The power of the computer has yet to be utilized to its fullest with regards to teaching. In particular, the medical field continues to use teaching strategies such as the teaching file, overhead transparencies, 35mm slides, printed quizzes and a pointing stick.

Today, powerful personal computers offer high-resolution graphic capabilities and sophisticated development environments that make it possible to create computer-assisted education environments for studying medicine. The Interactive Image Author is an authoring tool for creating interactive graphic files that can be used to develop computer-based teaching files and quizzes on the Macintosh computer. The Interactive Image Author demonstrates how the microcomputer can provide a new personalized teaching approach for doctors and teachers in other fields as well.