Development of online learning activities to enhance student knowledge of animal behaviour prior to engaging in live animal handling practical sessions

Old, Julie M; Spencer, Ricky‐John

doi:10.4236/ojas.2011.12009

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…Similarly, QBA can be used as a learning tool for students. Old and Spencer (2011) proposed that learning activities developed to increase the awareness of animal behaviour should be provided prior to hands-on live animal practical sessions in animal-associated educations. QBA may be a useful tool to emphasise the importance of careful observation of the animals’ body language, in order to improve both student handling skills, safety and animal welfare.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliability of observer ratings: Qualitative behaviour assessments of shelter dogs using a fixed list of descriptors

Stubsjøen

Moe

Bruland

et al. 2020

Veterinary and Animal Science

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Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is a whole-animal approach used to quantify the expressive style of animals’ behaviour. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-observer reliability of QBA of shelter dogs using a fixed list of descriptors. The fixed list of 20 terms was generated using a group of experts and literature reviews. In the pilot study, seven veterinary students scored 12 two-minute video clips, and in the main study, 22 final year veterinary nurse students and third-year veterinary students scored the same videos. The two datasets were analysed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and the level of agreement for the main components and individual terms was assessed using Kendall's coefficient of concordance ( W ). In the pilot study, the observer agreement was 0.89 for PC1 and 0.78 for PC2, indicating high inter-observer agreement. The reliability was similarly high for both components in the main study (0.88 and 0.79, respectively). Results also demonstrated high or moderate agreement for most of the terms included in the fixed list. We propose that this approach can be a useful learning tool for students. Our results support further exploration of this method for the assessment of shelter dog welfare by direct observation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliability of observer ratings: Qualitative behaviour assessments of shelter dogs using a fixed list of descriptors

Stubsjøen

Moe

Bruland

et al. 2020

Veterinary and Animal Science

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“…Additionally, across all videos, there were terms selected that appeared to be contradictory to the terms selected by most students and the behaviour expressed in the video, which were often selected by students with less experience. These results suggest that it may be useful to identify ‘at risk’ students with less experience of horses who may benefit from additional learning activities before practical handling sessions, which have previously been shown to successfully increase student awareness and understanding of animal behaviour [ 34 ]. However, it is likely that further studies are required to build on the baseline data provided in this study, in order to investigate the influence of previous experience with horses on students’ interpretation of behaviour and safety around horses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Veterinary and Equine Science Students’ Interpretation of Horse Behaviour

Gronqvist

Rogers

Gee

et al. 2017

Animals

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Simple summaryWe assessed first-year veterinary science and veterinary technology and undergraduate equine science students interpretation of expressive horse behaviours. Previous experience with horses appeared to influence the students’ perception of the horses’ behaviour. Qualitative assessments of horse behaviour may be a useful tool for assessing students’ knowledge of horse behaviour.AbstractMany veterinary and undergraduate equine science students have little previous horse handling experience and a poor understanding of horse behaviour; yet horses are one of the most unsafe animals with which veterinary students must work. It is essential for veterinary and equine students to learn how to interpret horse behaviour in order to understand demeanour and levels of arousal, and to optimise their own safety and the horses’ welfare. The study utilised a qualitative research approach to investigate veterinary science and veterinary technology and undergraduate equine science students’ interpretation of expressive behaviours shown by horses. The students (N = 127) were shown six short video clips and asked to select the most applicable terms, from a pre-determined list, to describe the behavioural expression of each individual horse. A wide variation of terms were selected by students and in some situations of distress, or situations that may be dangerous or lead to compromised welfare, apparently contradictory terms were also selected (happy or playful) by students with less experience with horses. Future studies should consider the use of Qualitative Behavioural Analysis (QBA) and free-choice profiling to investigate the range of terms used by students to describe the expressive demeanour and arousal levels of horses.

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“…In several countries, the majority of students who enrol in veterinary degrees nowadays come from urban environments [24,25,26]. Students’ exposure to a range of domestic animal species is therefore likely to be reduced compared to students from more rural backgrounds, and some students may never have been close to horses or production animals before [27,28]. For this reason, many veterinary students’ first exposure to large animals and horses occurs during practical classes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Animal Exposure on Veterinary Students’ Understanding of Equine Behaviour and Self-Assessed Equine Handling Skills

Guinnefollau

Gee

Bolwell

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryFirst-year veterinary students often lack recognition of horse behavioural signals and exposure to animals. Based on self-assessments, we studied their level of knowledge of equine behaviour and their equine handling competency before starting the programme. A previous exposure to horses and/or companion animals (on their own property) seemed to confer an advantage in the interpretation of equine behaviour and self-reported equine handling competency.AbstractHorses are one of the most dangerous animals veterinarians have to work with. For many veterinary students, their first exposure to horses occurs during practical classes. To evaluate the level of knowledge students have of equine behaviour and their equine handling competency when entering the programme, 214 veterinary students (1st and 4th year) were recruited to participate in a questionnaire. Participants were asked to choose one out of 12 terms that best represented the affective state of a horse in a picture, and to self-assess their equine handling skills. Half (n = 56/115) of the first-year students correctly interpreted the horse’s behaviour. The majority had (1) a poor understanding of equine learning mechanisms and (2) poor self-rated equine handling skills. A history of pet ownership (p = 0.027) and the presence of horses on their family property (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with a correct understanding of equine behaviour. Fourth-year students were three times more likely to accurately interpret the horse’s behaviour (p = 0.01) and rated their handling skills higher than first-year students (p = 0.006). These results suggest that previous animal experience confers a considerable advantage to interpret equine behaviour and highlight the critical importance of practical training in the veterinary programme.

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Development of online learning activities to enhance student knowledge of animal behaviour prior to engaging in live animal handling practical sessions

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

Reliability of observer ratings: Qualitative behaviour assessments of shelter dogs using a fixed list of descriptors

Reliability of observer ratings: Qualitative behaviour assessments of shelter dogs using a fixed list of descriptors

Veterinary and Equine Science Students’ Interpretation of Horse Behaviour

Benefits of Animal Exposure on Veterinary Students’ Understanding of Equine Behaviour and Self-Assessed Equine Handling Skills

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