Teaching experimental design: outputs from the FELASA Working Group.

Abstract

Good education and training for scientists undertaking animal experiments is important for providing understanding of key issues in experimental design (ED) and for alleviating continuing concerns about the conduct of animal and in vitro research studies. We present here outputs from the FELASA Experimental Design Working Group, set up to consider the current provision of ED teaching and how it might be improved and harmonised across the laboratory animal science community. It is hoped that these outputs will provide practical help to ED teachers who wish to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching; they include• A list of learning outcomes (LOs) that should be achieved by learners, principally aimed at early career researchers;• An example of an (adaptable) template of how these LOs could be addressed in 16 h (12 h tuition plus breaks), ideally as a 2-day workshop. If circumstances make 12 h tuition impossible to achieve, key LOs for a shorter course are identified;• Guidance and recommendations for running ED courses, including some ideas for achieving effective learning, the ideal skill set for tutors, some teaching scenarios, and the amount of statistics to have in a basic experimental design course;• A glossary of relevant terms (in supplemental material);• A description of how the 2-day course format ran on two trial occasions, with results of informal assessment of participants as well as their feedback, both immediate and a year afterwards, indicating it was effective;• A programme for a potential 2-day, training-the-trainers style, workshop, describing its key elements and the results of trialling this with a range of ED tutors.