Training in the Laboratory Animal Science Community: Strategies to Support Adult Learning

Abstract

The essence of learning is change; learning is the process by which learners customize new information to make it personally meaningful and relevant. Training is the process of helping students make those changes. Research indicates that adults learn differently than children or adolescents and that adults consistently use the following six learning strategies: prior experiences; conversations; metacognition; reflection; authentic experiences; and images, pictures, or other types of visuals. Each of these learning strategies can be combined with the other strategies and often build upon each other. A recent study on how health care professionals learn indicated that the learning strategy they used most often was reflection, which supports learning before, during, and after training. Numerous examples are provided in this article describing how to integrate each of the six adult learning strategies into laboratory animal science training. While lectures and other types of direct instruction are appropriate, they are inadequate and ineffective unless they are integrated with and support adult learning strategies. Both the US Department of Agriculture regulations and the Public Health Service Policy mandate that research institutions must ensure that all personnel involved in animal care, treatment, or use are qualified to perform their duties. Applying adult learning strategies to training for the laboratory animal science community will enhance learning and improve both the science and the humane care of the animals, which is a goal our community must continuously strive to achieve.

A proposed framework for holding intensive 3Rs workshops in laboratory animal science

“…The workshops are delivered according to the workshop curriculum and the ethical framework. Certain strategies [ 8 ] should be undertaken to facilitate the adult learning. The first part of the workshop is dedicated to moral sensitization.…”

Fundamental Training for Individuals Involved in the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: A Review and Update of the 1991 NRC Core Training Module

“…As stated in the 1991 Education and Training Guide, "The education and training methods you select will depend on your audience, the objectives that have been set, and the resources you have available" (NRC 1991, p. 4). In a preceding article in this issue, "Training in the Laboratory Animal Science Community: Strategies to Support Adult Learning" (Dobrovolny et al 2007), the authors discuss these factors and provide a broad overview of different strategies to provide training for adults.…”

New Frontiers in Education and Training for the Laboratory Animal Community and the Public: An Overview of Select Proceedings from the June 2006 Forum of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine

“…Learning must be both relevant and interesting to the students for them to become actively engaged in the learning process. Much of what Dr. Castor-Scheufler presented is included in the second manuscript in this article titled "Training in the Laboratory Animal Science Community: Strategies to Support Adult Learning" (Dobrovolny et al 2007). We recommend that teachers use the characteristics of student-centered learning (see Table 2) to assess whether they are utilizing effective strategies to turn their classroom into a learning community, with students actively seeking information.…”