Links
Recommended resources for veterinary and animal science

Teaching and Learning Resources

This page is maintained with the assistance Dr Rosanne Taylor of the University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science.

SEE ALSO: The Reference Shelf pages Copyright and Intellectual property, Citation and Style Guides and Grammar and Writing, and the Links Using Technology pages for related information

• University of Sydney resources
• General teaching resources
• Web and computer based learning
• WebCT information
• Digital media
• Veterinary education
• Continuing education
• Recommended research databases and indexes for this area of study
• Search the Internet
• Suggest a site

University of Sydney resources

The Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Sydney
This site includes links to:

• Finding help for your student
• Tutorials and tutoring development program
• In supervisors' words: an insider's view of postgraduate supervision (.pdf)

Science Faculty Education Research Group (SciFER)
SciFER is a "formal association of staff from different disciplines in the Faculty of Science with a common interest in Science Education at tertiary level." Its mission is "to carry out and foster research and development in science education at the tertiary level." Its website gives details of current research activities and seminars and talks.

Teaching and Learning Committee
The Teaching and Learning Committee, among other things "advises the Academic Board about ways of improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching, learning, examination and assessment processes within the University." Its website lists in full its terms of reference as well as membership details and agenda and minutes of meetings.

UniServe Science
UniServe Science's aim is "to enhance the quality of university science teaching by maintaining and disseminating information on up-to-date and innovative materials for use throughout Australia." Its website includes details of academic courses and professional development workshops, general and discipline-specific information, and publications.

Student Course Experience Questionnaire
The Institute for Teaching and Learning conducts the Student Course Experience Questionnaire annually. Its purpose is "to provide the University community with a basis for strategic, faculty level academic development and curriculum review to further enhance the quality of teaching and student learning." The website includes a copy of the questionnaire, as well as results and reports of the survey.

Unit of Study Evaluation
The Unit of Study Evaluation (USE) system was deloped by the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL). The system is designed to support aspects of the University's policy on the Management and Evaluation of Teaching. The website includes a copy of the questionnaire, as well as results and reports.

General Teaching Resources

• Theory and philosophy in education, technology and culture
• Current research about learning and the cognitive sciences
• On-line journals in education, communications and culture
• Distance ed approaches, resources and available courses
• Teaching and learning on the Internet: local to virtual pedagogy
• Performance technology: going beyond technical training
• Organisational learning and knowledge management
• Corollary sites: a citation index of corollary web sites

Evaluation of Learning and Media Toolkit
The Evaluation Toolkit, designed and maintained by the Institute for Learning and Research Technology, based at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, for the Joint Information Systems Committee provides a structured resource to help practitioners to evaluate a variety of learning resources and activities. It provides participants with ideas for planning, implementation, analysis and reporting of an evaluation. It is necessary to register on the site, however, registration is free.

Assessing Learning in Australian Universities
The Assessing Learning in Australian Universities website was authored by Richard James, Craig McInnis and Marcia Devlin of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE). The project was commissioned by the Australian Universities Teaching Committee. The site is designed to "support Australian universities and academic staff in maintaining high quality assessment practices, in particular in responding effectively to new issues in student assessment". The site features practical guides on assessing large classes, on-line assessment, plagiarism, and assessing group work.

Higher Education at the Crossroads
Higher Education at the Crossroads is a review of Australian higher education undertaken by the Commonwealth Department of Education Science and Training.

Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC)
Part of the AUTC's brief is to "identify emerging issues in teaching and learning in Australian universities." Its website includes details of its projects, reports and publications. It also features details of the Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Exchange
Exchange is an electronic journal published tri-annually. It "exists to stimulate the sharing of ideas, practices and news about learning and teaching in higher education." Each issue examines a different theme and the entire issue can be freely downloaded in .pdf format.

Web and Computer Based Learning

The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice
The final report of the Web-Based Education Commission (WBEC) in the USA, whose mission is to "recommend actions to help ensure that all learners have full and equal access to the capabilities of the World Wide Web, and to ensure that online content and learning strategies are affordable and meet the highest standards of educational quality".

WebED
Based in Ohio, USA, WebED began as an Ohio Supercomputer Center initiative to support members of the Ohio academic community interested in technology applications for distance education. The development of the project has been funded by the Ohio Learning Network (OLN). The site contains news, announcements and also links to other relevant sites.

Determining the costs of online courses
A tool from Marshall University in the USA, for calculating the costs of online courses (in US dollars). A link is also provided for downloading a paper by the creator of the tool, Brian M. Morgan: Is Distance Learning Worth It? Helping to Determine the Costs of Online Courses.

Evaluation and Selection of Web Course Management Tools
An article by Sunil Hazari, EdD, from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, USA. It includes an evaluation, prepared by the University of Maryland College Web Course Committee, of web course management tools, and links to references and online resources.

An experiment in group learning technology: evaluating critical thinking in face-to-face and computer-supported seminars
Written by D R Newman, Chris Johnson, Clive Cochrane and Brian Webb from the School of Finance and Information, Queen's University, Belfast, Ireland, this paper offers "a detailed analysis of the results of an experiment comparing the quality of learning in seminars, conducted face-to-face and via the Network Telepathy computer conferencing system". The group "set out to measure the depth of critical thinking occurring in both group learning settings".

Horses to water: why course newsgroups fail
In a series of four studies, student postings on newsgroups created for their courses at Carleton University were monitored, and opinions were gathered from samples of students and instructors regarding their newsgroup activities. Results showed that a majority of students and instructors did not participate in discussions and when participation was required by linking it to assessment, the quality was questionable.

Learning Technology
A publication of the IEEE Computer Society Learning Technology Task Force that gathers together scholarly articles on the use of technology in learning. It is possible to subscribe to the journal and have it delivered automatically as soon as it has been published on the web. An archive of issues appears on the site.

The eLearning Guild
The eLearning Guild is "a member-driven Community of Practice where e-Learning designers, developers and managers can focus on their professional development". Its website has a vast library of e-learning resources arranged into categories. Users must become Guild Associates to access these resources. This is available free of charge.

WebCT Information

Flexible Online Learning Project, University of Sydney
The Flexible Online Learning Project has been launched by the Major Projects Group to create a comprehensive online interface where all members of the University of Sydney community can access or provide school services and information, including course material, discussion groups, academic records and assessments. WebCT has been selected as the University's delivery platform for this project. Training, WebCT help desk contacts and background information are included.

WebCT Access for University of Sydney Staff and Students
WebCT Site for University of Sydney Staff and Students (requires password).

WebCT
The homepage of the company who produce the WebCT software. The site includes resources for users of the product including software trials, online teaching tips, discussion groups and articles

Digital Media

Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Imaging
Published by the Council on Library and Information Resources, USA, this page includes information on planning an imaging project, selecting a scanner, imaging systems: the range of factors affecting image quality, measuring quality of digital masters, file formats for digital masters and references and further reading.

Moving Theory into Practice: Digital Imaging Tutorial
Produced by Cornell University Library, this is an authoritative overview of digital imaging that explains terminology, standards and processes for creating digital material.

Veterinary education

Academic Board Review of the Faculty of Veterinary Science
The Academic Board Review Team visited the Faculty of Veterinary Science as part of its review and evaluation of teaching, learning and research training in the Faculty. This document represents the Final Report and Recommendations of the Review Team based on that visit.

Subject benchmark statement: Veterinary Science
Published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (UK). The statement includes "expressions of the professional/employment related abilities that graduates in veterinary science would be expected to have developed during their higher education and practice based experiences." The document is in .pdf format.

Review of Australia's rural veterinary services
The Review was conducted by the Commonwealth Government and sought to determine: "what will be the future needs of Australia’s livestock enterprises and industries and animal health systems; what are the expected roles and requirements for veterinarians in meeting these needs; what will be required to ensure people with the required veterinary and veterinary related training and expertise are available where and when needed." The final report, as well as background papers, discussion papers, and media releases are published in full.

Association of Teachers of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine
The ATVPHPM is "a professional organization for all persons involved in advancing veterinary public health and preventive medicine. Its membership includes teachers, researchers, practitioners, administrators, and students in the United States, Canada, and other countries."

Research databases and indexes

Recommended research databases and indexes for this area of study are: ERIC, PAIS, APAIS and Web of Science for a teaching information for a range of disciplines, and MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts and AGRICOLA for veterinary and animal science teaching information.