GramStain-Tutor: A Personal Computer Program That Teaches Gram Stain Interpretation

Cookson, Brad T.; Curtis, Janet D.; Orkand, Adam R.; Fritsche, Thomas R.; Pagliaro, L; McGonagle, Lee Anne; Astion, Michael L.

doi:10.1093/labmed/25.12.803

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The program teaches the performance and interpretation of the direct Gram stain of body fluids (Cookson et al, 1994; for more information about GST, see http://www.labmed.washington.edu/tutor/products). The direct Gram stain is used to initially diagnose bacterial and yeast infections and it is the most common test performed in a clinical microbiology laboratory.…”

Section: Gramstain-tutor™ (Gst)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM

Kim

Brock

Orkand

et al. 2001

Brit J Educational Tech

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To examine interface issues in an educational software program, we recruited twenty-two users in health sciences departments for a usability study. Using the GramStain-Tutor TM (GST) CD-ROM, these users performed tasks in navigating the program and using various interactive features. Their actions and comments were recorded with a digital video recorder and an audio recorder. The main results of our study are: (a) the majority of the users did not use the multiple navigational options available in the program; (b) navigational patterns differed based on the training background and content knowledge of the users; (c) several visual cues critical to program use were not discovered by the majority of the users; and (d) icons representing specific functions were not intuitive from users' perspectives. We demonstrated how a usability study of a relatively small number of users can identify specific problems in interface design. We recommend these interface problems be addressed before conducting educational studies that examine how educational software programs affect student learning. Usability testingUsability testing is a collection of evaluation methods that is increasing in popularity. It is based on observing how users perform tasks, and obtaining feedback from users through formal tests or compilations of user comments (Nielson, 1993). These results lead to a set of recommendations that are fed back into the design process with the end goal of improving the product. Thus, usability is an iterative process of collecting response data or user feedback on a product, re-designing the product in response to that feedback, and re-testing the product to examine whether changes have enhanced the usability.In a typical usability session, the following issues are explored (Nielsen, 1993;Salvemini, 1998):• Can users easily learn a computer system supported by sufficient navigational control? • Is the system efficient to use or is usability hindered by an excessive number of icons and menu options? • Are system features easy to remember so that time to re-learn the system is minimized? • Does the system have low errors and efficient error recovery mechanisms? • Is the system pleasant to use?These questions can be answered by having users complete tasks while using the computer system. Tasks refer to a set of representative actions routinely performed in a particular working context. Often, users of different levels of content expertise and computer skills are asked to carry out these tasks. Using as few as 4-5 subjects who participate in a task-based study, 80% of usability problems can be identified (Virzi, 1992).Usability techniques include both qualitative and quantitative approaches, such as observations, think aloud protocols, questionnaires, interviews, logging actual use, and user feedback through debriefing (Nielson, 1993). Typically, a checklist, audio recorders and video recorders are used in observation sessions. Users are encouraged to articulate their thought processes while performing tasks. This "think-aloud...

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Section: Gramstain-tutor™ (Gst)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM

Kim

Brock

Orkand

et al. 2001

Brit J Educational Tech

Self Cite

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Teaching the Clinical Interpretation of Peripheral Blood Smears to a Second-Year Medical School Class Using the PeripheralBlood-Tutor Computer Program

et al. 1998

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The interpretation of peripheral blood smears has an important role in the diagnosis of hematologic diseases and is, therefore, part of the education of physicians and technologists. We describe a computer program, PeripheralBlood-Tutor (Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, Pa), that teaches the morphologic features of normal and abnormal peripheral blood smears; we also describe the evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in 133 second-year medical students who were required to use the program in their hematology course. The version of the PeripheralBlood-Tutor used in the study had 2 distinct but equivalent 20-question examinations; one examination, the pretest, was taken before the students viewed the contents of the program, and the other examination, the posttest, was taken after completing the program. The mean score on the pretest was 61% (SD, 14%), the mean on the posttest was 91% (SD, 10%), and the improvement was significant. In addition, 4 questions about peripheral blood smears, which were based on printed images, were administered at the end of the hematology course. The students scored an average of 2.75 (SD, 0.86), and a positive correlation was found between these scores and the scores on the Tutor posttest. The results of the study suggest that PeripheralBlood-Tutor is feasible to implement, and it helps students learn to interpret peripheral blood smears. The use of PeripheralBlood-Tutor is now a requirement in the medical school curriculum, the medical technology program, and the pathology residency at the University of Washington, Seattle.

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Electrophoresis-tutor: an image-based personal computer program that teaches clinical interpretation of protein electrophoresis patterns of serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid

et al. 1995

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High-resolution protein electrophoresis of serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can aid in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, macroglobulinemia, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases. Electrophoresis-Tutor is a personal computer program based on approximately 150 digital images that teaches the clinical interpretation of agarose gel electrophoretic patterns. The program is divided into the following sections: introduction, CSF, serum, urine, review of disease states, program navigator, and final exam. The CSF section describes normal and abnormal CSF findings with emphasis on oligoclonal banding, as seen in the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis. The serum section emphasizes monoclonal gammopathy patterns but also has detailed descriptions of inflammation, liver disease, protein-losing disorders, genetic deficiencies, and other patterns. Monoclonal gammopathy is described in the context of specific associated clinical conditions (e.g., myeloma, amyloidosis). For each monoclonal gammopathy example, results of standard electrophoresis, densitometry, and immunofixation are presented. The review of disease states uses animation to illustrate the development and remission of a variety of pathological patterns. The program navigator allows the user to jump quickly to any place in the program. The optional exam contains 20 questions, and detailed feedback is given after each question. Electrophoresis-Tutor can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool, a companion to traditional instruction, or a reference source.

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GramStain-Tutor: A Personal Computer Program That Teaches Gram Stain Interpretation

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM

Teaching the Clinical Interpretation of Peripheral Blood Smears to a Second-Year Medical School Class Using the PeripheralBlood-Tutor Computer Program

Electrophoresis-tutor: an image-based personal computer program that teaches clinical interpretation of protein electrophoresis patterns of serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid

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GramStain-Tutor: A Personal Computer Program That Teaches Gram Stain Interpretation

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐TutorTM

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐TutorTM

Teaching the Clinical Interpretation of Peripheral Blood Smears to a Second-Year Medical School Class Using the PeripheralBlood-Tutor Computer Program

Electrophoresis-tutor: an image-based personal computer program that teaches clinical interpretation of protein electrophoresis patterns of serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM

Design implications from a usability study of GramStain‐Tutor^TM