Using interactive role play videos to improve student communication skills

Short video series

Effective communication: Client with a cat

Poor communication: Client with a cat

One of the most effective ways for students to gain experience in veterinary client and animal communication is through receiving feedback during simulated consultations.

‘Veterinary Communication’ modules have been developed by academics Dr Joanna Aitken and Dr Christina Marth as a vertically integrated, scaffolded and evidence-based curriculum across all year levels of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.

The key goals of the modules are to train students to provide well-intentioned, balanced and specific feedback to their peers, both verbally and in written form, and to increase engagement with preparatory material for simulated consultation practical classes.

Previously, Dr Aitken and Dr Marth found that their students were not engaging with research articles provided as pre-reading for their practicals.

They proactively decided to redevelop this self-directed pre-reading task into a more engaging interactive online module. With the support of a FlexAP grant, they approached the Video and Media (VM) team and FlexAP learning designers to help them achieve their goal.

Bringing difficult vet-client conversations to life with video role-plays

Guided by the theoretical principles driving the curriculum, the VM producers made a series of short interactive videos depicting vet interactions with clients and animals.

The team employed a range of techniques to encourage student engagement, such as using familiar University locations for the clinical settings and hiring actors who reflected the diverse community of veterinarians and patients the students may encounter.

Scripted dialogue and illustrative camera angles were used to highlight examples of effective and poor communication, from initiating a consultation all the way to explaining a treatment plan.

FlexAP learning designers advised on how to embed the videos in the online module and helped to design the prompts and tasks required to fully engage students with the materials.

Together, the team pooled their knowledge, skills and expertise to create interactive media assets to guide student learners through a range of scenarios, fostering engagement and active learning for the students.

Due to the scaffolding of the self-directed, self-paced online interactive modules, students across multiple year levels receive individualised and actionable feedback from multiple sources, including staff facilitators, client actors and their peers.

These modules now provide each student with engaging opportunities to develop into truly effective communicators over time.

Shooting on location with a cute goat.

The students want more!

The module has been a great success, with Dr Aitken reporting that “...The students want MORE.”

An informal survey showed that 91% of students completed the online module prior to the next teaching session and 84% of these students reported that they found the module useful or very useful, to identify and reflect on the core skills of effective communication. This is in stark contrast to the previous lack of engagement in the pre-reading task.

The academic leads have also presented this novel approach to teaching communication skills at national and international veterinary education conferences. They are currently in the process of applying for human ethics to publish their approach to teaching effective communication during euthanasia consultations.

This project was produced by Video and Media. Supporting excellence in teaching and research at the University of Melbourne.

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