Enhancing Veterinary Education in Cambodia: Evaluation of Web-Based Resources in Teaching Herd Health and Epidemiology.

Abstract

It can be challenging for veterinary schools in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to teach the 11 Competencies identified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) due to inadequate faculty and teaching resources. This paper discusses the evaluation of web-based educational resources to support teaching in the Veterinary Faculty at the Royal University of Agriculture in Cambodia. Content- and pedagogy-based materials addressing herd health and epidemiology/disease investigation, their most urgent needs, were developed via a collaboration between Iowa State University, Ohio State University, and Massey University (New Zealand). Content-based resources were developed as a Moodle-based, server-mounted series of PowerPoint presentations, supported by a wide range of learning and assessment activities that the faculty could draw on in their teaching. Pedagogical resources were directed at strategic alignment between intended learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessment. The use of these resources at the Royal University of Agriculture was evaluated by questionnaires, focus group discussions, and classroom observations. Results showed that the resources had been well received by the faculty, who drew on them to augment their own (Khmer-language) teaching materials, and to maintain teaching quality, especially during COVID-19 lockdowns. To a lesser degree, the faculty used the pedagogical materials and made modest shifts toward student-centered methods, which were observed to promote student engagement in their learning. The general agreement among the faculty on the overall benefits gained supports the development of future digital content and pedagogical materials to address the remaining nine Competencies.