likely to come from a single central source. 32 The medical school of the future may be one that can successfully offer (in collaboration with other educational providers) a flexible menu of both face to face and self study modules from which individual students can select to meet their own unique requirements.

• Publisher: British Medical Journal Publishing Group,British Medical Association,BMJ Publishing Group Ltd,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ
• Subject: Analysis / Attitude / Audiovisual instruction / Collaboration / College campuses / Computer assisted instruction / Computer based instruction / Computer-Assisted Instruction - economics / Computer-Assisted Instruction - trends / Computers in education / Costs and Cost Analysis / Curricula / Dental schools / Distance education / Distance learning / Education And Debate / Education, Medical, Undergraduate - economics / Education, Medical, Undergraduate - trends / Funding / Health education / Higher education / Humans / Individualized instruction / Innovations / Interactive learning / Medical education / Medical schools / Medical students / Nursing students / Pedagogy / Problem based learning / Quality / Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Schools, Medical / Students / Studies / Tutoring