Illustration of the complex structures of proteins, for example, cannot be done by drawing on a blackboard and handouts give only a two-dimensional impression. Important features can be highlighted using a variety of representations of individual parts of the protein and the use of colour adds a whole new dimension. The students themselves have access to the same software on the campus network and can explore the structures themselves, adding greatly to their appreciation of the points being made during lectures. This is an approach currently being used in Chemistry along with plans to make the powerpoint lectures available for viewing via the web. There are many and obvious advantages.
Students can review the material as often as they wish and in their own time.
Subtle structural features can be illustrated in a manner not possible with any other method of presentation. The use of PowerPoint limits presentations to a linear structure. The ambition would be to develop the material for a web environment so that branching would be possible by creating links to subsets and extensions of the material. For example, in the teaching of enzymology, it is necessary to cover enzyme kinetics. This requires a certain level of algebra.