Computerized instruction. Preliminary analysis of the experience at the Institute of Radiological Sciences of the University of Milan

Computerised instruction means teaching by computer using a program that alternates information with self-checking multiple choice questions. This system was used to create a fully computerized lesson on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer which was then tested on a small group of medical students attending the Radiology School of the Milan University Institute of Radiological Sciences. At the end of the test, the students were asked to complete a questionnaire which was then analysed. The computer lesson consisted of 66 text messages and 21 self-checking questions. It aroused considerable interest, though the most common reason was curiosity about a novel system. The degree of fatigue caused was modest despite the fact that the computer lesson was at least as demanding as a traditional lesion, if not more so. The level of learning was considered high and optimised by the use of self-checking questions that were considered an essential element. However no student agreed to sit an official examination, even interactively, using the computer.