About the Macintosh computer tutorial "Elizabeth" 94/03/12
The file "Elizabeth.bin" is a Hypercard 2.1 stack in MacBinary II format and is downloaded to a usable stack with "Fetch".
Overview:
This tutorial is based on a clinical case in the book "Clinical Detective Stories: A Problem-Based Approach to Clinical Cases in Energy and Acid-Base metabolism" by Mitchell L. Halperin (MLH) and Frances S. Rolleston (Portland Press, London and Chapel Hill 1993 ISBN 1 85578 999X).
This computer tutorial was developed by Marcel Blanchaer (MB) working from the above book, with reactive (rather than interactive) input from MLH. The metabolic concepts, nomenclature and interpretations presented are largely those of MLH, with some contributions by MCB.
The user interface, i.e.- style and mode of student questioning, wording of responses to incorrect student input, hypertext-linked information and graphics were largely provided by MB with some input by MLH.
Audience:
The level of prior biochemical and medical knowledge required to complete this tutorial is minimal. It therefore could be offered to first year medical students during a course in medically oriented biochemistry or its equivalent. Students of the other health sciences also might find the tutorial useful since any information/knowledge deficits they have can be corrected by reference to the above book.
At the University of Manitoba (MB's home base), students are required to have completed a full course in biochemistry before they are admitted to the Faculty of Medicine. This would permit positioning of this tutorial early in the sequence of computer tutorials offered during our "Human Biochemistry" course, after the metabolic topics dealt with in the tutorial have been dealt with in the conventional part of the course (lectures, tutorials, assigned readings).
Purpose of the tutorial:
The tutorial is meant to offer students an opportunity to assess their conceptual and substantive knowledge in a setting consistent with their anticipated future professional role (physician, nurse, physiotherapist, etc.).
Our beginning medical students perceive similar case-based tutorials currently available on computers as interesting and "relevant". However they also use such tutorials to reinforce and sometimes correct their knowledge of the biochemical facts and concepts they expect to see later on examinations.
Design of the tutorial:
Interactive problem solving is emphasized. To simulate a real clinical case as it presents to a physician, the student is told the patient's initial complaint but not its cause. Rather, she/he is assigned the task of identifying the underlying problem, its cause and deciding on its management. .
Some knowledge of computer use is assumed but none specific to the Mac or HyperCard is expected. Ideally the user should quickly become unaware of the computer and able to devote full attention to the problem presented.
**The tutorial's style is meant to be self-testing, supportive
and corrective rather than instructional.**
Little if any new material to be learned is presented, but knowledge already acquired or currently being learned during conventional basic medical science courses must be applied.
The flow of the tutorial is primarily linear to assure completion of the task assigned to the student user. However, opportunities to explore underlying concepts are available through hypertexting. In most places during the tutorial the decision to access the supportive hypertext information is left to the discretion of the user. However, in a few places where such information is considered essential the hypertext material is locked into the linear flow of the tutorial.
When the student is ready to exit the tutorial, a list of the major topics encountered earlier is again made available for review before the program is finally exited.
To the Instructor:
As noted above, the level of biochemical and medical knowledge assumed is appropriate for first year medical students at the University of Manitoba. Changes may well be needed to accommodate students at other Schools. The reviewer's suggestions in this regard are solicited.
All are invited to identify errors in spelling, grammar, style and substantive content. The identification of inconsistencies of any kind would be appreciated. Suggestions for improvements in any of these categories would be most welcome.
In this test version of the tutorial the ID of each screen (card) is shown to facilitate communication of the exact site of a problem/suggestion.
Finally your opinion would be appreciated on whether it would be desirable to convert the style of the tutorial, as much as possible, from the standard HyperCard interface to that of a conventional Mac application, with fewer buttons, more menu commands, etc..
A version of this stack colored with ColorizeHC using HyperGASP is also available from MB by email or regular mail.
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Should you use this tutorial in its present or a modified form a brief message describing your intended uses, modifications and student reactions would be appreciated.
