September 08, 2022

Interpretive Summary: A preliminary exploration of the impact of experiential learning on animal science undergraduates’ perceptions of humane stunning and slaughter

Interpretive Summary: A preliminary exploration of the impact of experiential learning on animal science undergraduates’ perceptions of humane stunning and slaughter

By: Paxton Sullivan, Melissa Davis, Colton L Smith, Robert Delmore, Noa Román-Muñiz, Catie Cramer, Lorann Stallones, Lily Edwards-Callaway

It is essential to educate students about humane slaughter as it is a critical component of livestock production, particularly for animal science students who represent future stakeholders in agriculture. There is limited research about the effects of experiential learning on student comfort in participating in education regarding sensitive, yet important topics in the animal sciences. A survey was developed to investigate how a teaching module using an experiential learning activity to teach undergraduates about the slaughter process affected student perceptions of stunning and slaughter. Students enrolled in an animal science course, in which live animals and carcasses are evaluated, were surveyed before and after a teaching module. The module included a lecture about proper stunning and a laboratory activity in which the students had the opportunity to shoot a captive bolt stunner on both model and carcass heads.

Read the full article in Translational Animal Science.