Activities

As it Stands

Distance Learners

The distance CVN students have completed a Cert in Animal Care part time the previous year. They have had more of an introduction to terminology through A&P. They have participated in a block course terminology activity at block course one.

These learners are mostly out in practice at least two days a week, some fulltime trainee VN’s. These students are at a great advantage in this respect. It is the students that lack a reasonable quantity of good quality work experience that require the support with this subject. 

Distance learners do have problems with pronunciation.

Fulltime Class

The fulltime class do lack quantity of work placement hours and come to do the Cert of Animal Care with the A&P component followed by the VN units. They have the advantage of the classroom being a safe (hopefully) place to test the language.

There is currently one lesson formally dedicated to terminology which involves a powerpoint. It is very technical and not much fun.

Proposed Learning Activities

Terminology Game

Using the sistech clicker (who wants to be a millionaire) equipment, a terminology game for use in the classroom and at block course one (and possibly two). Every student gets a clicker on which they can choose an answer.  

Distribute cards with a word on one side, and three possible answers (A,B & C) on the other side. One true, one humorous and one possible but not true.  

Each student says their word (pronunciation website free dictionary to assist  over the speaker system if they request) and the whole class is encouraged to say the word together.

The student reads out the answers and the class chooses their answer with the clickers.

The result is shown on the board along with the % of each answer chosen by the class.

Open Access Moodle Resources & MCQ Tests

A brief powerpoint and written notes on the logistics of the language.

Printable flashcards.

Links to relevant youtube songs and lessons

Links to relevant ipad apps.

Visual guides to anatomical directions (from A&P notes)

MCQ test for self assessment

Word of the Week

In the classroom weekly for the full timers  and on the moodle forum once a week for the distance students. Encourage the groups to come up with a word of the week to share. Interesting, technical, unusual or funny the word and its definition.  Perhaps publish the fulltime word on the distance forum and vice versa encouraging interaction between the groups.

learning the lingo...

So, how to get the distance student engaged with this. To encourage confidence to use this language in practice. A language is built over years, there is no expectation that the CVN students would come out after one year of study and have fully functional understanding and use. A student can effectively pass this course and go out into practice and be reasonably functional as a technician with a very basic knowledge of terminology. As I say it is picked up along the way. However, to provide high levels of care as a veterinary nurse it is essential to fully understand what is going on with our patients.  To know this we must know the language of our game.

Talking with the fulltime students,  it is something they have identified as lacking. What they said was that they wanted some more specific guidance on terminology. Although it is peppered throughout the course, the only resource for terminology is an arduous wordy power point and the one activity limited to anatomical direction at the block course (for distance students only).

What I am trying to do here I suppose is to encourage deep learning, the information is there, its freely available in a number of formats. The trick is to want to know it enough to spend a few minutes looking it up. The eternal question, how to inspire a passion for the subject. With Veterinary Nursing this is where the distance students are at an advantage, they are out in practice, they are linking their theory with the practical on a daily basis. The passion for this job lies at the kennel side, caring for our patients. It is convincing the students that a sound understanding of the theory is linked to this place.

So, how to get the distance student engaged with this. To encourage confidence to use this language in practice. A language is built over years, there is no expectation that the CVN students would come out after one year of study and have fully functional understanding and use. A student can effectively pass this course and go out into practice and be reasonably functional as a technician with a very basic knowledge of terminology. As I say it is picked up along the way. However, to provide high levels of care as a veterinary nurse it is essential to fully understand what is going on with our patients.  To know this we must know the language of our game.

Talking with the fulltime students,  it is something they have identified as lacking. What they said was that they wanted some more specific guidance on terminology. Although it is peppered throughout the course, the only resource for terminology is an arduous wordy power point and the one activity limited to anatomical direction at the block course (for distance students only).

What I am trying to do here I suppose is to encourage deep learning, the information is there, its freely available in a number of formats. The trick is to want to know it enough to spend a few minutes looking it up. The eternal question, how to inspire a passion for the subject. With Veterinary Nursing this is where the distance students are at an advantage, they are out in practice, they are linking their theory with the practical on a daily basis. The passion for this job lies at the kennel side, caring for our patients. It is convincing the students that a sound understanding of the theory is linked to this place.

As it Stands

Distance Learners

The distance CVN students have completed a Cert in Animal Care part time the previous year. They have had more of an introduction to terminology through A&P. These learners are mostly out in practice at least two days a week, some fulltime trainee VN’s. These students are at a great advantage in this respect. It is the students that lack a reasonable quantity of good quality work experience that require the support with this subject. 

Distance learners do have problems with pronunciation.

Fulltime Class

The fulltime class do lack quantity of work placement hours and come to do the Cert of Animal Care with the A&P component followed by the VN units. They have the advantage of the classroom being a safe (hopefully) place to test the language.

Constructing Courses Blog

Hello, welcome to my Constructing courses blog…

I am trying to inspire veterinary terminology joy. A hard task I know, it can seem a pretty dull subject. Some of my plan hinges on finding the funny side of the words. Epiploon and gubernaculum spring to mind as examples that can usually crack a smirk. Other parts of the plan…. Making the connection that many of the terms and parts of words are already known it’s a matter of breaking the words down and working it out. Listening to the language out in practice and finding out the meanings. That’s the hard part I think because it’s about having the confidence to ask…

FlexibleLearning Plan Presentation

Flexible Learning Plan Presentation

Activity 12

The flexible learning plan I have put together fits with the Otago Polytechnic Strategy through the humanistic vision statement,

‘Our personalised approach to vocational learning motivates students and

staff to reach their full potential, and to master new skills and knowledge’

(OP 2008-2012)

The organisation promotes learner centered learning and with this approach aims to ‘inspire capability’.

Otago Polytech (2008 – 2012) aims to ‘respect the knowledge that learners bring.’

With the diverse range of learners on the Certificate in Veterinary Nursing course a key element of my plan is to encourage the more experienced class members to share their knowledge and build on it as a group.

The statement in the strategy document that is most important to me is that,

‘Our graduates are sought after/preferred by employers’

For me, the aim of developing the flexible learning plan is to provide a suitably varied and engaging learning environment where it is possible for OP VN students, in all their glorious diversity, can be inspired and motivated to become a Veterinary Nurse. A professional in the industry with best practice standards and a dedication to life long learning. These are the graduates the industry requires.

Otago Polytechnic Strategy 2008 – 2012.

                         

                                     Downloaded from www.careers.govt.nz, Careers New Zealand, 2012

Dr Mason Durie developed the Te whare tapa wha model in 1982. The wholistc model for health and wellbeing may also be applied as approach to education.

The four foundations of well-being in relation to education are:

• Te Wairua -  the spiritual aspects of undertaking study
• Te Hinengaro - the mental aspects of undertaking study
• Te Tenana -  the physical aspects of undertaking study
• Te Whanau - the social aspects of undertaking study

As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs similarly illustrates, in order for an individual student to realise potential, the foundations of well-being are important.

Maori and Pacific students are underrepresented in the veterinary nursing and animal care courses, Mason Durie’s vision for Māori, ‘To enjoy good health and a high standard of living’ in reality, is less likely to be true for our indigenous students than for the majority. The hangover of colonization means over representation in the statistics relating to poor health and low standards of living. (Ministry of Social Development 2010).  

So, what can I do to support indigenous students, to level the playing field. True to humanistic philosophy I can treat all students with empathy, acceptance, and unconditional positive regard. (Sanders, 2002) This works to enable a safe space to learn. To encourage a culturally inclusive learning environment we welcome all students at the start of the year and to block course.  We share food. Ground rules around eating and working and sitting on tables are made known and adhered to by staff. Referring Maori and Pacific students to the appropriate student support services and L&N.

My personal experience of supporting individuals is limited being relatively new to this game. I was involved on the periphery of the case last year that Helen blogs about. One thing that struck me about it was a comment made the other day by one of the lecturers who provided a great deal of extra academic support to this girl. She said “As soon as this student realized that we actually cared about her success, that we really wanted her to achieve, it made a huge difference’. She ended up getting 99% in the most difficult exam on the whole course.

The theory that there is unlimited potential in any student given the right learning conditions is illustrated here.

Ministry of Social Development.  2012 The Social Report :Available at:

http://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/summary/summary-indicators.html

Accessed on 20.6.12.

Timms‐Dean K. 2011 Indigenous Learners and Flexible Learning. :Otago Polytech