education

The Indian Project

Training teachers and professionals in the use of alternatives in education

For the first time in the world a training in the use of alternatives in edcucation was organised in India.

Over 800 academia across India, veterinary, pharmacology, life sciences and medical universities, were invited to send their represenatives to a training workshop and seminar "Alternatives, Animal Welfare and the Curriculum" which was organised in August-September 2004. The workshop was conducted in ten cities across India to train teachers in the use of alternatives in veterinary, pharmacology,medical and life science education.

Over 400 teachers and professionals were trained by way of a one day workshop in the cities of Mumbai, Baroda, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata and Nagpur. The project was conducted with the support of InterNICHE and WSPA. Modern and progressive pedagogic tools such as CAL, models, mannekins, training simulators and self training apparatus were demonstrated.Participants were also trained in the 'Concepts in Animal Welfare Curriculum' of the WSPA and the University of Bristol,UK.

The following alternatives in the disciplines of pharmacology, zoology, physiology, critical care, surgery and anatomy were demonstrated by experts and participants were allowed to self train and use them. The alternatives were selected after an indepth study of the veterinary, pharmacology, zoology and medical curricula in India and chosen as they are absolute replacements to animal use in these disciplines.

Pharmacology:
- CAL Pharmacology Compilation CD (Dr R Raveendran)
- Simulations of Pharmacological Experiments on the Guinea Pig Ileum (COACS)
- Cardiolab (Biosoft)
Physiology:
- Physiology Simulators CD (Dr G Cotor)
- Biopac Student Lab self-experimentation apparatus (Biopac)
- PhysioEx 5.0 CD (Benjamin Cummings)
Veterinary Anatomy, Clinical Skills, Surgery & Critical Care
- The Cow Model (Sri Krishna Models)
- Dog Anatomy CD (Colorado State University)
- Humane Embalming and the Peristaltic Pump CD (Kumar, Tufts)
- Plastinated Rat and Frog (InterNICHE)
- Suture Patch (Rescue Critters)
- Skin and Suture Pattern Trainer (Ohio State University)
- Hollow Organ Simulator (Ohio State University)
- IM and SubQ Injection Pad (Rescue Critters)
- Koken Rat model (Koken Co.)
- Canine Foreleg model (UCDavis)
- K-9 Intubation Trainer (Rescue Critters)
- Critical Care 'Jerry' advanced mannekin (Rescue Critters)
- Ovario-hysterectomy video
Zoology
- Vertebrate Dissection Guides CDs - Pigeon, Dogfish, and Functional Anatomy of the Rat (Media Development Centre)
- ProDissector Frog CD (Schneider & Morse Group)
- Invertebrates Zoology: Multimedia Lab Assistant CD (Tangent Scientific)
- The Anatomy of the Freshwater Mussel video (Carolina Biological Supply)
- DissectionWorks Deluxe CD - Earthworm (Science Works)

WORKSHOP ON THE USE OF ANIMAL ALTERNATIVES IN LIFE SCIENCE EDUCATION

The Bharathidasan University, due to its continuous interaction with the CPCSEA, Govt. of India and the support received from I-CARE in the last few years, is credited as the first University in India to have made a 95% reduction in the use of live animals in teaching of zoology. The efforts of Dr S. Muthukumaran, Former Vice Chancellor, Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, Prof. Dr Akbar Shah, Chairperson, Board of Studies (Zoology), Bharathidasan University and Dr M.C. Sathyanarayana, MVC College, Mayladuthurai, in bringing about this revolutionary change is gratefully acknowledged by I-CARE.

The Department of Zoology and Division of Wildlife Biology, A.V.C.COLLEGE, Mayiladuturai,Tamilnadu,India organized a one day WORKSHOP ON THE USE OF ANIMAL ALTERNATIVES IN LIFE SCIENCE EDUCATION for University teachers affiliated to Bharthidasan University on 15th March 2005 in the College Campus. The workshop was sponsored by I-CARE[International Centre for Alternatives in Research and Education, Chennai, India.

50 Zoology Lecturer, Readers, Chairpersons and members of graduate and Post graduate Board of Studies affiliated to the Bharathidasan University, a premier University in India participated in the workshop.

Dignitaries who attended and felicitated the event included Dr.G.Ramasamy Reader in Zoology,Dr.V.Radhakrishnan, Principal, A.V.C. College, Mayiladuturai, Prof.Dr.Akbarsha, Professor and Head, Dept. of Zoology, Bharathidasan University and Chairperson, Board of Studies in Zoology and Prof.Dr.S.Ramakrishna, Coordinator, Veterinary Education ICARE,Chennai.

DR.M.C.Sathyanarayana, WORKSHOP CO-ORDINATOR emphasized the relevance, importance and need to utilize alternatives to the use of animals in the teaching of life sciences.. He referred to and demonstrated the state of the art virtual dissection CD's like PRODISSECTOR for frog, the DISSECTION WORKS CDs on Dog fish, Rat, Pigeon and PHYSIOEX for animal physiology. He also explained the contents and utility of each of these alternatives emphasizing that the teachers can make use of the assessment methods (quiz, tag, labeling, assessment testing) also available in these programmes. A copy of his paper entitled "Computer-Based Technology (Digitization) in Animal Science Curricular transformation" was distributed to all the participants. He remarked that the Bharathidasan University, Trichy was the first university to revise the post graduate and graduate syllabi in zoology by replacing the animal dissection .

Dr.V.Radhakrishnan, Principal, A.V.C.College, Mayiladuturai in his Presidential Address spoke about he significance of the acronym "I-CARE" which in itself he indicated the mandate of the center said prods us each of us to endeavour to "Care for animals and their welfare". He elaborated on the economic viability of using alternatives and the need to be sensitive to the ecological damage done in the last few years by the continuous use of millions live specimens in teaching life sciences. He encouraged teachers to adopt and use CDs, models and mannekins in the teaching of zoology as an effective and viable alternative to the use live animals .

Prof.Dr.S.Ramakrishna, Coordinator- Veterinary Education I-CARE, said that I-CARE will proactively work to promote and propagate the use of non animal teaching aids and progressive pedagogic tools in veterinary, pharmacology and life science education. He further demonstrated several alternatives advocated for Veterinary education and the teaching of physiology .

Prof.Dr.M.Akbarshah, Chairman, Board of Studies, Bharathidasan University, in his key note address said that if we realized that from both perspectives of biodiversity and ethics, killing of animals should be avoided, we would be get inclined towards dispensing with the practice of using live animals for teaching life sciences. His pertinent question was "What prevents us from changing?". Very often he said we teachers are bogged down with the faith that dissections are the only methodology of acquiring first hand knowledge of the science of animal anatomy. In a changing world scenario, he said, today, animal anatomy can be learned effectively using interactive virtual programs or models. The resource material "Dispensing with Animal Sacrifice for Dissection" prepared by Dr. Akbarsha was also distributed to the participants.

The Technical Session was conducted by Dr..M.C.Sathyanarayana,Co-ordinator of the Workshop. Important CD's that were demonstrated and practiced upon by the participants included "Pro Dissector-Frog", CDs on Dog fish, Pigeon, Rat (Dissection Works).

During the post lunch session the participants were given a VIRTUAL LABORATORY HANDS ON TRAINING in the use of the alternatives .This was followed by an interactive session .Most participants expressed their difficulty in procuring live specimens, especially frogs and the revulsion students had to killing live animals . This was particularly true with girl students who were more sensitive to hurting live animals and handling them, they said.

Dr.Devi Swetharanyam, Chairperson, Graduate Board of Studies in Zoology, Bharathidasan University informed that the board has decided to change the syllabus from the coming academic year 2005-06, and stop the use of frogs and calotes in all graduate teaching in the university.