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Department of Animal Science, UC Davis
The Department of Animal Science, through the leadership of Associate Professor Jan Roser, has cooperated with three other universities to organize the first equine distance learning program in California.
In 1994, UC Davis, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Fresno, joined together to form the California Universities Equine Sciences Consortium (CUESC). The mission of the CUESC is to share expertise through the instruction of upper division equine science courses and to provide outreach (extension) educational short courses to the California horse industry.
Course lectures transmitted via compressed video, provide students with live, two-way, interactive communication with their professors. The courses are taught in the evenings to fit into the schedules of the students participating at different universities. "It is very exciting to be able to sit in a classroom at Davis and communicate via TV with students and professors from all over the state on equine related topics," comments Dr. Roser.
During a 15-month period, four courses were completed via interactive distance learning, including Equine Exercise Physiology, Equine Nutrition and Farrier Science. Advanced Equine Reproduction will be incorporated during the 1996-97 academic year.
This cooperative effort has enhanced the learning environment at the respective campuses b integrating faculty expertise encompassing many different disciplines, as well as expanded student access to more professors with expertise in the equine sciences and expanded equine science course offerings at the individual campuses. "Furthermore," says Dr. Roser, "it has facilitated collaboration between the schools in the areas of information transfer and research."
Overall student satisfaction with the distance learning format has been favorable; 4.3 on a 5 point scale ( 1 =poor and 5=excellent). Student surveys suggest that the educational benefits of this technology diminish any audio or visual technical difficulties experienced during a class session.
The Department of Animal Science finds that this technology has enhanced and complemented the undergraduate and graduate learning experiences in the equine science program. Department Development Board member, Robert Bray, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona, was a key player in the initiation of this coursework program.
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