DIAGNOSIS, a Microcomputer-Based Teaching Aid. T. M. Stewart, Department of Plant Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. . Plant Dis. 76:644-647. Accepted for publication 8 January 1992. Copyright 1992 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-76-0644.

The MS-DOS computer package DIAGNOSIS was constructed as an aid for teaching plant disease diagnosis to crop protection students. The program places students into field and laboratory scenarios, where they must look for clues to the causes of plant disorders. After giving and justifying a diagnosis, students then receive an automatic debriefing on their problem-solving approach. Student input is recorded to disk for later assessment by the tutor. Output may consist of text and graphics, and the software allows the simple construction of local scenarios by individual tutors.