An interactive computer program to replace in vivo experiments on rat blood pressure for teaching undergraduate students

An interactive computer program is described, which presents simulated data for a range of tutor-designed, structured investigations performed in vivo in the anaesthetised rat. It is aimed at undergraduate students of pharmacology, and is designed to teach various aspects of cardiovascular pharmacology and to provide an alternative to performing the practical procedure on live animals. In addition to providing simulated data, the program covers several other aspects related to the live practical, for example, UK Home Office Licence requirements, anaesthesia of the animals, cannulation procedures and the apparatus used. It also contains suggested student tasks for each experiment, making it suitable for independent learning. The program is written for IBM-compatible PCs running Windows(TM) and makes use of several features to enhance interactivity and presentation, i.e. high-resolution colour graphics, animation, interactive questions (multiple choice, drag and drop, True/False), problem-solving exercises and simulations. It has been evaluated with final year BSc (Hens) Pharmacology students at one UK university, where is was used to prepare students for the live animal practical. The results of this small study were largely favourable.