Comparison of Self-Directed and Instructor-Led Practice Sessions for Teaching Clinical Skills in Food Animal Reproductive Medicine.

While the use of simulator-based clinical skill training has become increasingly popular in veterinary education in recent years, little research has been done regarding optimal implementation of such tools to maximize student learning in veterinary curricula. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of supervised and unsupervised deliberate practice on clinical skills development in veterinary medicine students. A total of 150 veterinary students took part in instructor-led practice (supervised) or self-directed practice (unsupervised) at a selection of four learning stations in a veterinary skills laboratory. Each learning station consisted of a teaching simulator, materials required to complete the task, and a standard operating procedure detailing how to execute the task. Students used Likert scales to self-evaluate their clinical skills before and after practice sessions, in addition to evaluating their motivation to practice a given task. An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was used to compare participants' clinical skills performance between learning stations. We were able to show that practice had a significant positive effect on OSCE scores at three out of six available learning stations. Motivation ratings varied between learning stations and were positively correlated with an increase in self-perceived clinical skills. At an instructor-to-student ratio of approximately 1:8, supervision had no effect on OSCE scores at four out of six learning stations. At the remaining two learning stations, self-directed practice resulted in better learning outcomes than instructor-led practice.

Reliability and utility of citizen science reef monitoring data collected by Reef Check Australia, 2002-2015.

Reef Check Australia (RCA) has collected data on benthic composition and cover at >70 sites along >1000km of Australia's Queensland coast from 2002 to 2015. This paper quantifies the accuracy, precision and power of RCA benthic composition data, to guide its application and interpretation. A simulation study established that the inherent accuracy of the Reef Check point sampling protocol is high (<±7% error absolute), in the range of estimates of benthic cover from 1% to 50%. A field study at three reef sites indicated that, despite minor observer- and deployment-related biases, the protocol does reliably document moderate ecological changes in coral communities. The error analyses were then used to guide the interpretation of inter-annual variability and long term trends at three study sites in RCA's major 2002-2015 data series for the Queensland coast.

Measurement of heat stress conditions at cow level and comparison to climate conditions at stationary locations inside a dairy barn.

The objectives of this study were to examine heat stress conditions at cow level and to investigate the relationship to the climate conditions at 5 different stationary locations inside a dairy barn. In addition, we compared the climate conditions at cow level between primiparous and multiparous cows for a period of 1 week after regrouping. The temperature-humidity index (THI) differed significantly between all stationary loggers. The lowest THI was measured at the window logger in the experimental stall and the highest THI was measured at the central logger in the experimental stall. The THI at the mobile cow loggers was 2·33 THI points higher than at the stationary loggers. Furthermore, the mean daily THI was higher at the mobile cow loggers than at the stationary loggers on all experimental days. The THI in the experimental pen was 0·44 THI points lower when the experimental cow group was located inside the milking parlour. The THI measured at the mobile cow loggers was 1·63 THI points higher when the experimental cow group was located inside the milking parlour. However, there was no significant difference for all climate variables between primiparous and multiparous cows. These results indicate, there is a wide range of climate conditions inside a dairy barn and especially areas with a great distance to a fresh air supply have an increased risk for the occurrence of heat stress conditions. Furthermore, the heat stress conditions are even higher at cow level and cows not only influence their climatic environment, but also generate microclimates within different locations inside the barn. Therefore climate conditions should be obtained at cow level to evaluate the heat stress conditions that dairy cows are actually exposed to.