The project will produce an open access series of online, re-usable learning tools presented as a clear web tutorial. It is hoped the online resource will increase the opportunities for students and members of the veterinary profession to engage in EBVM. The tutorial will have a number of modules teaching the fundamental concepts of evidence-based veterinary medicine such as finding evidence, creating patient questions, evaluating evidence, critically appraising the literature and designing knowledge summaries with clinical bottom lines for clinicians.
Brief tasks will allow users to apply and test their knowledge in bite-sized ways, for example by answering multiple choice questions, identifying appropriate clinical questions and designing search strategies to answer those questions, completing a literature search and filling in a template for a knowledge summary.
Dr Kristen Reyher, Senior Lecturer in Farm Animal Science in the School of Veterinary Sciences, who is leading the project team, said: “This project is the largest RCVS Knowledge award to date. It is a significant step forward and will establish Bristol as a leader in this essential area. Our approach will increase the opportunities for students and members of the profession to engage in this exciting field, and the online resource will offer the flexibility to be re-used not only in independent learning, but also in a variety of teaching and learning scenarios across the sector.
“As a global group, we are passionate about being involved in larger, long-term projects to push EBVM further into the consciousness of the profession, and believe this project moves us one step further along in bringing together key stakeholders and creating an excellent online re-usable resource.”
Knowledge of the theory, teaching, and practice of EBVM already exists at universities, and the project team have particular expertise in the field. The team also represents diverse backgrounds as clinicians, scientists, researchers and many areas of the veterinary profession. The team believe that collaboration, sharing and adaptation of the many resources that have already been developed individually is the most powerful way to meet stakeholder needs and make a significant contribution to EBVM.
It is hoped the team’s approach will increase the opportunities for students and members of the profession to engage in this exciting field and, by using best practice in pedagogy, help ensure the topic is introduced well and adopted wholeheartedly by the veterinary profession.
The resource will be available as a stand-alone tutorial for independent learning and will also have the flexibility for institutions to re-use and re-purpose individual parts to meet their own training needs. The resource will be showcased at RCVS Knowledge’s EBVM Skills Day 2015 in London this autumn [Friday 30 October].