Student Research Projects in Veterinary Physiology

The veterinary curriculum at CSU distinguishes itself by a number of innovative strategies,including clinical examples, clinical placements, case based and problem based learning, toensure student development of graduate attributes and clinical competencies. Reflectionsuggested that this approach risks blinding students to graduate opportunities outside clinicalpractice and may limit opportunities for students to learn and use scientific researchmethodology.To address these concerns, two novel learning activities involving carefully managed‘experiments’ have been incorporated into veterinary physiology. The first exercise,conducted in Semester 1, involves a prescribed experimental protocol to assess theendocrine response of sheep to metabolic stimuli. Under supervision, students areresponsible for data collection and interpretation, and are required to submit a modifiedresearch abstract detailing their findings. The second exercise, completed in Semester 2,requires students to investigate physiological responses to exercise in horses. Under careful supervision, students are responsible for experimental design, data collection and interpretation, and the submission of results as a research poster. Prior to undertaking their experiment, each group must convince teaching staff of the scientific rigor and validity of their proposal, and justify their outcomes in terms of animal welfare cost. Both projects have been approved by the Animal Care and Ethics Committee at Charles Sturt University.Evaluation and reflection on this intervention are based on student engagement in each task,formal and informal student feedback and assessment of modified research abstracts and research posters submitted by each group at the completion of their experiments.