Learning for vets a click away

The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) has revolutionised veterinary education in the country by facilitating ‘anytime-anywhere’ learning for veterinary students.

“An e-course for BVSc which was developed under the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has contents for 69 courses offered in nine semesters spread over five years of the degree course,” said TANUVAS vice-chancellor Dr R Prabhakaran.

Seventy-nine persons developed the programme in modular object oriented dynamic learning environment (MOODLE) platform. The `22.47 lakh project is supported by co-teachers from outside TANUVAS, he said.

Dr Prabhakaran said the content developers were initially exposed to e-content creation procedures, e-content protocols, development of multimedia and animation, working in MOODLE through a number of  training programmes.

“To provide a comprehensive working environment for content developers to create e-content, necessary computer hardware and software were procured and installed setting up two e-learning laboratories - one at Madras Veterinary College, Chennai and other at Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal.

The e-content was reviewed by 144 external experts from across the country. It is hosted online on www.elearnvet.net