Interactive Urology : An Internet based learning-program for medical students

Abstract

“Interactive Urology” is an interactive Internet based learning-program for medical students at the University of Oslo. The program is meant to be a supplement to traditional teaching and textbooks in urology and uropathology.

Medical students meet relatively few patients during the clinical rotation in urology. Our purpose has been to construct realistic cases illustrating and explaining various urological issues. Decision points (questions) make the program more student-active and stimulate a clinical train of thought. The cases are connected with an “InfoBase” consisting of both written material and pictures, to make it easy to acquire relevant and supplementary information about each subject presented.

The pedagogical method used has many parallels to the principles in Problem Based Learning (PBL). We have emphasised to develop a program wich is easy to use and upgrade, even without special competence in computer programming. The technical method is called the “DLO-system”, developed by medical student Morten Rønning, and used also in the student-projects Interactive Histology and Interactive Haematology.

Professor in Pathology, Aud Svindland, and Professor in Urology, Lars Magne Eri, have been our supervisors on this project. Interactive Urology is publicly available at http://www2.med.uio.no/dlo/uro.