Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged professors and students of all disciplines to adjust quickly to remote online teaching and education platforms. In this new era of remote teaching, a greater challenge has been presented in the field of equine science; how to effectively share knowledge that is most often demonstrated by providing students access to live, in-person animal examples. Historically, students and teachers believed skill sets, which are vital for future careers in the industry (e.g., veterinarian) must be learned through hands-on experience. However, in-person methods were not available, so students were taught through the Zoom platform. Students enrolled in various levels of equine science classes were invited to complete a short voluntary questionnaire measuring their response and perception to equine courses taught in an entirely online remote setting by the same professor. One group was comprised of undergraduates majoring in the field (n = 44) in upper level equine science courses, Advanced Equine Reproduction Physiology and/or Equine Enterprise. These students, 41 females and 3 males, ranged in age from 20 to 25 yr, were provided a voluntary questionnaire seeking responses related to the perceived effectiveness and individual preferences of in-class lectures and in-person labs vs. remote online teaching practices. A similar questionnaire was offered on a volunteer basis to precollege students (n = 17). These students, female, high-school students from freshman to senior status (14–18 yr of age), were interested in equine science as a major at UC Davis in the future. This questionnaire evaluated their response to a 2-week remote synchronous online equine science course, which included multiple teaching methods, including lectures, mini labs, and full labs. Responses from both populations suggested that equine courses were perceived as effective when offered as online, remote courses. Live (synchronous) classes and labs offered on Zoom increased engagement and interaction, but students also appreciated the opportunity to access recorded materials. Students responded positively to online remote teaching and found courses to be effective for increasing their knowledge about equine science in an engaging manner, despite their continued preference for in-person instruction.
Highlights
Spring brought a swift change across the field of education, due to varying responses to the COVID-19 pandemic from elementary schools to universities
This case study focused on students enrolled in equine science courses, which would typically be offered in person, at both the undergraduate and high-school level
The first questionnaire was comprised of 18 questions and was created using Google Forms. This questionnaire was offered on a voluntary basis to students enrolled in one of two upper division equine science courses, Advanced Equine Reproduction Physiology and Equine Enterprise
Summary
Spring brought a swift change across the field of education, due to varying responses to the COVID-19 pandemic from elementary schools to universities. Due to this increasing buy-in by educators shown towards online higher education, in the context of a general population of students who grew up in an era where smart phones beame ubiquitous, student adaptation to emergency remote education may have been easier than many first assumed it would be (Molinaro et al, 2020) With these student attitudes in mind, faced with the restrictions placed on in-person teaching that extended through Spring and Summer, many veterinary and animal science instructors offered online courses in lieu of traditional in-person classes. These videos are usually shown within synchronous online class meetings, allowing teacher and student interaction during or after viewing
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