TK3 eBook software to author, distribute, and use electronic course content for medical education.

The methods for authoring and distributing course content are undergoing substantial changes due to advancement in computer technology. Paper has been the traditional method to author and distribute course content. Paper enables students to personalize content through highlighting and note taking but does not enable the incorporation of multimedia elements. Computers enable multimedia content but lack the capability of the user to personalize the content. Therefore, we investigated TK3 eBooks as a potential solution to incorporate the benefits of both paper and computer technology. The objective of our study was to assess the utility of TK3 eBooks in the context of authoring and distributing dermatology course content for use by second-year medical students at the University of Utah School of Medicine during the spring of 2004. We incorporated all dermatology course content into TK3 eBook format. TK3 eBooks enable students to personalize information through tools such as "notebook," "hiliter," "stickies," mark pages, and keyword search. Students were given the course content in both paper and eBook formats. At the conclusion of the dermatology course, students completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the eBooks compared with paper. Students perceived eBooks as an effective way to distribute course content and as a study tool. However, students preferred paper over eBooks to take notes during lecture. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that eBooks provide a convenient method for authoring, distributing, and using course content but that students preferred paper to take notes during lecture.

[1]  J. Day,et al.  Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2003 , 2005 .

[2]  Elise Eisenberg,et al.  Electronic curriculum implementation at North American dental schools. , 2004, Journal of dental education.

[3]  Linda A. Martin,et al.  Printing and screen reading in the medical school curriculum: Guttenberg vs. the cathode ray tube , 2001, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[4]  David Steele,et al.  Learning preferences, computer attitudes, and student evaluation of computerised instruction , 2002, Medical education.

[5]  M Detweiler,et al.  Compact Disc Interactive (CD-i) multimedia project. , 1995, The Journal of biocommunication.

[6]  Jakob Nielsen,et al.  Designing web usability , 1999 .

[7]  K Bo Foreman,et al.  Design and utility of a web-based computer-assisted instructional tool for neuroanatomy self-study and review for physical and occupational therapy graduate students. , 2005, Anatomical record. Part B, New anatomist.

[8]  John A McNulty,et al.  Evaluation of computer‐aided instruction in the medical gross anatomy curriculum , 2004, Clinical anatomy.

[9]  D. Wood,et al.  Love it or hate it? Medical students' attitudes to computer‐assisted learning , 2002, Medical education.

[10]  J. Hudson.  Computer‐aided learning in the real world of medical education: does the quality of interaction with the computer affect student learning? , 2004, Medical education.

[11]  Chien Chou,et al.  Interactivity and interactive functions in web-based learning systems: a technical framework for designers , 2003, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[12]  J. Niamtu.  The power of PowerPoint. , 2001, Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

[13]  T Greenhalgh,et al.  Computer assisted learning in undergraduate medical education , 2001, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[14]  Peter A. Keller.  The cathode-ray tube , 1991 .