Scientific Research on Veterinary Education T.J. Parkinson

Once, it was easy – we told students all they needed to know, they learned it, and we sent them out into the profession Then we encountered the “information explosion” Now there’s too much information to remember High school teaching has changed Gen x and y Has required new approaches to curriculum

What happens when students are overloaded: Pre entry Year 1 Year 5 Year 4Year 3 Year 2 Motivation Too much memorization Shallow learning Too much content, Disengagement Poor retention

Curriculum development has aimed to: overcome the bad effects of overload improve student motivation and learning

Or am I teaching it just because I want to? Am I teaching this because it is required to meet the learning outcomes? Principle 1: Curriculum defined by outcomes Learning and Graduate Outcomes To define what students actually need to learn Thereby setting the “maximum” content of the programme Thereby setting boundaries on how much students need to learn

Therapeutics Pathology Medicine Animal husbandry Surgery Anatomy & Physiology Infectious diseases Principle 2: Knowledge doesn’t come in silos

Therapeutics Pathology Medicine Animal husbandry Surgery Rather, professional problem-solving is about integrating knowledge

High level Low level PassiveActive Engagement Student activity / teaching method Biggs, 1999 “Academic” “Non-Academic” Even mediocre students perform well in an active learning environment Principle 3: Students learn best in an active learning environment

Enquiry and Active Learning Problem based learning Integrated learning activities Inquiry based activities Case-based learning Problem solving activities Case-augmented activities Problem-basedHybrid Didactic

Simulations, e-learning and even games ↑Retention ↑ Engagement Augments scarce facilities Does not require use of live animals

Characteristics of enquiry-based learning Authentic learning Problem characteristics Creates context Integrates professional skills Ensures curriculum integration Develops research skills Self directed and collaborative Is enjoyed by students Encourages deep learning Resource intensive “Gaps” in “coverage” Requires aligned assessment

Principle 4: “Professional” skills just as important Biosecurity and enforcement Client and communication skills Business skills Ethical and moral behaviour Continuing education Self care, self management

“Proper” Curriculum “Oh, that stuff” Students do not engage with “professional skills” if they seem to be quasi-optional add-ons

It has to be ‘centre stage’, and performance has to be assessed and essential for graduation

Knows about [the profession’s] behavioural norms Value system that controls behaviour. Behaviour is pervasive, consistent Acknowledgement /acceptance of its behavioural norms Learning in the affective domain is also hierarchical

Blueprinting curriculum, so that knowledge, technical skills and professional skills have assigned roles for each graduate attribute

Authentic and valid {what is being tested?} Planned {systematic sampling of knowledge/skills} Aligned with (i) outcomes and (ii) teaching methods Global criteria {not minutiae} Direct observation Workplace or clinic based {rather than classroom} Principle 5: How students are assessed determines how (and what) they learn Image Credit: Ronald Harden OSCE Oral or “viva voce” examination Real or simulated patients

Veterinary education in the context of a changing landscape of tertiary education Teacher-drivenStudent-centred Didactic/passiveProblem-orientated and/or active Discipline-basedIntegrated Professional skills as peripheral ‘add-ons’ Professional skills are integral to curriculum Irrelevant assessmentAuthentic assessment Content determined by graduate outcomes Cover “everything”