VetMeDiSim (Skill Lab and Toolbox)
Mission
The objective behind the creation of CARE VetMeDiSim was to bring together under one umbrella the ToolBox (teaching support unit) and the FMV - Skill Lab (simulation-based learning platform) to form a faculty entity providing educational support through simulation and digital technology.
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The formal structure thus created is responsible for the organization, coordination, management, maintenance, development, and promotion of the services offered by the two entities that comprise it.
This official structure is necessary for the effective and rational pooling of faculty resources, in terms of skills and equipment, for greater pedagogical consistency for students, and is part of an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary approach.
Context
Innovation in teaching at FMV is nothing new. As early as 2011, before the development of these simulation-based learning techniques, the Multimedia Teaching Support Unit (CAEM, later renamed ToolBox) was offering solutions to the needs of the time by creating video clips and specific platforms for faculty teaching.
Subsequently, the Skill Lab's activities began with the acquisition of a few mannequins, followed by the successive addition of activities and the creation of new "homemade" mannequins, all as part of a bottom-up approach motivated by the educational value of these tools. Expanding rapidly since 2019, the Skill Lab has paved the way for learning veterinary medicine through simulation.
Teachers are increasingly embracing the possibilities offered by these decidedly more modern teaching methods. These methods are more in line with the expectations of students (more training in technical skills without directly practicing on live animals, breaking down barriers between subjects, professional scenarios), the profession (teaching quality standards and AEEEV accreditation), and society (ethics of using animals for teaching purposes, animal welfare, and students who are better prepared for professional situations in the field).
The diversification of the Skill Lab's activities and pedagogical advances in line with the needs of the profession have also led to the creation of a specially equipped room dedicated to developing students' interpersonal skills through role-playing exercises that can be observed behind a two-way mirror.
All these developments have made it necessary to structure an official entity at the faculty level, CARE VetMeDiSim.
Activities
Specifically, several areas of activity are being developed within CARE:
- The acquisition of technical skillstechnical (procedural skills) essential to the work performed by veterinarians, allowing students to practice, under supervision, on mannequins (synthetic simulators). The aim is to acquire the necessary dexterity and confidence before performing procedures on live animals, whether they are educational or belong to owners, in order to address major ethical issues, especially in a context where there are a large number of students.
- The development of interpersonal skills in professional situations through simulations of veterinary consultations or other professional interactions, followed by debriefing;
- Integrating the skills acquired by students by immersing them in simulated professional situations directly derived from the reality of the profession, where they must use both their technical and interpersonal skills. These situations are contextualized, vary in complexity, and are adapted to their level of training. Each simulation is followed by individualized feedback;
- Support forthe integration of digital tools into teaching, with the aim of diversifying the activities offered to respond as widely as possible to students' preferences and learning styles. This integration of digital technology also aims to make certain courses hybrid in order to promote flexibility in learning in the context of the Landscape Decree, to enrich teaching experiences with new forms of activities, and to offer attractive and/or fun innovations to strengthen students' motivation in their learning;
- Research projects related to the educational activities offered, the development of new training programs, and the evaluation of their impact on student learning will be developed and will be the subject of a doctoral thesis.
Target audiences
First and foremost, CARE serves FMV staff and students. Depending on the project, the focus may be more or less on one or the other. Although each center has its own areas of focus, many of the creative activities in the ToolBox and the simulation-based teaching in the Skill Lab overlap.
Benefits for the wider scientific community (at ULiège and internationally) then follow through the sharing of our productions and thanks to research projects carried out on our teaching techniques.
Organizational chart
Management Board
The Management Board is composed of A. Clinquart (Chair/Dean), C. Delguste (Director), F. Farnir (Director, UDI), T. Art (Academic), S. Parrilla Hernández and S. Tasnier (Scientist / VetMeDiSim), L. Leinartz (PATO / VetMeDiSim), G. Bolen (CPFC) and F. Beaufays (Permanent Guest).
