Teaching Radiology Physics Interactively with Scientific Notebook Software

Acad Radiol. 2018 Jun;25(6):801-810. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2017.11.024.

Abstract

Rationale and objectives: The goal of this study is to demonstrate how the teaching of radiology physics can be enhanced with the use of interactive scientific notebook software.

Methods: We used the scientific notebook software known as Project Jupyter, which is free, open-source, and available for the Macintosh, Windows, and Linux operating systems.

Results: We have created a scientific notebook that demonstrates multiple interactive teaching modules we have written for our residents using the Jupyter notebook system.

Conclusions: Scientific notebook software allows educators to create teaching modules in a form that combines text, graphics, images, data, interactive calculations, and image analysis within a single document. These notebooks can be used to build interactive teaching modules, which can help explain complex topics in imaging physics to residents.

Keywords: Physics; radiology education; scientific notebook software; simulation.

MeSH terms

  • Computer-Assisted Instruction / methods
  • Health Physics / education*
  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency / methods*
  • Radiology / education*
  • Search Engine / methods
  • Software*
  • Teaching
  • Teaching Materials