Practical sessions in pharmacology in India still use live animal experiments at many institutions. In view of rising ethical issues on the use of animals in experiments, interactive non-animal alternative methodologies such as Computer Assisted Learning are being adopted by various medical colleges worldwide. Objective of this study was to assess the undergraduate students view points and experiences of computer assisted learning simulations in teaching experimental pharmacology and receive suggestions to improve the same. Students introduced to the CAL method of learning experimental pharmacology were surveyed using a questionnaire. Their opinion on the effectiveness, acceptability and suggestions were obtained. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. More than 75% of the students accept CAL as an effective alternative to animal experiments and 84% felt their understanding improved after CAL. However, 60% of the students opined animal handling skill are necessary and should be included in practical sessions in addition. CAL is an innovative tool that is an effective alternative for teaching experimental pharmacology. It provides improved understanding of theory and achieves the fixed set of objectives but cannot completely replace animal experiments. Hence, live animal experiments should also be conducted in addition to benefit the students.
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