Medical Teacher, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1992
33
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
The use of the liquid cystal display (LCD) panel as a teaching aid in medical lectures
K. T.WONG,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The liquid cystal display (LCD) panel is designed to project on-screen infmation of a microcomputer onto a larger screen with the aid of a standard overhead projector, so that large audiences may view on-screen infmation without having to crowd around the TV monitor. As little has been written about its use as a visual aid in medical teaching, the present report documents its use in a series of pathology lectures delivered, over a 2-year period, to two classes of about 150 medical students each. Some advantages of the LCD panel over the 35mm slide include theflexibility of lastminute text changes and less lead time needed for text preparation. It eliminates the problems of messy last-minute changes in, and improves legibility of, handwritten overhead projector transparencies. The disadvantages of using an LCD panel include the relatively bulky equipment which may pose transport problems, image clarity that is inferior to the 35mm slide, and equipment costs. SUMMARY
Introduction The liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is one of the more recent innovations which uses the microcomputer to improve visual presentations (Poor, 1990). By placing it on a standard overhead projector, and connecting it to a microcomputer, it enables the projection of what appears on the T V monitor, onto a large screen. In this way, many more people will be able to view on-screen information without having to crowd around the TV monitor (Poor, 1990). Little has been written in the medical literature regarding the use of the LCD panel as a teaching aid in medical education. The purpose of this report is to document my experience using the LCD panel in delivering pathology lectures to two classes of about 150 medical students each, over a 2-year period.
34
K. T. Wong
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
Materials and methods The LCD panel used was the MagnabyteTM I1 (Telex Communications, Inc., Minneapolis, USA) which was linked to the computer via an interface card. This card, whose optional switches were set at the monochrome setting, was also attached to a remote control console provided with MagnabyteTM 11. The computer was an 8088 microprocessor-based, 4.77 MHz, IBM-compatible, XT microcomputer with a standard keyboard, a monochrome T V monitor, and two 5.25” floppy disc drives (‘low density’) but no hard disc. The microcomputer was “booted” using PC-DOS version 3.1 (International Business Machines, Boca Raton, Florida, USA). When the lecture was about to begin, the word processor programme, WordPerfecrM version 4.2 (Wordperfect Corporation, Orem, Utah, USA) was activated from drive A, and the file containing the lecture to be delivered, subsequently brought on-screen from drive B. The text to be presented in the lecture was prepared beforehand with WordPerfecrM and saved as a file in a diskette. The texts of different lectures were kept in separate files either on the same or different diskettes. The overhead projector, on which the LCD panel was placed (Fig. l), was a standard 3M projector (Model 66 AHB, 3M Company, Minnesota, USA), Light from the light source at the bottom of the overhead projector that shone through the LCD panel, was reflected in the lens and mirror assembly, and projected onto a large white screen.
FIG.1.
The LCD panel as a teaching aid
35
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
Results The WordPerfect programme editing screen appeared essentially as a ‘blank’ screen before text was added (Krumm, 1987). The text for the lecture was written mainly in outline form, with headings and sub-headings, and usually kept to no more than 10 lines per page. Liberal text indentation was used for sub-headings to ensure text clarity. The contents of the lecture were revealed sequentially through a series of ‘forced’ pages (a function available in Wordperfect). Either the remote control console or the keyboard could be used to ‘up-’ or ‘down-page’ text. The text when projected onto the large screen, appeared yellow on a magenta background. This colour combination appeared aesthetically pleasing and seemed to be acceptable to the students. The image was clear and could be enhanced by manipulating the lens and mirror assembly of the projector, or varying the contrast of the LCD panel. T o break the monotony of the lecture, relevant 35mm slides of pathological specimens, etc. were shown using a 35mm slide projector at regular intervals. The cue to show these slides was often inserted at the bottom of the preceeding page of the text. In addition, a diagram drawn on an overhead projector transparency was occasionally shown by placing it on top of the LCD panel. In this case, the page was deliberately left “blank” so as not to clutter the diagram. Discussion Using the LCD panel together with a microcomputer and an overhead projector has several advantages over more conventional teaching aids. For example, compared to the 35mm slide, last-minute changes to the text with the microcomputer could be done more easily and speedily, while text changes in 35mm slides usually require a considerable lead time (Poor, 1990). The images and text projected from an LCD panel are however, not as good as full colour images of the 35mm slide, even though colour LCD panels are available (Poor, 1990). Needless to say, photographs of clinical conditions and pathological specimens are best shown with 35mm slides. The LCD panel eliminates problems, inherent in lectures written on overhead projector transparencies, such as messy last-minute text alterations, poor legibility due to bad handwriting, or difficulty keeping tabs of the sequence of the transparencies. Since a hard copy of the lecture text is available on a diskette, it is convenient and easy to generate lecture handouts. This can be done by connecting the microcomputer to a standard printer or an electric typewriter for cutting stencils. The WordPerfect is a superior word processor for lecture text preparation (Mendelson, 1989). One further advantage of WordPerfect is that the ‘blank’ editing screen does not clutter diagrams drawn on transparencies when these are placed on the LCD panel and overhead projector for projection. However, a certain amount of time is needed to learn how to use its various functions. Newer versions of the Wordperfect, e.g. version 5.0, allow graphics or diagrams to be incorporated into the text (Mendelson, 1989) and dispense with the need for drawn diagrams altogether. These versions, however, require a suitable hard disc or “high density” floppy disc drives but version 4.2 does not. The initial cost of equipment viz. an overhead projector, a microcomputer and an LCD panel may seem considerable but in many teaching institutions, overhead
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
36
K. T. Wong
projectors and microcomputers have become standard equipment. Thus, it appears that in many instances, the additional cost of equipment would only be that of an LCD panel. Transport of the somewhat bulky equipment to the places where it is to be used could pose problems unless the equipment is permanently kept there. If this is not the case, a large trolley would be necessary for transportation. In contrast, the 35mm slide projector and slide carousel, or the overhead projector and transparencies are relatively more portable. The LCD panel enables what appears on the T V monitor to be projected onto a larger screen and hence, harnesses the power of a single microcomputer as a visual or teaching aid for the benefit of a large group of people. Apart from using the LCD panel as a visual aid in the lectures, it could be used for clinical case and other presentations, and conceivably, also in computerized, self-instructional courses for large groups of students where few computers are available.
Acknowledgements I am grateful to the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur for the loan of the LCD panel and the microcomputer. Correspondence: Dr K. T. Wong, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
REFERENCES KRUMM,R. (1987) The Power OJ WORDPERFECT 4.2 (Management Information Source, Inc., Oregon, USA). MENDELSON, E. (1989) Two Aces and a King: The Big Three Word Processors Raise the Ante, PC Magazine, 8(20), pp. 97-128. POOR, A. (1990) LCD Panels: 12 for the road, PC MagCreine, 9(4), pp. 177-180.
33
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
The use of the liquid cystal display (LCD) panel as a teaching aid in medical lectures
K. T.WONG,Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The liquid cystal display (LCD) panel is designed to project on-screen infmation of a microcomputer onto a larger screen with the aid of a standard overhead projector, so that large audiences may view on-screen infmation without having to crowd around the TV monitor. As little has been written about its use as a visual aid in medical teaching, the present report documents its use in a series of pathology lectures delivered, over a 2-year period, to two classes of about 150 medical students each. Some advantages of the LCD panel over the 35mm slide include theflexibility of lastminute text changes and less lead time needed for text preparation. It eliminates the problems of messy last-minute changes in, and improves legibility of, handwritten overhead projector transparencies. The disadvantages of using an LCD panel include the relatively bulky equipment which may pose transport problems, image clarity that is inferior to the 35mm slide, and equipment costs. SUMMARY
Introduction The liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is one of the more recent innovations which uses the microcomputer to improve visual presentations (Poor, 1990). By placing it on a standard overhead projector, and connecting it to a microcomputer, it enables the projection of what appears on the T V monitor, onto a large screen. In this way, many more people will be able to view on-screen information without having to crowd around the TV monitor (Poor, 1990). Little has been written in the medical literature regarding the use of the LCD panel as a teaching aid in medical education. The purpose of this report is to document my experience using the LCD panel in delivering pathology lectures to two classes of about 150 medical students each, over a 2-year period.
34
K. T. Wong
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
Materials and methods The LCD panel used was the MagnabyteTM I1 (Telex Communications, Inc., Minneapolis, USA) which was linked to the computer via an interface card. This card, whose optional switches were set at the monochrome setting, was also attached to a remote control console provided with MagnabyteTM 11. The computer was an 8088 microprocessor-based, 4.77 MHz, IBM-compatible, XT microcomputer with a standard keyboard, a monochrome T V monitor, and two 5.25” floppy disc drives (‘low density’) but no hard disc. The microcomputer was “booted” using PC-DOS version 3.1 (International Business Machines, Boca Raton, Florida, USA). When the lecture was about to begin, the word processor programme, WordPerfecrM version 4.2 (Wordperfect Corporation, Orem, Utah, USA) was activated from drive A, and the file containing the lecture to be delivered, subsequently brought on-screen from drive B. The text to be presented in the lecture was prepared beforehand with WordPerfecrM and saved as a file in a diskette. The texts of different lectures were kept in separate files either on the same or different diskettes. The overhead projector, on which the LCD panel was placed (Fig. l), was a standard 3M projector (Model 66 AHB, 3M Company, Minnesota, USA), Light from the light source at the bottom of the overhead projector that shone through the LCD panel, was reflected in the lens and mirror assembly, and projected onto a large white screen.
FIG.1.
The LCD panel as a teaching aid
35
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
Results The WordPerfect programme editing screen appeared essentially as a ‘blank’ screen before text was added (Krumm, 1987). The text for the lecture was written mainly in outline form, with headings and sub-headings, and usually kept to no more than 10 lines per page. Liberal text indentation was used for sub-headings to ensure text clarity. The contents of the lecture were revealed sequentially through a series of ‘forced’ pages (a function available in Wordperfect). Either the remote control console or the keyboard could be used to ‘up-’ or ‘down-page’ text. The text when projected onto the large screen, appeared yellow on a magenta background. This colour combination appeared aesthetically pleasing and seemed to be acceptable to the students. The image was clear and could be enhanced by manipulating the lens and mirror assembly of the projector, or varying the contrast of the LCD panel. T o break the monotony of the lecture, relevant 35mm slides of pathological specimens, etc. were shown using a 35mm slide projector at regular intervals. The cue to show these slides was often inserted at the bottom of the preceeding page of the text. In addition, a diagram drawn on an overhead projector transparency was occasionally shown by placing it on top of the LCD panel. In this case, the page was deliberately left “blank” so as not to clutter the diagram. Discussion Using the LCD panel together with a microcomputer and an overhead projector has several advantages over more conventional teaching aids. For example, compared to the 35mm slide, last-minute changes to the text with the microcomputer could be done more easily and speedily, while text changes in 35mm slides usually require a considerable lead time (Poor, 1990). The images and text projected from an LCD panel are however, not as good as full colour images of the 35mm slide, even though colour LCD panels are available (Poor, 1990). Needless to say, photographs of clinical conditions and pathological specimens are best shown with 35mm slides. The LCD panel eliminates problems, inherent in lectures written on overhead projector transparencies, such as messy last-minute text alterations, poor legibility due to bad handwriting, or difficulty keeping tabs of the sequence of the transparencies. Since a hard copy of the lecture text is available on a diskette, it is convenient and easy to generate lecture handouts. This can be done by connecting the microcomputer to a standard printer or an electric typewriter for cutting stencils. The WordPerfect is a superior word processor for lecture text preparation (Mendelson, 1989). One further advantage of WordPerfect is that the ‘blank’ editing screen does not clutter diagrams drawn on transparencies when these are placed on the LCD panel and overhead projector for projection. However, a certain amount of time is needed to learn how to use its various functions. Newer versions of the Wordperfect, e.g. version 5.0, allow graphics or diagrams to be incorporated into the text (Mendelson, 1989) and dispense with the need for drawn diagrams altogether. These versions, however, require a suitable hard disc or “high density” floppy disc drives but version 4.2 does not. The initial cost of equipment viz. an overhead projector, a microcomputer and an LCD panel may seem considerable but in many teaching institutions, overhead
Med Teach Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of British Columbia on 12/11/14 For personal use only.
36
K. T. Wong
projectors and microcomputers have become standard equipment. Thus, it appears that in many instances, the additional cost of equipment would only be that of an LCD panel. Transport of the somewhat bulky equipment to the places where it is to be used could pose problems unless the equipment is permanently kept there. If this is not the case, a large trolley would be necessary for transportation. In contrast, the 35mm slide projector and slide carousel, or the overhead projector and transparencies are relatively more portable. The LCD panel enables what appears on the T V monitor to be projected onto a larger screen and hence, harnesses the power of a single microcomputer as a visual or teaching aid for the benefit of a large group of people. Apart from using the LCD panel as a visual aid in the lectures, it could be used for clinical case and other presentations, and conceivably, also in computerized, self-instructional courses for large groups of students where few computers are available.
Acknowledgements I am grateful to the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur for the loan of the LCD panel and the microcomputer. Correspondence: Dr K. T. Wong, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
REFERENCES KRUMM,R. (1987) The Power OJ WORDPERFECT 4.2 (Management Information Source, Inc., Oregon, USA). MENDELSON, E. (1989) Two Aces and a King: The Big Three Word Processors Raise the Ante, PC Magazine, 8(20), pp. 97-128. POOR, A. (1990) LCD Panels: 12 for the road, PC MagCreine, 9(4), pp. 177-180.
