Pros and cons of a group webpage design project in a freshman anatomy and physiology course

To generate motivation and promote the development of written communication skills, students in a freshman-level anatomy and physiology course for nonmajors created group webpages describing historically important diseases. After the groups had been formed, each individual was assigned specific components of the disease (e.g., causes or treatments), which were subsequently combined into a final product. Interviews and questionnaires were used to document students' previous educational experiences regarding, and attitudes toward, the project. Students learned more about website design than about anatomy and physiology, but students preferred the assignment over traditional term papers. Although most students could find relevant information for this project on the internet, they were uncritical in judging the accuracy of the information they found.