‘From teaching to doing’ a Framework for Sustainability within Veterinary Education
The Vet Sustain Curriculum Working Group brings together representatives from UK veterinary teaching institutions with the aim of building upon, and aligning, sustainability concepts in the curricula for undergraduate students. The group have created a framework ‘from teaching to doing’ highlighting how sustainability themes can be built into veterinary education. Dr Saira Khurshid Akhtar, member of the curriculum working group, recently presented this framework at the annual Veted Symposium.
Vet Sustain
The Vet Sustain Curriculum Working Group is one of four working groups within Vet Sustain (Food and Farming, Greener Veterinary Practice, Equine, Curriculum). With representatives from the majority of UK veterinary schools, this group meet on a frequent basis to discuss sustainability concepts for undergraduate curricula.
The group has been working on a framework ‘from teaching to doing’, after surveying member institutions from the majority of UK veterinary schools capturing how sustainability is currently being implemented in veterinary curricula. Advance HE evidence-informed themes (Cross & Congreve, 2024) have been incorporated into the framework to capture a current snapshot of sustainability in veterinary curricula and institutions. These themes include both explicit and implicit (or hidden) examples of sustainable curricula. Explicit examples may be visible in learning outcomes delivered in teaching material, and implicit examples may include activities carried out on campus, for example the creation of wildlife gardens. These themes can be arranged into a spectrum from ‘teaching’ the explicit curriculum to ‘doing’ the implicit curriculum.
Dr Saira Amelia Khurshid Akhtar, teaching fellow at the RVC and member of the Vet Sustain Curriculum Working Group presented the framework as a poster at the annual VetEd Symposium held in at the University College Dublin in July this year. This conference brings together veterinary educators from the UK and internationally to discuss and share the latest advancements in veterinary education and curricula.
Through the themes of education, monitoring, students, campus and institutions, the framework highlights key areas that are relevant along with examples of sustainability-focused initiatives from each institution.
The work will emphasize key aspects that will be of interest to those seeking to expand and/or plan to include sustainability concepts and pedagogies in their curricula. With a ‘whole profession approach’ at the core, institutions and the profession have a shared a responsibility to help prepare students, staff and our extended networks to face a challenging and uncertain future. This can be best achieved by working in collaboration, sharing experiences, resources and supporting each other and it is hoped that the Vet Sustain Curriculum Working Group will continue to foster this approach among Veterinary Institutions.
References:
Cross, I & Congreve, A. (2024). The sustainable institutions project: an evidence-informed review of good practice. AdvanceHE report. Available at: https://advance-he.ac.uk/knowl...