Making animal sciences relevant to the Urban student: Connecting to the real world

Abstract Text: The current Animal Science student is not from an agricultural background and is female.  Learning requires information be assimilated onto a conceptual framework.  Coming from non-Agricultural backgrounds makes it more difficult for students to create the conceptual framework around animals and livestock on their own without help from the instructor.  Both experiential and active learning approaches are needed to create context. For example, we can use laboratories, simulations/case studies, writing exercises and international activities in or outside of the classroom.  Laboratories in Animal Sciences have the opportunity to utilize animals, tissues or forages to demonstrate how lecture connects to the real world.  For students who do not have a connection with livestock, the chance to interact with cattle, sheep, pigs, or horses may be their first experience with a large animal.  Any exposure to or contact with animals in the context of learning is experiential and a profound life-changing event for most students. Laboratories also ensure students learn how to interact as a team to achieve some outcome.  The interplay between students in these teams allows the construction of new contextual information so critical in long-lasting learning.  Simulations/case studies provide an increase in student motivation to learn by creating a “need to know” situation.  While expensive initially, simulations and cases can be used in subsequent years without the initial investment or need to maintain animals.  Writing exercises as a required skill in any occupation can also provide a means for students to think more deeply on a subject and create their own connections to the real world.  International agriculture increasingly is becoming the focus of not only commodity sales but also direct competition for the US agriculture economy.  The classical method of travel to an international destination is out of the economic reach of many Animal Science students.  Case studies can have students solve problems in a foreign culture/environment and so gain novel solutions but also international competency.  A key impediment to learning is not seeing anyone who connects with you as a role model or presents a point of reference for you to aspire or that is even relevant.  Female students may not see themselves as an animal scientist as they only see and hear male instructors.  Animal science must remain sensitive to the needs of society and their students if they are to retain relevance in the future.

Keywords: experiential, active, learning