Computer simulations—an alternative to the use of animals in teaching?

Abstract

Two computer simulation programs, ‘Nerve physiology’ and ‘Frog heart’, are described in relation to their use as practical alternatives to the use of animals in class experiments. The programs, which are highly interactive, utilize actual experimental data to generate high resolution waveforms of compound nerve action potentials and heart contractions, identical to those which would normally be recorded. These are presented on either an oscilloscope-like display screen or on a continuously scrolling display to simulate a chart recorder. Students thus work through the programs at their own pace and take measurements directly from the monitor screen, as they would in an actual experiment. The programs, which are written for the BBC microcomputer and aimed at A-level students and above, contain introductory text and student assignments and come complete with a comprehensive instruction manual and tutor's notes. The potential of these programs to provide a realistic alternative to conventional laboratory experiments using animals is discussed in relation to the major teaching objectives of such teaching methods.