Sharon Boyd

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a window into the veterinary profession

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are freely available online courses open to anyone who registers and typically are associated with thousands or hundreds of thousands of participants. Using an established online platform, the authors created and delivered a five-week MOOC aimed primarily at prospective veterinary students, but open to anyone with an interest in finding out more about the veterinary profession in general. 11,911 people signed up for the course, and of these, 8137 interacted in some way with the course and 1716 received a certificate of completion. The majority of participants (84 per cent) were female, and there was a wide age range (under 18 to over 65). Most participants were from North America or the UK. 65 per cent of those completing the entry survey were hoping or intending to work in the vet profession in the future, while 33 per cent were not. Qualitative data indicated that the course was helpful in aiding those undecided as to whether they wanted to be a veterinarian or not to decide one way or another whether they want to pursue veterinary medicine as a career. Furthermore, the course was seen as being a useful introduction to the veterinary profession even for those who had no intention of working in the field.

Practical Strategies for Engaging Dissonance in Veterinary Medical Education

Abstract This chapter will review teaching approaches used to develop students’ professional skills in preparation for their future role as veterinary practitioners. These approaches support student development beyond the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS. (2014). Day one competences. Retrieved from http://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/day-one-competences/) Day One Competences expected of graduates, and emphasize the key importance of life-long skills and resilience in a rapidly changing world. As veterinary leaders, they will be expected to demonstrate skills in multidisciplinary group facilitation and community engagement. From a global perspective, students are encouraged to reflect on their learning in light of the impact on their local communities and the wider impact on the global ecosystem. This chapter provides an overview of how professional skills are developed over the course of the undergraduate program. Such approaches guide students as they learn to confront and engage with cognitive dissonance (CD) inherent to the role of the veterinary surgeon in practice. Areas where CD is clearly evident in practice will be considered, followed by a review of the teaching approaches to prepare students. The teaching methods described will include the benefits and challenges of work-based placements, opportunities for self-development and reflection within a tightly packed curriculum, and the importance of facilitating student-led activities to build skills in leadership.

Learning in the third dimension

Sharon Boyd, Eoghan Clarkson and Brian Mather explain how the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is using the latest 3D modelling techniques to help students develop their clinical skills