Medical Genetix
The explosion of knowledge in the area of human genetics and applications of genetic technologies has resulted in greater complexity of concepts, which are often difficult for students to grasp in the limited context of lecture-based teaching. Furthermore, although we can engage students in interactive dialogue concerning social and ethical issues of genetics, there is often a reluctance to participate actively in a large group setting.
Medical Genetix is an innovative multimedia program that incorporates basic science of human genetics within a clinical context. The program includes three modules:
- Clinical Diagnosis - symptoms, family histories, pedigrees and the underlying molecular basis of the diseases
- Laboratory Diagnostics - DNA and biochemical testing, karyotyping, including prenatal diagnosis and population screening
- Counselling and Ethical Issues - examples of specific disorders covered include Down syndrome, thalassaemias, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophies and Huntington disease.
The program includes a variety of interactive tasks (drag-and-drop exercises, self-test questions and 'rollover' sections for more detail), as well as role-playing to explore ethical issues of relevance to genetic counselling.
Curriculum Usage
Medical Genetix is currently used in semesters 1, 3, 4, 10 and 11 of the medical curriculum, as well as in the curricula for the Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Science (Pathology), and Graduate Diploma of Genetic Counselling.
Project Screen Grabs
Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image.
Example Interactivity
A small example of the interactive tasks included in Medical Genetix (requires Shockwave Player). [916 KB]
Credits
Developed by the Biomedical Multimedia Unit in association with the Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne.