18 Jan 2023
The new technology launch took place at the college’s Huntingdon campus, with both SVNs and veterinary employers having the opportunity to try out the system.
Rachael Buzzel
Job Title
New technology was introduced at the college’s Huntingdon campus in December.
Skills training at The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) has reached new heights with the release of its new virtual reality (VR) technology, part of its wider “Learning without limits” project.
The launch of the new technology took place at the college’s Huntingdon campus in December, with both SVNs and veterinary employers having the opportunity to try out the system for practical skills training, and has received “nothing but positive” feedback from attendees.
The VR programme focuses on training practical skills to SVNs in preparation for their OSCEs, taking students to a hyper-realistic clinical environment.
This allows them to practise a range of tasks, with the ultimate aim of creating muscle memory that will assist students when completing their real-world practical examinations.
Believed to be a first in veterinary nursing training, CAW is excited about the potential applications of its VR technology beyond the OSCEs.
The technology provides the opportunity for students to be able to further their education and training without having to incur the cost and environmental impact of travelling to a college campus to use real-world equipment in a clinical skills laboratory. The system can be used any time and does not need any physical veterinary equipment, making learning more accessible for all.
The VR project is the result of years of work, starting in 2020, and has been supported by an innovation grant from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which in turn was match-funded by the college.
The college has also launched a spin-off company, The Immersive Learning Factory, to offer VR development services to other colleges and universities, as well as for commercial applications.
The college and The Immersive Learning Factory team are already working on their next training courses to be created in virtual reality, including the practical skills tasks for the Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Veterinary Nursing, the Level 3 Apprenticeship and Diploma in Equine Veterinary Nursing, and the VetSkill Level 4 Certificate for Suitably Qualified Persons regulated programmes.
CAW will be holding future events to showcase the VR technology and more information about these events is available online, or by emailing [email protected]
More information about the technology is available via an informational video put together by the college, and a short clip of the virtual environment and tasks is also available.
