In the last few years, there has been an emphasis on the development of creative educational materials that supplement the traditional lecture format. The new materials should engage students in interactive learning and enhance critical thinking, small group discussion, and problem-solving skills. To help students understand and apply basic science concepts in a challenging, interactive format, we developed two card games. Although the principles of the games can be adapted to many scientific disciplines, these specific games provide a unique opportunity to integrate, analyze, and interpret basic concepts of gastrointestinal (GI) physiology. Go GI and GI Rummy were developed to assist students in the understanding of GI physiology and were designed to function as a tool for learning lecture material. Both games were evaluated by medical, graduate, and high school students. Student evaluation of the educational material showed that the games were successful in promoting the learning of GI physiology and engaging students in the discussion of GI concepts. Through this new approach, the students' level of understanding and ability to apply and synthesize materials were enhanced.

A nimal experimentation is limited in many curricula due to the expense, lack of adequate animal facilities and equipment, and limited experience of the teachers. There are also ethical concerns dealing with the comfort and safety of the animals. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a ''dry laboratory'' using ''virtual rats.'' The ''virtual rat'' eliminates the obstacles inherent in animal experimentation, such as inadequate budgets, as well as avoiding important animal rights issues. Furthermore, no special materials are required for the completion of this exercise. Our goal in developing this dry laboratory was to create an experience that would provide students with an appreciation for the value of laboratory data collection and analysis. Students are exposed to the challenge of animal experimentation, experimental design, data collection, and analysis and interpretation without the issues surrounding the use of live animals.