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Knight A. The potential of humane teaching methods within veterinary and other biomedical education. Paper presented at: The Three Rs - Together it's possible. 8th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences; 2011 Aug 21-25; Montreal, Canada

Both historically and in many regions today, animal use resulting in harm or death has remained prominent within veterinary and other biomedical education, in disciplines such as surgery, physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, pharmacology, and para-sitology. Less recognized are the harms that may also be experienced by students and staff who participate in such animal use. These range from hazardous exposures to toxic chemical preservatives, to psychological and cognitive phenomena which may adversely affect learning and attitudes towards animal welfare. However, in recent years many non-harmful alternatives have been introduced within courses internationally. These include modernized computer simulations, high quality videos, "ethically-sourced cadavers" such as from animals euthanized for medical reasons, permanently preserved specimens, mod¬els, mannequins, advanced surgical and clinical skills simulators, non-invasive self-experimentation, and supervised clinical experiences. Published educational evaluations have demonstrated that humane alternatives achieve superior or equivalent learning outcomes such as the acquisition of clinical or surgical skills or theoretical knowledge, around 90% of the time. How¬ever, many educators remain unaware of the potential offered by humane teaching methods, or of the evidence relating to their educational efficacy. Accordingly, this presentation reviews the development of humane teaching methods and the published literature examining their educational efficacy. The contemporary and future potential of alternative teaching methods is also illustrated using selected examples.

Knight_2011-_The_potential_of_humane_teaching_methods_within_veterinary_and_other_biomedical_education.pdf

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