Development of a web-based teaching module for light propagation in turbid media

The learning of tissue optics is complicated by the numerous models that describe the propagation of light in turbid media. Typically, instructors present a general overview of the models or only one model in great depth, but in-depth comparison of models is difficult and thus limited. This study is one part of a multi-year Engineering Research Center (ERC) project to develop instructional tools on the topic of propagation of light in turbid media. The objective is to create an interactive web site where students can compare and contrast different tissue optical models, examine the light distributions given by the different models, and test strategies for dealing with unanticipated or conflicting results.