Beakers, syringes, and scrubs were put aside on March 14 for a day-long celebration of pedagogy. The event featured guest speakers and conversations that focused on the practice and theory of teaching and learning, examining how both are working at the College.
Education Day was developed by the College’s Veterinary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (VetSoTL) group four years ago. This year’s event marked the third since its inception. The VetSoTL group, comprised of a group of associate and assistant professors, holds monthly meetings to talk about educational ideals and principles, and to collaborate on projects including Education Day.
“It’s really important for students to know that we are actually thoughtful about what we are trying to deliver to them, and that we aren’t just trying to push random information down their throats,” Dr. Coretta Patterson, associate dean of academic programs and student affairs said. “It’s important for all students to understand this, but because our curriculum is particularly grueling, it’s particularly important for our students. Unfortunately, [the scholarship of teaching and learning] hasn’t been something that’s been highly valued in the science fields.”
The VetSoTL group wanted to highlight that CVM faculty are medical educators as well as scientists, and share with students and faculty some of the research and best practices in the field. VetSoTL group participants and faculty members Dr. Michael Scott, Dr. Ioana Sonea, and Dr. PS MohanKumar organized this year’s multifaceted Education Day, which featured education experts Terry Doyle and Dr. Jared Danielson.
Doyle, an author, educational consultant, and professor at Ferris State University, spoke about the science of learning. “He talked about things that we think of as common sense, like that your brain needs water, but he talked about it from a neuroscience standpoint,” Patterson said. Doyle provided data from fMRI studies to illustrate the biological components of educational research. “That made him a remarkable speaker for this environment because I think veterinarians have struggled with educational research—they want science, and he bridged the gap between educational research and science and he did it in a thought out way,” Patterson said.
Danielson, director of curricular and student assessment and assistant professor at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine spoke about learning styles. Danielson has worked closely with Iowa State’s Holly Bender (MSU DVM ’79) in research and also in the development of teaching tools for veterinary students. His presentation advised both faculty and students on best practices in teaching and learning as informed by recent literature and research.
Prior to the event, organizers created and distributed a survey about the College’s learning environment. Students and faculty were asked to rate the importance of components of the educational process to student learning at the College. Several categories covered the importance of externship experiences, the use of clinical examples, and demonstrating the relevance of material. The survey helped illuminate areas in which student and faculty perceptions of teaching differed. The results were visually displayed and discussed during the introduction of the education day events.
Organizers also invited student representatives to speak on behalf of each class. They were given the floor after the survey results were presented to provide feedback to faculty. “They got to tell us what their constituency feels about different segments of the educational process, and faculty had the opportunity to interact with the students in the process,” Patterson said. “The faculty and the students came together to have that dialogue, and that just doesn’t happen a lot. So I’m really proud to be a part of it because I think it is a special thing out our college.”
Patterson is one of four faculty members from the College who are enrolled as students of veterinary medicine education in the new Distance Learning Program in Veterinary Medicine Education program offered by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London. The program at the RVC is the first of its kind and offers a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, and master’s in veterinary education. Joining Patterson in the RVC program are faculty members Dr. Ann Rashmir-Raven, Dr. Laurent Guiot, and Dr. Amy Koenigshof.
The College is a leading college of veterinary medicine, and it is on track to becoming a leader in veterinary medicine education.