Educational materials reviewed for AVLINE.

The need for a central source of information regarding the availability, suitability, and quality of educational materials has led to the development of AVLINE. AVLINE is a computer information service available through the MEDLARS system of the National Library of Medicine. The Association of American Medical Colleges is gathering information from faculty members concerning useful materials and is bringing together content specialists, instructional designers, and technical specialists to review these materials. Information on materials that are recommended is provided to the National Library of Medicine to be cataloged, indexed, and abstracted for ultimate listing in AVLINE. Twenty-eight percent of the material has not been recommended; the many reasons for low ratings are categorized under content quality, instructional design, and technical quality.