Student engagement and perceptions of blended-learning of a clinical module in a veterinary degree program.

Blended learning has received much interest in higher education as a way to increase learning efficiency and effectiveness. By combining face-to-face teaching with technology-enhanced learning through online resources, students can manage their own learning. Blended methods are of particular interest in professional degree programs such as veterinary medicine in which students need the flexibility to undertake intra- and extramural activities to develop the range of competencies required to achieve professional qualification. Yet how veterinary students engage with blended learning activities and whether they perceive the approach as beneficial is unclear. We evaluated blended learning through review of student feedback on a 4-week clinical module in a veterinary degree program. The module combined face-to-face sessions with online resources. Feedback was collected by means of a structured online questionnaire at the end of the module and log data collected as part of a routine teaching audit. The features of blended learning that support and detract from students’ learning experience were explored using quantitative and qualitative methods. Students perceived a benefit from aspects of face-to-face teaching and technology-enhanced learning resources. Face-to-face teaching was appreciated for practical activities, whereas online resources were considered effective for facilitating module organization and allowing flexible access to learning materials. The blended approach was particularly appreciated for clinical skills in which students valued a combination of visual resources and practical activities. Although we identified several limitations with online resources that need to be addressed when constructing blended courses, blended learning shows potential to enhance student-led learning in clinical courses

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Reconsidering the Lecture in Modern Veterinary Education

Those teaching in the higher-education environment are now increasingly meeting with larger cohorts of students. The result is additional pressure on the resources available and on the teacher and learners. Against this backdrop, discussions and reflections took place between a practitioner, within a UK veterinary school, and an educational researcher with extensive experience in observing teaching in veterinary medicine. The result was an examination of the lecture as a method of teaching to consider how to resolve identified challenges. The focus of much of the literature is on technical aspects of teaching and learning, reverting to a range of tips to resolve particular issues recognized in large-group settings. We suggest that while these tips are useful, they will only take a practitioner so far. To be able to make a genuine connection to learners and help them connect directly to the discipline, we need to take account of the emotional aspects of our role as teachers, without which, delivery of knowledge may be undermined