Student Reported Learning of Swine and Dairy Welfare Concepts Following a Virtual Reality Livestock Farm Experience.

Simple SummaryThe words used to communicate farm animal welfare to non-specialists may be more important than knowledge of welfare itself. Framing research finds that human perception is influenced, not by what is said, but by how something is said. By increasing the emphasis placed on animals having positive experiences, positive animal welfare changes the framing of farm animal welfare. Yet, we do not know how such framing of animal welfare may influence the perceptions of key animal welfare stakeholders. In response, this study uses qualitative interviews to explore how citizens and farmers frame positive animal welfare and what this means for the effective communication of this concept. This study finds that ‘positive’ evokes associations with ‘negatives’ amongst citizens. This leads them to frame positive animal welfare as animals having ‘positive experiences’ or being ‘free from negative experiences’. Farmers rely more on their existing frames of animal welfare and integrate positive welfare into this. As such, most farmers frame positive welfare as ‘good husbandry’, a smaller number frame it as ‘proactive welfare improvement’, and a small number frame it as an ‘animal’s point of view’. The implications of such internal frames for effectively transferring positive welfare from science to society are further discussed.Human perception can depend on how an individual frames information in thought and how information is framed in communication. For example, framing something positively, instead of negatively, can change an individual’s response. This is of relevance to ‘positive animal welfare’, which places greater emphasis on farm animals being provided with opportunities for positive experiences. However, little is known about how this framing of animal welfare may influence the perception of key animal welfare stakeholders. Through a qualitative interview study with farmers and citizens, undertaken in Scotland, UK, this paper explores what positive animal welfare evokes to these key welfare stakeholders and highlights the implications of such internal frames for effectively communicating positive welfare in society. Results indicate that citizens make sense of positive welfare by contrasting positive and negative aspects of welfare, and thus frame it as animals having ‘positive experiences’ or being ‘free from negative experiences’. Farmers draw from their existing frames of animal welfare to frame positive welfare as ‘good husbandry’, ‘proactive welfare improvement’ or the ‘animal’s point of view’. Implications of such internal frames (e.g., the triggering of ‘negative welfare’ associations by the word ‘positive’) for the effective communication of positive welfare are also presented.

This study explores the role of virtual reality (VR) tours in influencing customers’ experiences and attitudes as well as their behavioral intentions toward VR tours. A research model that combines the technology acceptance model, flow theory, and social distancing is proposed to demonstrate the interrelationships among attributes of VR tours, online customer experience, customer attitude, and behavioral intention. Social distancing plays a situational role in the model. We collected 545 usable online questionnaires and used SPSS and SmartPLS to analyze the measurement model and proposed hypotheses. Attributes of the VR tour had a positive influence on the extrinsic values and intrinsic values of the customer experience. Furthermore, online customer experience was positively related to customer attitude and intention toward VR tours. In addition, social distancing influenced customer attitudes but not behavioral intention. Moreover, the results of a multigroup analysis based on country of residence suggested relevant differences between the America and Asia groups. This research extends understanding of the online customer experience of VR tours and provides empirical evidence that VR attributes enhance the extrinsic and intrinsic values of online customer experiences. It provides an integrated view of the technology acceptance model, flow theory, and social distancing and suggests that social distancing has an impact on customers’ attitude toward VR tours but no effects on their intention. The implications of these findings can help scholars and practitioners better understand consumers’ motivations and behavioral intentions to use VR tours, which will help the tourism industry boost revenue and create additional sales channels.

Virtual reality technologies have given rise to a new breed of space travel, enabling touring of cosmic environments without leaving the Earth. These tours democratize participation in space tourism and expand its itineraries – reproducing while also altering the practices of tourism itself. The chapter explores the ways in which they alter modes of establishing “authentic” tourism destinations and experiences, rendering outer space into a stage for the performance of space travel, while themselves facilitating novel avenues for its social organization and technological assertion. Virtual space tourism not only reflects the progression and metamorphoses in tourist practice and production but also has the potential to influence both the aspirations and prospects of our space futures.

Simple SummaryThis research looked at how sheep farmers and industry actors in the UK understand, think about, and define “positive animal welfare”. It, therefore, involved interviewing farmers and industry experts, including veterinarians and advisors. The study found that how the farmers (n = 25) and industry actors (n = 11) perceived and viewed what positive animal welfare is differed from those perceptions held by scientists. Some of the study participants linked positive welfare to “positive stockmanship” and “good animal welfare” frames, while others proposed broader ideas and meanings, linked to existing scientific positive welfare definitions, including considering “high welfare” states and “happy, healthy” dimensions. Overall, the findings suggested that scientists should work closely with farmers and industry actors to bridge the gap between academic discourse and perceived meanings held by the farmers and by the industry, to develop practical and effective methods for understand how stakeholders define this concept, and the adoption of positive animal welfare approaches and practices.This research examines how sheep farmers and industry actors in the United Kingdom (UK) understand and conceptualize what animal welfare scientists term ‘positive animal welfare’. It explores their awareness of the concept, and how they interpret it using a qualitative approach. Participants were recruited using a snowballing, purposive sample approach, resulting in 25 sheep farmers and 11 industry actors (veterinarians, farming organizations, advisors, and supply chain) being interviewed. To collect data, a combined approach involving semi-structured interviews and a facilitated workshop were used between April 2021 and March 2022. Data were then thematically analyzed using a hybrid of inductive and deductive coding process. The findings suggested that the perceptions of farmers and industry actors in the study regarding positive welfare differ from contemporary academic discourses. Overall, around 7 of the farmers equated positive welfare with “positive stockmanship”, while six of them expressed “good animal welfare” definitions associated with the Five Freedoms. In contrast, most industry actors (6) expressed interpretations associated with high welfare standards (going above minimum recommended practices) and positive mental experiences (3). Emerging discourses revealed the link between self-identity, social identity and what positive welfare is, the importance of knowledge exchange, and the need for practical indicators through language rephrasing. There is a clear need to enhance and improve knowledge dissemination strategies, particularly in the UK, where much research is being conducted on positive animal welfare.

This study aimed to enhance medical education by integrating virtual reality (VR) tours into the clinical pathology curriculum, comparing VR with traditional didactic methods. Seven 360° VR tours were developed for the Microbiology and Transfusion Services laboratories. A controlled crossover study involved 171 medical students (83% MS4) from April 2021 to April 2023. Students were randomly assigned to either the VR or PowerPoint (PP) presentation groups. Surveys and assessments measured understanding, interactivity, relevance, and engagement. With more than a 90% response rate, VR participants rated the interactivity significantly higher than PP participants (mean, 4.48 vs 3.48; P < .001). The VR format also showed higher scores for understanding the laboratory environment (mean, 4.38; P = .6) and engagement (mean, 4.21; P = .004). Although assessment scores were slightly lower for VR participants (6.2 vs 6.5; P = .1), the VR tours increased engagement and provided a more interactive learning experience. Integrating 360° VR tours into the clinical pathology curriculum enhances interactivity and learner engagement, offering a scalable solution for remote learning. This method addresses the limitations of traditional remote learning, promoting a more immersive educational experience.

A virtual reality (VR) tour of the operating theatre could reduce preoperative anxiety by providing a realistic experience for children. This randomized clinical trial was designed to determine whether parental co-experience of preoperative VR tour through a mirroring display could further reduce preoperative anxiety. Eighty children scheduled for elective surgery under general anesthesia were randomly allocated into either the control or mirroring group. Children in the control group watched a 4-min immersive VR video showing the operating theatre and explaining the preoperative process, via a head mounted display. In the mirroring group, parents of children watched the same video through mirroring display concurrently while their child experienced the immersive VR tour. Preoperative anxiety and satisfaction score were measured. Eighty children completed the final analysis (control group = 40 and mirroring group = 40). Preoperative anxiety of children (p = 0.025) and parents (p = 0.009) were lower in the mirroring group compared with the control group. Parents' satisfaction in the mirroring group was significantly higher than those in the control group (p = 0.008). Parental co-experience of the VR tour with children through mirroring the display was effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in both children and parents.

Education in renewable energy has obstacles in delivering real experience to students. This study investigates the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) tours in enhancing the comprehension and engagement of electrical engineering students at Universitas Pembangunan Panca Budi in the realm of renewable energy education. The literature assessment indicates the promise of virtual reality in engineering education; nevertheless, its application in renewable energy education remains constrained. The research hypothesis posits that the VR tour will markedly enhance students' conceptual comprehension and learning motivation. This study employed an experimental design incorporating pre-tests and post-tests, with 30 electrical engineering students divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group participated in a virtual reality tour of renewable energy installations, whereas the control group employed traditional learning techniques. The experimental group's conceptual understanding (p&lt;0.05) and learning desire (p&lt;0.01) significantly improved, according to the results. The findings demonstrated the efficacy of VR tours as an educational instrument in university-level renewable energy instruction.

The concept of animal welfare has fluctuated over time, following changes in values and beliefs, together with advances in the scientific understanding of animals. A relevant driver in the new definitions of animal welfare has been the higher interest in including affective states, especially positive ones, under a new approach known as Positive Animal Welfare (PAW). Under PAW approach promoting animal welfare goes beyond minimizing suffering or the avoidance of negative states, because an absence of suffering does not mean that all the proclivities of an animal are being fulfilled; particularly, it can overlook the potential benefits of providing environments that enable animals to express their whole behavioural repertoire. The sustainability of animal production systems is often defined by their economic and/or environmental impact. However, the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems outlines two additional pillars of sustainability: governance and social. The social pillar covers the quality of life for both humans and animals involved in the system, and the promotion of positive animal welfare (PAW) is, therefore, also inherent to making a system more sustainable. Under the framework of the European Partnership of Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW), the trade-offs and synergies between systems promoting animal welfare with the other sustainability pillars have been explored. Three examples of best practices identified in the EUPAHW that promote PAW or help prevent negative welfare outcomes in pig production will be presented, along with their links to sustainability: non tail-docking, free-farrowing and provision of outdoor access. Tail docking is a common practice in European intensive production systems, although routine tail docking is not allowed by legislation; being considered a painful procedure not tackling the underlying causes of tail biting. At present, European farmers are conducting trials to develop strategies to prevent tail biting in undocked pigs, which have direct consequences on the sustainability of the production system. Besides, the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the cage age” was brought to the EU commission, who initiated plans to prohibit cages and improve animal welfare in multiple farmed animal species. In farrowing and lactating sows, crating has been recognized as severely restricting postural movements, nest building and maternal behaviours and, thus, inducing stress and frustration. The new housing designs under zero or semi confinement for sows will be presented, with regards to its possibilities to promote PAW and its potential impacts in sustainability. Finally, the conventional keeping of growing pigs in an indoor, climate-controlled building with fully or partly slatted floors and minimum space allowance has been said to limit the fulfilment of ethological and physiological needs, such as foraging, and will be presented as an example of best practice promoting PAW, together with its sustainability trade-offs.

This paper presents an investigation into the integration of virtual reality (VR) tours in online English lessons tailored for adult learners. The study utilised a design-based research approach to evaluate the effectiveness of VR tours in this context. It specifically examined the responses of adult learners to this instructional strategy by collecting data through surveys, observation notes and interviews with four learners in Japan and five learners in France, most of whom completed 10 lessons over 4 months. The research findings highlight the effectiveness of VR tours in enhancing learner motivation. Additionally, they demonstrate that perceived learning outcomes are influenced not only by the immersive experience of spatial presence but also by the novelty of technological and scenery-related aspects within the VR environment, as well as factors related to lesson design and individual learner characteristics. Implications for practice or policy: VR photo tours can serve as a powerful tool for language educators to increase the learning motivation of remote learners. The physical location of remote learners and the ergonomics of their devices plays a crucial role in their engagement levels with VR-based online learning activities. Aside from the technological novelty of VR, the inclusion of diverse and visually appealing scenery can further enhance motivation and interest among online learners.

The following exploratory convergent mixed-methods study examined graduate students’ experiences developing and facilitating 360º photo-based virtual reality (VR) tours titled Labs and Landscapes focused on forest conservation and climate change education, as well as tour impacts on public audiences. Graduate students in an agricultural and natural resources communication course at The University of Florida used 360º cameras, mobile devices, and online software to create VR tours about the UF/IFAS Austin Cary Research Forest. Then, the students guided public participants through the tours in three physical informal learning environments including a museum, brewery, and campus tabling site within the university community. Data collection included VR tour artifacts, audio recordings of students’ VR facilitation and discourse with the public, post-surveys of public participants’ tour impressions and climate change attitudes, and pre-/post-student reflections. Data sources were collected separately and mixed in interpretation. Results showed students increased their multimedia communication skills, knowledge of natural resource conservation, and confidence in communicating with public audiences. Additionally, survey results indicated public participants agreed the students successfully guided the tours, agreed it is important to learn about conservation and climate change, and had some disagreement with the statement that humans cannot prevent climate change.

Gaining adequate on-farm experience can be difficult for students due to limited resources, time, and strict biosecurity protocols. This study assessed university student perceptions of the usability of a virtual reality (VR) farm tour focused on swine or dairy farming. Seventy-one participants experienced a VR farm tour. After completing the tour, students were asked about their enjoyment and the usability of the VR farm experience. Students with prior VR experience found the tours to be more enjoyable (P = 0.01), felt the tour was a good supplement to a real farm visit (P = 0.01), and were more likely to gain new knowledge after undergoing the tour (P = 0.01) compared to students with only previous augmented realilty (AR) experience. Thematic analysis identified themes in student responses including recommendations for farm welfare improvements and the potential benefits of VR for various audiences. Fifty-one students could suggest an opportunity to improve farm welfare after completing a VR tour. Most users (43 responses) recommended VR tours for student use. Overall, previous experience with VR matters when considering implementation in the classroom. Additionally, students found the VR tours to be moderately useful in teaching animal welfare. Further research is needed to address technological issues and explore the implementation of VR in classrooms.

The term “charismatic” refers to visually or empathetically appealing animals. They act as flagship species to garner interest and participation. This study explored the impact of charismatic animals featured in three virtual reality (VR) tours of an estuary system on youths’ learning, connectedness to water (CTW), and tour perceptions. Each tour included a different animal– a charismatic dolphin, a non-charismatic tunicate, and a comparison treatment with no animal. Utilizing convergent mixed methods, the VR tours were distributed to five schools in the Tampa Bay area. Students completed a post-survey (n = 366) and interview (n = 6). Results showed all tours, regardless of animal charisma presence, yielded positive student CTW and estuary knowledge. Students indicated more interest in animals that were weird, interesting, and new to them. Results indicate a larger diversity of animals can be used as interest approaches to engage audiences, yet not overshadow main message objective.

Positive animal welfare (PAW) is a rising topic in animal welfare science, although its construct, definition, and operational approach remain debated. Despite this scientific uncertainty, there is societal interest to include more indicators of positive welfare in legislation, animal welfare assessment and accreditation schemes. Changes in some farming practices seem to be in line with promoting PAW (e.g., free-range housing), providing animals more opportunities for positive experiences such as rewarding natural behaviour, greater autonomy, or choice. Interestingly, some of the ideas underlying PAW are present in extensive production systems or low-input animal management practices that are common in low-income countries, for example free-roaming livestock or village dogs. Nevertheless, welfare challenges such as neglect, diseases, poor nutrition, animal abuse and other forms of suffering remain ubiquitous, especially where resources like veterinary support are limited. Living conditions for animals in low-income countries provide examples of the delicate balance between positive welfare and welfare risks relating to health and survival, with inextricable ethical dilemmas. In our view, the growing focus on PAW could stimulate a more balanced approach to animal welfare worldwide, promoting PAW while simultaneously limiting various forms of welfare challenges. However, this requires accounting for human factors such as societal and cultural location-specific aspects to find flexible solutions that also benefit and respect people whose livelihood may be at stake. Those human factors also modulate the consideration and importance of providing animals with positive welfare states and the role of underlying ethical concepts like happiness and “a good life.”

Simple SummaryThe basis of livestock farming is preventing disease and improving animal welfare and well-being. Organic dairy farmers have very few options for the treatment of diseases and for the mitigation of pain in dairy calves and cows. Calving may be stressful for first-lactation cows because they must adapt to many different situations when they are milking. Alternative therapies to improve animal welfare must be researched in organic livestock production to verify that their use improves animal well-being. This review provides a brief background on organic production systems, illustrates current understanding of pain management for disbudding dairy calves, and discusses managing transition heifer behaviors and udder health to improve organic livestock well-being.The number of organic dairy farms has increased because of the increased growth of the organic market, higher organic milk price, and because some consumers prefer to purchase products from less intensive production systems. Best management practices are expected from organic dairy farms to ensure animal health and milk production. Organic dairy producers typically transition from conventional systems to avoid chemicals and pesticides, enhance economic viability, improve the environment, and increase soil fertility. Organic dairy producers respect and promote a natural environment for their animals, is also an important component of animal welfare. Organic producers have few options to mitigate pain in dairy calves. In the United States, therapies to mitigate pain for disbudded organic dairy calves are regulated by the US National Organic Program. Organic producers regularly use naturally derived alternatives for the treatment of health disorders of dairy calves, heifers, and cows. Alternative natural products may provide an option to mitigate pain in organic dairy calves. Despite the reluctance to implement pain alleviation methods, some organic farmers have expressed interest in or currently implement plant-based alternatives. Efficacy studies of alternative remedies for organic livestock are needed to verify that their use improves animal welfare. Non-effective practices represent a major challenge for organic dairy animal welfare. The relationship between humans and animals may be jeopardized during milking because first-lactation cows may exhibit adverse behaviors during the milking process, such as kicking and stomping. The periparturient period is particularly challenging for first-lactation cows. Adverse behaviors may jeopardize animal welfare and reduce safety for humans because stressed heifers may kick off the milking unit, kick at milkers, and display other unwanted behaviors in the milking parlor. This may reduce milking efficiency, overall production, and ultimately reduce the profitability of the dairy farm. Positive animal welfare is a challenging balancing act between the three overlapping ethic concerns. Identifying animal welfare deficits in organic livestock production is the first step in capitalizing on these opportunities to improve welfare.

Simple SummaryPositive animal welfare (PAW) is thought to have come about as a response to there being too much of a focus on avoiding negatives in animal welfare science. However, despite its development over the last 10 years, it is not clear what it adds to the study of animal welfare. To clarify this, we conduct a review of the literature on PAW. We aim to identify the characteristic features of PAW and to show how PAW connects to the wider literature on animal welfare. We find that the PAW literature is characterised by four features: (1) positive emotions which highlights the capacity of animals to experience positive emotions; (2) positive affective engagement which seeks to create a link between positive emotions and behaviours animals are motivated to engage in; (3) quality of life which acts to give PAW a role in defining an appropriate balance of positives over negatives and; (4) happiness which brings a full life perspective to PAW. While the first two are already well situated in animal welfare studies the two last points open research agendas about aggregation of different aspects of PAW and how earlier experiences affect animals’ ability to have well-rounded lives.It is claimed that positive animal welfare (PAW) developed over the last decade in reaction to animal welfare focusing too much on avoiding negatives. However, it remains unclear what PAW adds to the animal welfare literature and to what extent its ideas are new. Through a critical review of the PAW literature, we aim to separate different aspects of PAW and situate it in relation to the traditional animal welfare literature. We find that the core PAW literature is small (n = 10 papers) but links to wider areas of current research interest. The PAW literature is defined by four features: (1) positive emotions which is arguably the most widely acknowledged; (2) positive affective engagement which serves to functionally link positive emotions to goal-directed behavior; (3) quality of life which serves to situate PAW within the context of finding the right balance of positives over negatives; (4) happiness which brings a full life perspective to PAW. While the two first points are already part of welfare research going back decades, the two latter points could be linked to more recent research agendas concerning aggregation and how specific events may affect the ability of animals to make the best of their lives.