Evaluating an example of online education: Net Frog

The website's homepage where
all the information is avaliable

Net Frog is an educational site used used for carrying out a dissection of a frog online. This website would be mainly used for students who are studying biology and anatomy and would be able to handle the graphic nature of the website.

It guides you through the dissection step-by-step, starting with the set-up, then the incision procedure before going on to the frog's actual organs, finishing with cleaning up and then a quiz. This ensures the website covers all the areas in the dissection, which allows the viewer to get the fully experience. It offers narration, interacting pictures, facts about frogs,  videos, a glossary of the key terms/tools (which are underlined on the website) and images to help you with the various processes. These clever additional factors to the site engage the viewer and retain their attention , allowing them to focus and learn efficiently.
The website is key for people who are learning how to dissect various animals and provides them with resources to help them learn more about it before they attempt it for themselves. Some people may be squeamish around the actual animal, or feel sick at some of the smells which the frog may emit, which prevents them from fully trying it themselves. Using a site like this will allow them to feel comfortable with the procedure, as someone else carrying it out instead of them, whilst they still learn all the vital parts.

It seemed unlikely that this sort of piratical procedure could be carried out online, or to the degree of detail that is achieved by physically dissecting the frog yourself; but the site offers so much information and assistance, that it manages to work. It seems if a dissection of a dead animal can be carried out online, that a huge number of other procedures could, such as science practicals or french speaking tutorials etc. It offers a service to students where they are more likely to engage and listen, and allows them to take part in one of the easiest ways possible: by simply using the Internet. It  opens up the door to many other ways online education could be used and is an exciting prospect.