Beyond the physical skills station : student usage of clinical skills demonstration videos in veterinary clinical skills teaching

Abstract

As part of a project to explore outcomes when students have access to a blended learning approach to clinical skills provision, the Pauline Brown Clinical Skills Centre at the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, produced an online library of clinical skills demonstration videos. These videos complement the illustrated skill instruction booklets which accompany each physical skills station and can be accessed via Quick Response (QR) codes; they are also available remotely through the University virtual learning environment. This allows students off-site access, for example when completing Extra Mural Studies (EMS) rotations with veterinary practitioners. Use of the videos by three academic years of students was evaluated through viewing statistics and an online survey, focusing on how, when and where the videos were accessed, and student attitudes to this aspect of clinical skills provision. Students reported that they may watch the same video multiple times, as both an adjunct to practical teaching sessions and an aid during self-directed skills rehearsal. The videos were also valued as assisting with preparation for both practical assessments and EMS. Students viewed this method of learning clinical skills as an enjoyable and useful enhancement of their learning experience and would like the existing library to be expanded. These findings therefore support continuing development of clinical skills demonstration videos within the Department of Veterinary Medicine and are also consistent with conclusions drawn from the existing medical and veterinary literature on the use of videos in clinical skills teaching(*1, *2). References: *1. Roshier, A. L., Foster, N. and Jones, M. A., 2011. Veterinary students’ usage and perception of video teaching resources. British Medical Education, 2011, 11 (1). *2. Forbes, H., Oprescu, F. I., Downer, T., Phillips, N. M., McTier, L., Lord, B., Barr, N., Alla, K., Bright, P., Dayton, J., Simbag, V. and Visser, I., 2016. Use of videos to support teaching and learning of clinical skills in nursing education: A review. Nurse Education Today, 42, pp.53-56.