Use of World Wide Web server and browser software to support a first-year medical physiology course.

We describe the use of a World Wide Web (Web) server to support a team-taught physiology course for first-year medical students. Our objectives were to reduce the number of formal lecture hours and enhance student enthusiasm by using more multimedia materials and creating opportunities for interactive learning. On-line course materials, consisting of administrative documents, lecture notes, animations, digital movies, practice tests, and grade reports, were placed on a departmental computer with an Internet connection. Students used Web browsers to access on-line materials from a variety of computing platforms on campus, at home, and at remote sites. To assess use of the materials and their effectiveness, we analyzed 1) log files from the server, and 2) the results of a written course evaluation completed by all students. Lecture notes and practice tests were the most-used documents. The students' evaluations indicated that computer use in class made the lecture material more interesting, while the on-lin...