Abstract
Simple SummaryAnimal products are consumed by a large majority of the global population, yet public knowledge about animal handling and welfare during the slaughter process is limited. An open educational resource about slaughter, called “Animal welfare at slaughter and killing” has been openly available on the Internet since 2012. The resource includes learning objectives, 650 webpages, 800 illustrations, 150 video clips, self-tests with feedback and a series of take-home messages. The resource is designed to not only be relevant to the primary target group, i.e., the abattoir staff, but also to anyone with an interest in the topic. A study was conducted to evaluate the use and impact of this educational resource with participants from slaughterhouses, universities, authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Focus group sessions were video recorded and analysed using an interpretive thematic analysis. Improved knowledge among consumers may lead to more well-founded decisions at purchase of meat and improved awareness among citizens to increase public pressure to improve animal handling at slaughter.Knowledge about slaughter of animals for human food is often perceived as controversial and therefore not made widely available. An open educational resource on the Internet about the slaughter of animals has created tension at launch but also resolved tension. Aiming to explore how this resource at the boundary between academia and society is perceived, a study was carried out with participants from slaughterhouses, universities, authorities and NGOs. Focus group sessions were video recorded and transcripts were coded using an interpretive thematic analysis. The results show that an open educational resource in addition to contributing to learning and awareness raising can also induce dialogue (and thus resolve tension) about animal welfare and contribute to animal welfare resilience. Our results also indicate that participants had diverse opinions about the influence of multimedia on attitudes towards animal slaughter. The use of additional instruments such as comment fields may lead to more knowledgeable citizens and socially robust knowledge, but has to be carefully weighed against the risk of false or fake data.
Highlights
IntroductionBoundary objects can connect actors from different social worlds with different agendas to create common meanings, since such objects are “both plastic enough to adapt to local needs and the constraints of the several parties employing them, yet robust enough to maintain a common identity across sites” [2]
Boundaries are social constructions that define who is included and excluded from interactions [1].Boundary objects can connect actors from different social worlds with different agendas to create common meanings, since such objects are “both plastic enough to adapt to local needs and the constraints of the several parties employing them, yet robust enough to maintain a common identity across sites” [2]
The discussions in the focus groups were moderated in order to present arguments for the four approaches to open educational resources (OER): (a) inclusiveness, (b) learning and awareness raising, (c) controversies and (d) accuracy and relevance
Summary
Boundary objects can connect actors from different social worlds with different agendas to create common meanings, since such objects are “both plastic enough to adapt to local needs and the constraints of the several parties employing them, yet robust enough to maintain a common identity across sites” [2]. Animals 2017, 7, 101 activities whereas Engeström et al [3] are more focused on the process when generating boundary objects through boundary activities. The latter view is more in compliance with open learning theories, where actors create the boundary object that invites users to reuse and further develop the object itself. During the last two decades, EU legislation on animal welfare has changed as a result of the adoption of the Amsterdam Treaty [6], which states that animals can feel pain and suffer, and the Lisbon Treaty [7], which states that, since animals can suffer, we need to pay full regard to their welfare
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