January 13, 2025, by Ben Atkinson

More insights from Teachfest SB

In this second post on the recent Teachfest at SB, Sally Hanford reflects on the poster presentations and other interesting examples of best practice in vetinary learning and sustainable practice.

I always enjoy the show and tell poster sessions at Teachfest SB. It is a fast-paced, engaging format. Each speaker has just five minutes, three for their presentation and two for questions, to showcase their work, resulting in a dynamic exchange of knowledge. This year, the poster sessions covered a fascinating array of topics, from veterinary education to technological innovations. The breadth of subjects discussed, and the passion of the presenters always leave me buzzing with excitement and inspiration. It’s the kind of event that makes me look forward to returning to work after the holiday.

Insights into Veterinary Learning

The session kicked off with Hannah Roche, a teaching intern, who presented her research into the behaviour of veterinary students during equine practical teaching. As someone with a personal interest in horses, I was immediately hooked. What stood out was the worrying statistic that 81% of equine vets sustain an injury annually (BEVA, 2018), a figure that surprised many in the room. This prompted Hannah to explore how veterinary students are trained to handle horses safely.

Hannah used an Ethogram, a tool for systematically observing and recording behaviours, to study students during clinical examinations of horses. The results were telling:

• Older students tend to exhibit safer behaviours: As experience grows, so does caution. This resonates with my own experience: the older I get, the more conscious I am of the risks of injury.
• Safe behaviour decreases as the session progresses: Could fatigue or boredom be contributing factors? This observation raises difficult questions about maintaining focus during intensive practical sessions.
• Potential bad habits form: Repeated exposure to practical situations may lead to ingrained but unsafe behaviours.
• Confidence and competence are not always aligned: This finding might call for a review of how we train students to balance their self-assurance with their actual skill levels.

One of Hannah’s recommendations was the use of simulated scenarios, potentially powered by augmented reality (AR). Building on work from colleagues in learning technology, such simulations could allow students to interact with virtual horses and practice detecting subtle warning signs of potential incidents, helping them develop safer practices in a risk-free environment. Such technologies could be expanded to cover other species, helping students hone their observational skills and reactions before they engage with live animals.

Ethical and Sustainable Practices in Veterinary Education

Francesca Carter, another teaching intern, presented on the ethical implications of using cadavers in small animal surgery teaching. While cadavers provide invaluable hands-on learning experiences for veterinary students, concerns over sourcing, such as the use of euthanised shelter animals or purpose-bred specimens, remain. Francesca’s research highlighted a preference for using wild rabbit cadavers sourced through vermin control, as these align better with ethical standards.

In response to growing ethical concerns, there’s increasing interest in alternatives like 3D models and simulations, which not only help reduce ethical issues but also offer the benefit of being reusable. This is an area where Learning Technology colleagues could play a role, especially with their expertise in 3D modelling and simulation. These technologies could offer students an ethical and cost-effective way to learn critical surgical skills while minimising their environmental and ethical footprint.

This is just a snapshot of the presentations. While the sessions were not recorded, all of the posters are available online.

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