Use of simulation models in education

Introduction• Veterinary students are most often drawn to this

profession by their love and affection for animals, and their strong desire to help relieve animals of all forms of stress, pain and discomfort.

• Use of live animals in education, experiments and research goes against the basic rights of any animals and also against the ethics and morals of most students in the field.

• It is often considered cruel and inhumane.• Thus, new and different alternate methods to the use of

live animals have been established, to lessen pain, fill gaps left by conventional methods, provide a variety of opportunities for learning and to result in graduation of more confident and efficient veterinarians, veterinary technicians and allied health personnel.

The Alternatives..

Models and manikins • The model is a traditional anatomy learning tool, comprising a

plastic or latex representation of an animal or organ, dissected or with removable parts.

• Life-like manikins can support effective training of clinical skills such as animal handling, blood sampling and intubation.

• Manikins represent the whole animal. • While these are most readily available with common species

such as cats, dogs, and mice, it is possible to obtain whole body manikins of a vast number of other animals ranging from a flea to a horse.

• Instead of taking apart a specimen, clay models ask student to build the specimen. This allows for a more intuitive approach to learning anatomy whereby layers are added instead of removed.

• These alternatives help students gain confidence and competence through repeated practice before entering the real life clinical situation with animal patients.

Model(dog)

Manikin(horse)

Plastination• Plastination is a special technique with which people

can preserve biological tissue as it was when alive.• The results [of plastination] are clean, dry,

odourless, and durable real biological specimens that can be handled without gloves and do not require any special storage conditions or care.

• They can not only keep the original shape and appearance of the animals (fur, etc.) but also show their interior structure, vividly presenting the various postures of animals as they are alive.

• Furthermore, by replacing dissection, plastination eliminates student and instructor exposure to toxic substances such as formaldehyde.

Plastination(rat)

Plastination (ostrich)

Advantages• Feedback is provided during the learning

experience.• Learners engage in repetitive practice.• Learners practice with increasing levels of

difficulty.• It is adaptable to multiple learning strategies

and provides clinical variations.• It allows individualized learning.• It prevents cruelty to animals.• It is a more ethical and humane method.• It is more efficient and elaborate.

Conclusion• The replacement of harmful animal use has

been gaining momentum across the world, supported by developments in technology and the evolution of ethical thought. The multiple positive impact of alternatives means that this replacement is to the benefit of students, teachers, animals and the life sciences. It is a win-win situation, with a guarantee of ethical and effective acquisition of knowledge and skills in life science education and training.

Thank you!!!

Vani JhaveriV/11/175