Evaluation of a distance-learning immunology and pathology module in a postgraduate biomedical science course

British Journal of Biomedical Science, 2005 by Ryan, M T, Mulholland, C W

From the quantitative results (Tables 3 and 5) it was clear that students were generally much happier with the format and usability of the pathology section. However, some students would have liked more guidance on what was expected of them in the unseen examination, and how much extra reading they were expected to carry out. The quantitative ratings showed that students rated the pathology section higher than the immunology section on all usability criteria (Table 5).

In terms of learning outcomes, as judged by examination results (Table 6), there was no significant difference between students studying by distance learning and those who chose to study by attendance (Table 6). However, there was a significant difference in outcome (P

Discussion

The evaluation exercise was formative12,13 and investigated issues such as content, usability and design. The software was essentially a prototype designed as much as possible to cater for the perceived learning needs of distance-learning students; however, layout and content can be optimised by learner feedback.

The evaluation was illuminative,14 aiming to uncover unanticipated problems encountered by the students. Hence, students were encouraged to qualify all their quantitative responses with qualitative remarks, and they were encouraged to comment freely on all aspects of the course. Students were also asked to give an indication of their level of computer literacy, which is important if the application is to be integrated successfully into their learning habits.15

Usability

Supplying information by CD-ROM posed many advantages over printed material (e.g., ease of distribution, possible future publication on the internet, and the incorporation of interactive quizzes). This electronic format could also impose a structure to the information, allowing inclusion of numerous colour photographs and diagrams.16

However, it is important that this format does not become a barrier to learning. As can be seen in Table 5, respondents rated the main usability criteria positively in the pathology section. The weakest scoring area in both the pathology and immunology section was 'ease of navigation'. On further exploration, students qualified this by explaining that they could not readily find specific subtopics. Hence, the development of submenus or search facilities in future versions of this software should represent an improvement in usability.

In general, the level of computer literacy was adequate (Table 4), and from this it can be assumed that there would be few technological barriers to the use of the CD-ROM as a learning tool. The design of a piece of educational software is important, as it must be user friendly and have a level of complexity that matches its end users' ability. It was evident, however, that only 63% of the distance learners had computers at home. Further investigation revealed that those who did not rate the CD very highly tended not to have been able to incorporate it easily into their study habits, mainly as result of not having a computer at home. The immunology section scored poorly relative to the pathology section in terms of content, presentation, screen design/layout and functionality.