Trends in free WWW-based E-learning Modules seen from the Learning Resource Server Medicine (LRSMed).
Despite the lost enthusiasm concerning E-learning a lot of material is available on the World Wide Web (WWW) free of charge. This material is collected and systematically described by services like the Learning Resource Server Medicine (LRSMed) at http://mmedia.medizin.uni-essen.de/portal/. With the LRSMed E-learning modules are made available for medical students by means of a metadata description that can be used for a catalogue search. The number of resources included has risen enormously from 100 in 1999 up to 805 today. Especially in 2004 there was an exponential increase in the LRSMed's content. Anatomy is still the field with the highest amount of available material, but general medicine has improved its position over the years and is now the second one. Technically and didactically simple material as scripts, textbooks, and link lists (called info services) is still dominating. Similar to 1999, there is not one module which could be truly referred to as tutorial dialogue. Simple material can not replace face-to-face-teaching. But it could be combined with conventional courses to establish some kind of blending learning. The scene of free E-learning modules on the WWW is ready to meet current challenges for efficient training of students and continuing education in medicine.
Stausberg
Jürgen
J
Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. stausberg@uni-essen.de
Geueke
Martin
M
Bludßat
Kevin
K
D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003201:Computers; D003479:Curriculum; D004496:Education, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007858:Learning