Creation and Execution of an Examination in Human Microscopic Anatomy Using WebCT

Thirteen courses in nursing, radiological science and medical technology have been created using WebCT (Web Course Tools) software at the Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Kyushu University. We are introducing here, one of the courses, entitled \u22Human Microscopic Anatomy\u22 which included an examination after the practice in histology. The test tools and image database of WebCT were used to make the web-based examination with light microscopic images of tissues. Forty students in the medical technology course took the examination simultaneously in a room equipped with 72 network computers. Immediately after the examination, they measured their own performance by comparing their answers with the correct ones on the display. The result of the questionnaire to the students showed that 82% of them thought the web-based examination is better and all the students thought it valuable to mark by themselves just after the examination. The statistically significant correlation was observed between the marks in the web-based examination and those in a conventional examination with microscopes. We concluded that the web-based examination could be replaced with a conventional one for this course and self-marking by students was a very important feedback process to promote better undestanding among the students