Written instructions on the method of performing the tasks can be very hard to interpret, making it difficult to transfer the instructions to practice and carry out the tasks correctly. The simplified diagrams are often quite unrealistic, again limiting their effectiveness as preparation for dealing with the real animal. Further, the laboratory exercise must be completed within a set time and this is very hard to achieve when the task is being performed for the first time and with very little practical preparation. IMM programs of this nature are becoming more prevalent in higher education institutions with large student numbers where they are used as preparation for laboratory exercises, to enhance lecture material, and in some cases to replace actual laboratory exercises. The visual material in the program is much more realistic than existing line drawings and the animations clearly depict the process and the results of each of the dissection steps.
Students can learn at their own pace, with the program providing feedback at all steps.
In units with large enrolments using conventional material, feedback from teaching staff is limited. The program aims to simulate the actual dissection and identification of body parts of a garden snail. Colour photographic images of the specimen are used throughout as the main visual resource. Labels appear Fig 2. All parts of the dissection are simulated using step by step animation.