AN INNOVATIVE SPECIAL STUDY MODULE UTILIZING COMPUTER-BASED LEARNING IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY

The General Medical Council has acknowledged the need for training in information technology to assist in continued education and learning. As part of our Special Study Modules (SSM) or projects, we have introd uced our undergraduate students to the construction of an interactive multimedia learning resource utilizing facilities at the Computer-Base d Learning Unit (CBLU) in the University of Leeds. Appropriate materia ls (slides, photographs and tables etc.) are obtained from the Obstetr ics and Gynaecology department and image material is stored on a photo CD. Students utilize a user-friendly multimedia authoring tool to pro duce their own hypermedia teaching packages. The group presents the co mplete module to their peers for review. This results in constructive feedback. The developing teaching resource (modified if necessary) is adopted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and is made av ailable to subsequent students for individual use. We believe that thi s innovation utilizing computer-based learning is an exciting developm ent. It incorporates many of the principles of pedogogy that we wish t o strive towards. The students are responsible for the creation of the ir own teaching material. They expose the material to their own peers for review and criticism. The material is almost totally problem bated and stimulates students' interest in learning for themselves. It also encourages students to take on responsibility for designing their own learning agenda, pursuing new sources of information and deciding how much they want to learn about a topic. Finally, the potential use of interactive multimedia is introduced at this early stage of the underg raduate curriculum.