Adding Active-Learning Glitters to Veterinary Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine Courses

Objectives
To share our hybrid teaching experience of Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine (EBVM) and promote active learning components in teaching Veterinary Epidemiology.

Methods
Veterinary Epidemiology and EBVM are typically taught using didactic methods, and it is often challenging to engage students. Our hybrid approach has combined the basic concepts from both disciplines and pushed toward pedagogical teaching. To stimulate enthusiasm, encourage problem-based learning mindset, and enhance the educational experience of our veterinary medicine students of epidemiological concepts and research methods, we have combined the traditional lecture/tutorial teaching approach with active-learning components, including a series of critical appraisals of research studies using customized assessment forms adapted to the hierarchy of evidence, and a course assignment to develop knowledge summaries (critically appraised topics) to answer a clinical question and prepare students for evidence-based decision making in clinical practice. This assignment mainly follows the EBVM resources and guidelines by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). We try to address current challenging clinical questions posed by our local practitioners. Further, we have incorporated our graduate students’ teaching duties in the course to provide them with the opportunity to learn and practice their teaching and leadership skills in a supervised setting.

Results
We received positive feedback from the students regarding the learning materials and assignments in our recent course deliveries. Nearly all students expressed enthusiasm during the course, and 95% stated complete satisfaction with the course in the final evaluations. The knowledge summaries were enriched and submitted for publication to the RCVS’s peer-reviewed journal, Veterinary Evidence, including students as co-authors.

Conclusion
Incorporating applied active-learning tasks into traditional epidemiology-related courses in the veterinary medicine curriculum stimulated engagement and critical thinking in students and enhanced their learning experience.