Computer-assisted instruction in parasitology: a cross-over design.

We report here the results of the study using CAI compared to the hard copy for study of lessons in parasitology. We evaluated the CAI compared to hard copy lessons in 60 students, attending the third-year parasitology course at Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. The students were randomly divided into two groups (30 each). The lessons tested were Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis, which were prepared as CAI and hard copy form. Using a cross-over design, the first group was provided CAI form on the topic of A. lumbricoides, then switched to hard copy form on the topic of E. vermicularis. The second group was provided hard copy form on the topic of A. lumbricoides, then switched to CAI form on the topic of E. vermicularis. After 30 minute reading, the 10-multiple choice question test was provided for each topic. There was no significant difference of the scores between 2 groups. The most students (91.67%) had more satisfaction when using CAI compared to hard copy in terms of easy to use, convenient to use, less time consuming, more understandable, more attractive to read, and less stress for study. There were 32.8% students complaining that reading hard copy was boring. Other comments were stress when reading (2%), more difficult (17.2%) and more time needed to search specific information (17.2%), and wasting papers (17.2%). However 58.6% still complained problems when using CAL. About 25% had physical discomfort (e.g. Headache, eye pain), and 25% had difficulty to access to use CAI (e.g. no computers available, problems with computer or network error). We suggested that instructors should create and improve CAI lessons in biomedical sciences both in quantity and quality (e.g. content with details, pictures, narrations).