Teaching undergraduates about familial breast cancer: comparison of a computer assisted learning (cal) package with a traditional tutorial approach

ABSTRACT We have developed a computer assisted learning package for teaching clinical medical students about familial breast cancer. It explains the principles of genetic predisposition to

breast cancer, the association with other cancers, the principles of family history taking and confirmation, risk assessment and possible interventions. Clinical medical students were

randomised to either conventional teaching or CAL, 48 students attended the evaluation session. Students randomised to conventional teaching received a 20 min mini-lecture, those randomised

to CAL completed the package with technical, but not academic support available. At the end of the intervention both groups of students completed a short written assessment of acceptability

and knowledge and understanding of breast cancer genetics. There was no significant difference between the CAL and mini-lecture groups in terms of marks or acceptability. Thus CAL appears to

be an acceptable and effective method of teaching clinical medical students about familial breast cancer. Although time consuming to develop, CAL can be used in a variety of settings to

increase curriculum flexibility. Methods of motivating students to complete the CAL, and of providing educational support are being explored. SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS

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SMALL GROUP TEACHING Article Open access 04 May 2025 ARTICLE PDF REFERENCES * Hamilton NM. Furnace J, Duguid KP, Helms PJ, Simpson JG . Development and integration of CAL: a case study in

medicine _Medical Education_ 1999 33: 298–305 Article  Google Scholar  * Robinson DA, Lester CR, Hamilton NM . Delivering Computer Assisted Learning across the WWW _Computer Networks and

ISDN Systems_ 1998 30: 301–307 Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research and CAL development was supported by the University of Aberdeen, BM was funded by

European Commission (Demonstration Project No. BMH4-CT96-1133). AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

Zosia Miedzybrodzka & Neva Haites * Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK Zosia Miedzybrodzka, Benedict Milner & Neva Haites * Faculty of

Medicine & Medical Sciences CAL Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK Neil M Hamilton, Iciar Frade & Tracy Sinclair * Department of Medical Genetics, Grampian University

Hospitals NHS Trust, Aberdeen, UK Helen Gregory * Department of Public Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK Jill Mollison Authors * Zosia Miedzybrodzka View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Neil M Hamilton View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Helen Gregory View author

publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Benedict Milner View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Iciar Frade

View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Tracy Sinclair View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

Jill Mollison View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Neva Haites View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Zosia Miedzybrodzka. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Miedzybrodzka, Z., Hamilton, N.,

Gregory, H. _et al._ Teaching undergraduates about familial breast cancer: comparison of a computer assisted learning (CAL) package with a traditional tutorial approach. _Eur J Hum Genet_ 9,

953–956 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200751 Download citation * Received: 07 August 2001 * Revised: 24 October 2001 * Accepted: 30 October 2001 * Published: 07 February 2002 *

Issue Date: 01 December 2001 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5200751 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * breast cancer * genetics

* CAL * teaching * evaluation * C&IT