Medical case teaching on the web.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about strategies for developing teaching cases and strategies for identifying design features that optimize a learner's interactions with Web-based cases.


OBJECTIVE
We examined design features in Web cases that facilitated interactive and engaging learning.


METHODS
Nine collaborators reviewed selected Web cases and documented the presence of features that facilitate interactive learning, including opportunities for information gathering, decision making, and receiving feedback.


RESULTS
Eighteen Web sites offered cases. These cases mainly were narrated based on biomedical information without patient voices. The cases were organized in a linear structure from patient presentation to follow-up. Many cases presented only a single case. We found little use of features for augmenting a learner's interaction with cases. Only a handful of cases generated feedback on the basis of the learners' responses.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests ways to improve the development of Web cases. These methods contribute to future research in testing cases for educational effectiveness.
Kim
Sara
S
Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-7230, USA. sarakim@u.wahington.edu
Phillips
William R
WR
Huntington
Jane
J
Astion
Michael L
ML
Keerbs
Amanda
A
Pinsky
Linda
L
Dresden
Graham
G
Sharma
Umang
U
Shearer
David William
DW
D004501:Education, Medical; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013663:Teaching; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014861:Washington