Abstract
Summary
The teaching objectives of practical pharmacology classes are defined as being: 1. illustration and exemplification of drug effects; 2. acquisition of general laboratory skills and manual dexterity; 3. acquisition of specific skills required in practical pharmacology, and 4. development of a flexible and self-reliant approach to practical work. The properties of a typical computer simulation of an animal preparation are described and the ability of simulations to help students attain the above teaching objectives is discussed. It is concluded that simulations can help students achieve some of these teaching objectives and could be used extensively instead of animals for some, but not all, groups of students. Lack of cost-effectiveness and the restricted availability of suitable computer programs are major reasons why simulations are not used widely in areas where they could help students attain appropriate teaching objectives.
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