Background
The Bute Medical School at St Andrews introduced a new Honours degree in Medical Science in September 2004. The curriculum aims for the middle ground, capturing the benefits of problem based learning with those of the more traditional discipline-based approach. At the end of the second year of our new curriculum we now report on how our web based course management system is influencing both teaching and learning.

Work done
Course administration, content and resources are managed by a database-driven timetable where individual elements are linked explicitly to the curriculum map and assessment blueprints. The element fields form a template that link the timetable events to specific learning objectives and associated resources (readings web content etc.).

Student feedback indicates that they perceive the content of the element template as an effective organisational tool which encourages preparation before classes and gives a sense of involvement and ownership.

By standardising the pedagogical approach to both teaching and assessment the element template has improved

Use of the template has improved standardises

Conclusions
This approach provides clarity by providing explicit learning objectives for core information. this has both advantages and disadvantages.

Independent learning is implicit in guided (self) study elements.

Take home message
The use of an element template has influenced the philosophy of both teaching and learning by making educational outcomes explicit.