Use of multiplatform CD-ROMs for disseminating supplementary learning materials in a pharmaceutical calculations course

We have previously described the integrated application of Internet-based tools for Pharmaceutical Mathematics and Statistics (PHC 311), a course taken by Pharmacy majors at the State University of New York at Buffalo. While the Internet was embraced by instructors and students alike, the increased usage has resulted in occasional outages and in increased printing costs. The widespread availability of CD-ROMs on the newer personal computers offers many opportunities for delivering supplemental materials for large classroom teaching. In this report, the rationale for and the experience with the introduction of CD-ROMs in a large classroom pharmacy teaching setting is discussed. Since access to past exams represented the single largest use of Web-based instructional content, the exams were prepared in hypertext markup language (HTML), a platform-independent format that is readable by Web browser software, and written to CD-ROMs using a commercially available CD-R recorder. The CD-ROM allowed the students to access the learning materials at home without the need to access the Internet. In a post-use survey, a majority of the students indicated that they used the CD-ROMs at least once a week and that they found that it helped in learning.