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An early email from Ean

I just had to share this...

"Have you ever read of any B.F. Skinner's stuff? He invented programmed learning, and he's AWESOME. From wikipedia:

Skinner says that there are five main obstacles to learning:

1. People have a fear of failure.
2. The task is not broken down into small enough steps.
3. There is a lack of directions.
4. There is also a lack of clarity in the directions.
5. Positive reinforcement is lacking.

Skinner suggests that any age-appropriate skill can be taught using five principles to remedy the above problems:

1. Give the learner immediate feedback.
2. Break down the task into small steps.
3. Repeat the directions as many times as possible.
4. Work from the most simple to the most complex tasks.
5. Give positive reinforcement.

This is exactly what we want."

Ean Saberski

Sept 2010

Current Primary Research supporting ProgramMED

Programmed Instruction Revisited: A study on teaching stereochemistry

http://www.rsc.org/images/sozbilirpaper_tcm18-46452.pdf

Promoting science-based careers through student-directed learning.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16849313

Effectiveness of multimedia instruction in health professions education compared to traditional instruction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20579425

The anatomy of anatomy: a review for its modernization.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20205265

Addressing deficiencies in american healthcare education: a call for informed instructional design.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19625899

Roles for learning sciences and learning technologies in biomedical engineering education: a review of recent advances.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12117749

October 19th: Survey Launch

Today we introduced ProgramMED to first year medical students at UConn. I was trilled with the turn out, we had about 15 first years and a dozen third years interested in the project! We are moving forward with the survey, will be compiling data as it comes in, and begin making a plan for writing the text over the next few weeks.

We are super pumped about this.

Thanks for your interest.

-Matt

Mission Statement - October 2010

As we continue through our medical education our understanding of the normal and pathologic functioning of the human organism reaches a comprehensive and conceptual level.

The goal of this book is to aid in reaching this goal. Rather than memorizing facts, we believe in learning how to think like the human body.

By presenting material in a logical, stepwise fashion the reader is allowed to build their own conceptual framework on the topic.
Furthermore, by constantly allowing the reader to participate in completing our thoughts, we are facilitating a process of active learning.
Lastly, the text is designed to be read at the reader's own pace.

In this sense, we believe our approach to programmed learning captures the most beneficial elements of lecture, small group conferences, and self study.

We hope you share our enthusiasm for this under utilized form of learning in your educational pursuits.

Introduction to the Immune System

This is a first draft of what I am working on for the first chapter of ProgramMED: Immunology

The components of the body that protect against and eradicate infections make up the _________ system.
immune

The immune system can be seen as a double edged sword; constantly demonstrating a balance between pro and anti ______________ processes
inflammatory

Inflammation is the mechanism by which the immune system carries out its protective functions. Involving many different factors of the system, inflammation essentially occurs via interactions between ______________
Leukocytes

Leukocytes, also known as _________ blood cells, represent the cellular component of the immune system. These specialized cells are subdivided based on various histological, functional, and ___________characteristics.
white
biochemical

When examined with an H & E stain, different cellular components can be identified. The nature of the __________, density of intracellular _________, and membrane proteins which divide cells based on __________ designation (CD nomenclature)
nucleus
organelles
cluster

Cluster Designations (CD) are useful in identifying and categorizing isolated or cultured immune _______. Immunologists will commonly refer to cells based on composition of these membrane _________.
cells
proteins

Another method of categorizing immune cells is based on ___________. As immune cells develop throughout the lifetime of the person they develop in a genetically ________ fashion.
lineage
programmed

Early in development, changes in gene expression are initiated which set the course of cellular ___________. As the programming occurs, the cells access to genetic material is altered in a manner which ultimately determines the cell's ______________.
maturation
morphology

MORPHOLOGY
__________ examination of immune cells is essential when diagnosing many pathologic processes.
Histologic

Macrophages function by phagocytosing and digesting foreign ___________. These cells will be large, present where foreign material is likely present, and contain large amounts of __________ machinery.
antigens
digestive

All immune cells produce receptor proteins as well as produce and _________ what are known as _________.
secrete
cytokines

Cytokines function as communication _________ between immune cells. They are commonly identified as Interleukin-#, based on the original belief that these protein were only secreted and received by _________.
proteins
leukocytes

We now know that cytokines can have effects on other local _______ types. Every thing from bone cells to neurons will respond to cytokine release, in both physiologic and _______physiologic settings.
tissue
patho-

While one side of the _______ is inflammatory, the flip side of the _____ is antiinflammatory. These are both active processes, each involving massive _________ release.
sword
coin
cytokine

Cytokines, in small doses, can aid in executing a precise, non-damaging, __________ response. In large doses, patients can enter into a warm-________ state requiring emergency medical assistance.
inflammatory
shock

The immune system functions in a ubiquitous manner. Constantly infiltrating and migrating across _________ barriers are easily transversed by leukocytes in the circulation, also known as ___________
vascular
monocytes

TYPES OF INFLAMMATION

The characteristics of _________ versus chronic inflammation are important to understanding the ____________ of disease processes.
Acute
mechanism

When the cell type that has localized to the site of inflammation can be identified, the cell's ____________ must be considered. For instance, in acute inflammation, _____________ are commonly present. Also known as Polymorphonuclear Cells (PMNs), these cells are designed to quickly infiltrate inflammed tissue and secrete large quantities of _______________. This widely toxic substance is hardly specific to any one organism, based on the lack of a specific targeting mechanism we can deduct that these cells will mainly be present when the invader has not previously been ___________.
function
Neutrophils
Hydrogen Peroxide.
identified

Conversely, in chronic inflammation, ________________ are commonly present. These cells are designed to identify antigen to which the body has been previously _________. If a lymphocyte recognizes foreign antigen, it is capable of enlisting the help of ____________ _______ factors.
Lymphocytes
exposed.
second response

In a secondary immune response, the major component is production of __________. These unique protein factors are released in massive quantities by __________ cells upon stimulation by an activated _________.
antibodies
plasma

Hypersensitivity

This is one of our first programming attempts. With this chapter we developed the concept of "passing the ball" between sentences.

The immune system defends the host against
infections but can also cause _________to the host
damage

Host tissue is damaged when there is a dysregulated
response to __________.
Antigen

Antigens can be derived from foreign or ____
sources.
self

Immune reactions against foreign or self antigens that
cause damage to the host are known as _______________ reactions.
Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity reactions are grouped according to the ___________
that causes damage to the host.
mechanism

Each of the mechanisms of hypersensitivity _____
based on the interactions between antigen, immune cells, immune factors, and
host tissue.
differ

Pathologic immune reactions involving foreign antigen, mast cells, and IgE are grouped as Type _________ hypersensitivity reaction. Food
allergies are an example of ________ hypersensitivity
one
type 1

Pathologic immune reactions
involving antibodies directed against host tissue are grouped as Type _____
hypersensitivity reactions. Graves’
disease is an example of _______ hypersensitivity.
two
type 2

Pathologic immune reactions involving
complexes of antibody an antigen are grouped as Type _______
hypersensitivity. Lupus is an example of
_______ hypersensitivity.
three
type 3

Pathologic immune reactions
resulting from T cell activity are grouped as Type ______
hypersensitivity. The rash from poison
ivy is an example of ______ hypersensitivity.
four
type 4

The pathogenesis of a given hypersensitivity reaction is
considered type ____, type ____, type _______, or Type _____
one
two
three
four