title: "iBIM"--internet-based interactive modules: an easy and interesting learning tool for general surgery residents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increased use of information technology supports a resident- centred educational approach that promotes autonomy, flexibility and time management and helps residents to assess their competence, promoting self-awareness. We established a web-based e-learning tool to introduce general surgery residents to bariatric surgery and evaluate them to determine the most appropriate implementation strategy for Internet-based interactive modules (iBIM) in surgical teaching.
  
  
  METHODS
  Usernames and passwords were assigned to general surgery residents at the University of Alberta. They were directed to the Obesity101 website and prompted to complete a multiple-choice precourse test. Afterwards, they were able to access the interactive modules. Residents could review the course material as often as they wanted before completing a multiple-choice postcourse test and exit survey. We used paired t tests to assess the difference between pre- and postcourse scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 34 residents who agreed to participate in the project, 12 completed the project (35.3%). For these 12 residents, the precourse mean score was 50 ± 17.3 and the postcourse mean score was 67 ± 14 (p = 0.020).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most residents who participated in this study recommended using the iBIMs as a study tool for bariatric surgery. Course evaluation scores suggest this novel approach was successful in transferring knowledge to surgical trainees. Further development of this tool and assessment of implementation strategies will determine how iBIM in bariatric surgery may be integrated into the curriculum.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Azer
authors.affiliation: The Centre of Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery (CAMIS), Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Xinzhe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: The Centre of Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery (CAMIS), Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Gara
authors.affiliation: The Centre of Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery (CAMIS), Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Shahzeer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karmali
authors.affiliation: The Centre of Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery (CAMIS), Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alta.
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Birch
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000193:education*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003479:Curriculum; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency