The Joint Vet School: Groundbreaking Co-design
One of KIITE's flagship projects is to shape curriculum design for the Harper & Keele Joint Vet School, an initiative shared by Keele University and Harper Adams University.
The new Vet School will provide a five-year programme leading to a Bachelors in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, with training delivered on both University campuses in partnership with local clinical providers and industry. Accreditation will come from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Such a bold project requires careful co-design, and that's where KIITE is stepping in. Diverse teaching cultures and traditions, a dual site cohort of students, and the need to create a resilient and connected student community: these factors need careful pedagogical and practical expertise to resolve.
So far, the KIITE team has helped shape the design of particular modules dedicated to developing communication skills and resilience in students who face challenging veterinary scenarios. Our Academic Developers and Student Learning experts have been devising ways to develop interpersonal and emotional intelligence, as well as clinical savvy.
Matt Street, KIITE's Learning Technology Manager, has been grappling with questions of live-streaming lecture content between sites, and developing an online infrastructure of collaboration and discussion that will need to be in place for the degree to succeed: "The key is developing an online community that nurtures live interaction in labs and lectures", Matt explains, "and being open to flexible, interactive modes of sharing knowledge beyond the face-to-face sessions".