AVA Conference Brisbane 2018

Live animal practical classes allow students the chance to apply their learning in carefully controlled settings under the guidance of instructors. In order for students to have the most valuable learning experience, however, it is important that they arrive well prepared so that the limited time in the practical is well spent. This project attempted to apply the principles of Flipping the Classroom by asking a group of third year DVM students to view a series of videos about what would occur in an equine anaesthesia practicum prior to attendance. The remaining students attending the practical class without watching the videos and, instead, listened to the instructor verbally summarise what would occur in the practical at its start. The second group of students were permitted access to the videos after they had already completed the practicum. Students in both groups were later asked a series of Likert-based survey questions regarding their opinions of the value of the videos, their confidence regarding specific tasks within the practical class, and the teaching strategy of Flipping the Classroom.