Abstract:

The Supervised Practices subject of the Veterinary Degree is taken during the second term of the last year. In this subject, students must demonstrate the acquisition of all 'Day One Competencies': those essential for the professional practice of veterinary and acquired throughout the degree programme. The subject is structured into six rotations, and this innovation project was carried out in the Animal Production rotation at the Veterinary Teaching Farm. The objective of the present study was the implementation of Quick Response (QR) technology linked to informational resources, with the purpose of facilitating the consolidation of key concepts acquired during the degree.

Twelve Quick Response (QR) codes were developed, linking to diverse educational resources (demonstration videos for feed, blood, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sampling; animal welfare and identification legislation; and the operational procedures of a slurry treatment plant). The codes were printed, laminated, and strategically positioned in high-visibility areas throughout the University of Murcia’s Veterinary Teaching Farm. On the first day, students were briefed on the project’s objectives and the possibility of reviewing information by scanning the QR codes with their mobile devices. Upon completion of the 15-day rotation, 52 students were invited to voluntarily and anonymously complete a 6-item Likert scale online survey, ranging from 1 (lowest rating) to 5 (highest rating), to assess student perceptions regarding the educational use of these QR codes, their perceived usefulness, and suggestions for improvement.

A total of 24 students (46%) participated in the survey, 58% of whom had prior experience using QR codes in educational context. Forty-six percent of respondents rated the strategy as useful and suggested expanding its implementation to other activities. Regarding the suitability of the QR code placement, the mean score was 3.6±1.2, while the perceived utility of the information was rated at 3.5±1.4. Concerning the specific content provided through the QR links, ratings ranged from 2.92±1.4 to 4.04±1.4, which represents a moderate-to-high valuation. Among the suggestions for improvement, students identified the need to enhance compatibility with certain mobile devices and proposed consolidating the various QR codes into a single document.

In conclusion, the integration of QR codes within the Supervised Practices subject of the Veterinary Degree at the University of Murcia showed high student acceptability as a pedagogical supporting tool. Nevertheless, variable levels of interest were observed depending on the linked content. As a proposal for improvement, the study identifies the need to optimize compatibility across a broader range of mobile devices to ensure the access to information.

Keywords:

Quick Response codes, skills assessment, Veterinary degree.