Use of simulation-based training is fast becoming a vital source of experiential learning in medical education. Although simulation is a common tool for undergraduate and graduate medical education curricula, the utilization of simulation in continuing medical education (CME) is still an area of growth. As more CME programs turn to simulation to…

Operating room (OR) management differs from clinical anesthesia in that statistical literacy is needed daily to make good decisions. Two of the authors teach a course in operations research for surgical services to anesthesiologists, anesthesia residents, OR nursing directors, hospital administration students, and analysts to provide them with the…

Human factors (HF) is a discipline often drawn upon when there is a need to train people to perform complex, high-stakes tasks and effectively assess their performance. Complex tasks often present unique challenges for training and assessment. HF has developed specialized techniques that have been effective in overcoming several of these…

Ways that one graduate school of social work has successfully incorporated microcomputing into its foundation curriculum are described. The key factors include integrating the project into existing curricula, making the assignment part of a required, first-year course, and using a computer application designed specifically for novice social work…

The Prescription Management Program, a software program using Apple's HyperCard on a MacIntosh, was developed to simplify the creation, storage, modification, and general management of prescription-based problems. Pharmacy instructors may customize the program to serve their individual teaching needs. (Author/DB)

Hypermedia computer-based education (HCBE) is described and research on its instructional effectiveness is examined, including the relevance of several learning theories and instructional strategies. It is proposed that HCBE in social work education can emulate the dynamic, iterative learning process of knowledge acquisition, testing, and…

The hardware used in microcomputer/videodisk systems and the applications of videodisk technology to developing and using educational modules in optometric education are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

Examines the contents and objectives of various statistical computing courses that could be designed to meet the appropriate data analytic and statistical needs of a variety of professionals. Highlights include a definition of statistical computing; statistical methods; data analysis; and the design and construction of statistical computer…

The Dental Interactive Simulations Corporation (DISC) is a nonprofit organization that creates interactive patient simulations for dental and dental hygiene education. The simulations present highly realistic patient care delivery scenarios. Twelve organizations representing the education, practitioner, examination, and student communities…

InSight, a series of 10 HyperCard stacks, provides optometry students with first-hand experience with a number of visual phenomena and a variety of experimental data acquisition and analysis techniques. Each stack contains background information on the experiment topic, instructions, references to the literature, and questions to be answered.…

The PLATO and EDUCOM systems of computer-aided instruction are described with emphasis on their potential uses in legal education. Included in the discussion are a review of teaching techniques used in PLATO and EDUCOM, an analysis of their role in the law school curriculum, and a survey of actual law school use of these systems. (JMD)

An academic program instituting the PLATO system of computer-assisted instruction at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine is discussed. Procedures involved setting up an organization, establishing an administrative system, studying capabilities of the system, studying factors making a lesson suitable for programming, and…

Discussion of the use of simulations for licensure testing highlights the Dental Interactive Simulations Corporation (DISC) project that uses interactive video patient simulations for dental education and licensure. Topics addressed include reliability, validity, test administration issues, effects of fidelity on reliability and validity, and…

Describes the PLUTO model, an interactive computer program designed for use in education and training of city planners and engineers. Emphasizes four issues: (1) the balance between realism and simplification; (2) the design of the user interface; (3) comparative advantages of group and solo working; and (4) factors affecting the decision to…

A new optometry-oriented program for the Macintosh computer has been written for the Neural Sciences Computer-Assisted Learning Package to include graphics and synthesized speech. It has 21 modules in 6 categories: anatomical drawings; diagrams illustrating physiological concepts; records from experiments; flow charts of neuroanatomical pathways;…