A systems approach has been used to develop and validate instructional materials in medical education. Seven self-instructional units, currently in various stages of completion, form the basis of a basic curriculum in opthamology. Performance objectives for the units were derived from the results of a questionnaire responded to by 1,600 practitioners and students of differing backgrounds and areas of specialization. The instructional materials concentrate on the development of clinical information-gathering and management skills rather than the recall of factual knowledge. The 7 units are expected to consist of approximately 20 hours of instruction. A 5-hour unit on ophthalmoscopy has undergone tryout and revision based on student performance. Performance on newly developed mannequins, which allow simulation of the opthalmoscopic examination, was the criterion measure. Sophomore medical students, after completing the opthalmoscopy unit, were compared to senior medical students who had had experience in using the opthalmoscope with patients. The sophomore students performed an average of 13 percentage points higher over-all than the seniors, and 63% of the sophomores scored higher than any senior. (Author/HS)