MEDLEARN:an orientation to MEDLINE

(***)MEDLEARN(***), an orientation to MEDLINE, was developed to educate members of the biomedical community to become competent on-line searchers. It appears in two complementary forms: an interactive terminal presentation available on the TYMSHARE Network and a supporting hard-copy manual which contains the didactic portions of the computer program as well as additional items which are not suitable for on-line presentation. (***)MEDLEARN(***), a flexible instructional tool, is divided into forty sections which may be selected in various sequences depending on the user's previous experience. Two MEDLINE simulations and feedback sections after practice on MEDLINE provide motivation for continued learning. The orientation program was evaluated at several medical centers with uniformly favorable results.