| Sumario: | This is a final report for a 1998 National Teaching Development Grant (Individual) funded by the Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development. The report details the Biology project which developed a computer based multimedia rat dissection, known as E-Rat, for first year biology students. Dissection has traditionally played an important role in the teaching of biology. Recently there has been increasing concern over the ethical considerations of using animals in teaching. With recent advances in computer and multimedia technology, we are starting to see a move away from the more traditional "live" experimentation, using animals, to multimedia-based interactive forms. Aside from ethical considerations, the use of computer based teaching has a number of clear advantages. In past studies, students that have been taught using alternatives to dissection have learnt as much, if not more, than those taught using real animals. Also the ability for self-paced study and revision make a virtual dissection an attractive alternative.
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