Rde. Sewell et al., MULTIMEDIACOMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL FOR TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Journal of Biological Education, 29(1), 1995, pp. 27-32
Multimedia computer packages have replaced the frog heart and sciatic
nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparations as teaching practicals. The so
ftware incorporates high-quality still and animated graphics, sound, a
nd video which together encourage an extensive level of user interacti
on. Undergraduate students using the packages were surveyed and the ov
erall response was Favourable. There was a general impression that the
y enjoyed the exercises, and they indicated that multimedia extensions
helped in the understanding of the theoretical concepts. Student opin
ion of the packages was not significantly influenced by prior experien
ce of computer technology, nor by a predominant mathematical or biolog
ical background. There was a high rank correlation between computer as
sessment and traditional assessment by written examination. Multimedia
computer technology represents a powerful aid in the teaching and ass
essment of biological science.