“Anatomy and Function of the Brain” is a short tutorial. The site is composed of two pages. The first page is the tutorial site where the different anatomical lobes, or regions, of the brain are shown. Each lobe or region has a short paragraph about its function. The lobes of the brain included in the tutorial are the Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, and Temporal lobes. The regions of the brain included in the tutorial are: 1) Diencephalon, specifically the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus, 2) Limbic System, specifically the olfactory system, amygdala, and hippocampus, and 3) the Brainstem, specifically the midbrain, pons and medulla. The second page of the tutorial is a matching game where the student will match each lobe or region with its specific function. The target student population would be college general education students.
Type of Material:
Interactive tutorial - rollovers and click-and-drag matching (Flash)
Recommended Uses:
This site could be assigned as a preview to the brain. Students could work through the site at their own pace. The site could also be used as a review of the anatomy and functions of the brain and brainstem.
Technical Requirements:
Flash. Not tested on mobile, but Flash, in general may not work on mobile, especially Apple mobile products.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Students will be able to:
identify the different lobes of the brain
describe the functions of each lobe of the brain
describe the function and location of the diencephalon, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, and epithalamus
describe the function of the limbic system, including the olfactory system, amygdala, and hippocampus
describe the function of the brainstem, including the midbrain, pons and medulla
Target Student Population:
At least advanced high school biology knowledge - language is fairly sophisticated. Undergrad level seems appropriate.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
none.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The content covers the foundational material of neuroanatomy or neuroscience.
The content is current and up to date.
The site is short and will not overwhelm the learner.
Concerns:
Some of the pointers on diagrams are imprecise in their locations
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is effective and the learner can learn a lot in a short amount of time
Interactivity is a nice way to engage the user in active learning
The matching exercise is an effective way for the learner to review the tutorial material
The site engages multiple senses through the use of diagrams and text
Concerns:
Learning objectives are not provided
The matching site does not provide feedback on why an answer was wrong
The matching section does not enable the user to match a function to a particular location, but to a text label. If the learning goal is to know the location of the structure, it would be useful to have this.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Easy to navigate the site.
Directions are clear and easy to follow.
The site is interactive - roll over object and there is a pointer to the object with a description
The site is of high quality design.
Concerns:
None.
Other Issues and Comments:
No additional issues
Creative Commons:
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