This tutorial is meant to show some of the specific features of the PubMed database and search system. It demonstrates how to execute a simple search, use the MeSH database, and build a systematic search in PubMed. The module includes exercises to further demonstrate these concepts.
Type of Material:
Tutorial
Recommended Uses:
Homework assignment
Technical Requirements:
Use of an Internet browser is required.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Students will learn how to execute a simple search in PubMed
Students will learn how to use the MeSH database in PubMed
Students will learn how to build a systematic search in PubMed
Target Student Population:
College courses relating to biomedical, health, and life sciences are the best use cases for this tutorial.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
An understanding of basic medical terminology could be helpful.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Amount of information matched what was needed to demonstrate the concept – not too little or too much
Good use of materials from authoritative sources to support the tutorial (PubMed videos, review article)
Exercises and images were up-to-date and reflected PubMed in its current state
Concerns:
Some links and images are specific to the university that created the materials. This will need to be customized at other institutions, which the CC licensing allows. However, the format may be difficult to replicate when customizing the tutorial.
Students with little or no background in research for the health sciences and medical fields will likely need to watch all the embedded videos and possibly use the glossary heavily to fully understand the material covered in the tutorial and why it is useful.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Clearly stated the learning objectives in the introduction
Organization followed the learning objectives; Concepts were taught in a logical progression
Glossary was effective in providing basic definitions of unfamiliar terms
Module could be completed in a short amount of time
Exercises were very effective for learning the concepts
Concerns:
It is unclear if tutorial completion can be tracked easily. If the tutorial is housed within an LMS, then the LMS may facilitate documenting completion; otherwise there does not seem to be an embedded spreadsheet that tracks submissions.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Clear instructions at the beginning of the tutorial, including technology requirements
Exercises created an engaging and interactive tutorial – well done!
Overall, it was easy to use. Links worked and opened in a new tab. Buttons and exercises had no glitches. Hierarchy showed the organization so you could see where you were in the tutorial.
Concerns:
The tutorial's design was a bit basic. However, it is better to have a simple design that facilitates the learning outcomes rather than a more complex design that makes navigation difficult.
While the glossary was useful for defining unknown terms, it would be better for usability to integrate the display of definitions into the content on the main screen.
Creative Commons:
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