title: Development and evaluation of an internet-based blended-learning module in biomedicine for university applicants--Education as a challenge for the future.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biomedical science, especially biomaterials, is an expanding field in medicine. Universities are being challenged to gain the best students for a later academic career. Pre-university assessment of pupils has become crucial to reach this aim. Blended learning is an emerging paradigm for science education even though it has not yet been rigorously assessed, especially in the pupil/undergraduate situation. The aim of the study was to develop and preliminarily test a blended-learning system in biomedicine for university applicants.
  
  
  METHODS
  An internet-based blended-learning module in material science was developed in close collaboration between a university (Biomaterials Department, Dresden TU), a German Gymnasium and an internationally oriented medical college (IMC®, Münster). Forty pre-university students were taught by this learning module composed of school education and internet-based knowledge transfer and involved in the evaluation of the utility of this learning tool. Finally, the students took first-year university examinations in order to evaluate the success of this kind of education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The internet-based blended-learning module as a combination of e-learning tutorials and live online lectures which was applied in phase 3 of this study was developed on the basis of the findings of both pre-university studies. The results of the learning behavior regarding the number of invokes and the dwell time of the individual pages of the pre-university learning material, the results of the online evaluation and the results of the pre-phase examination were successively used to optimize the next phase. At the end of the pre-university learning, seven of eight participants were able to pass the first-year university examination followed by nationally accepted credit award.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet-based blended-learning module proved to be suitable to prepare students for biomedical university education while also giving them the possibility to assess their qualifications for studying biomedicine and subsequent scientific careers. Moreover, the module can help universities to find the best students.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Dresden, Chair for Biomaterials, Budapester Strasse 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany. kluemper@muenster.de.|Gymnasium St. Christophorus, Kardinal-von-Galen-Str. 1, 59368, Werne, Germany. kluemper@muenster.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klümper
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Dresden, Chair for Biomaterials, Budapester Strasse 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neunzehn
authors.affiliation: International Medical College of Münster, Schorlemerstraße 26, D-48143, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wegmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Dresden, Chair for Biomaterials, Budapester Strasse 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kruppke
authors.affiliation: International Medical College of Münster, Schorlemerstraße 26, D-48143, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Joos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Dresden, Chair for Biomaterials, Budapester Strasse 27, D-01069, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Wiesmann
mesh_terms: D002621:Chemistry / Q000193:education*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics / Q000193:education*; D017145:Models, Educational; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biomedical education; Internet-based blended learning; Online live lectures; Pre-university science education; Undergraduate study; e-learning