Development of the cardiovascular system: an interactive video computer program

The major aim of this project is to provide interactive video computer based courseware that can be used by the medical student and others to supplement his or her learning of this very important aspect of basic biomedical education. Embryology is a science that depends on the ability of the student to visualize dynamic changes in structure which occur in four dimensions--X, Y, Z, and time. Traditional didactic methods, including lectures employing photographic slides and laboratories employing histological sections, are limited to two dimensions--X and Y. The third spatial dimension and the dimension of time cannot be readily illustrated using these methods. Computer based learning, particularly when used in conjunction with interactive video, can be used effectively to illustrate developmental processes in all four dimensions. This methodology can also be used to foster the critical skills of independent learning and problem solving.