Funding
Since the beginning of 21st century, academics have been using digital tools for learning and teaching at schools, colleges and universities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to use disrupting methods to improvise face-to-face teaching and learning activities and think outside the box to use or develop engaging and interactive platform for asynchronous (offline) and synchronous (online) learning.
The ASP Education Committee is very keen to learn what ASP members have been doing to cope with the demands of online learning and what various technological platforms and teaching methods have worked best for them? Should you like to share your experience, please send a summary of your teaching methods/platform to Lisa Jones (secretary@parasite.org.au) so that we can highlight your awesome teaching in our newsletter and on our social media platforms.
The ASP Education Committee funds projects that will promote parasitology learning, teaching and outreach activities for students, academics and public. Should you have any project idea within the scope of ASP Education Committee and would like to develop it using the ASP platform, please send an email to Lisa Jones (secretary@parasite.org.au) for the application form.
For parasitology outreach activities, the ASP has prepared various modules for schools, universities and general public that are available to use. There are also State Outreach Funds that you can apply for. Should you like to organise an outreach activity, and/or apply for funding then please liaise with your state representative to complete and email this ASP State Outreach Events form.
If you are passionate about parasitology learning and teaching and would like to join the ASP Education Committee, please submit your expression of interest to Lisa Jones (secretary@parasite.org.au).
The Committee
Convenor: Dr Sarah Preston
Committee Members: Alex Maier, Danny Wilson, David Emery, Jan Slapeta, Ryan O’Handley, Sarah Preston, Shokoofeh Shamsi, Stuart Ralph, Swaid Abdullah, Richard Bradbury, Narelle Dybing, Michelle Power.
Mission Statement:
The ASP Education Committee is responsible for planning, overseeing and implementing the Society’s tertiary educational activities and initiatives, which aim to develop a framework and educational resources for parasitology teaching in Australia
Vision Statement:
To develop and share learning and teaching resources for parasitology
Terms of reference:
- A Convenor shall be appointed by ASP Council for a period of 3 years with the possibility of reappointment for further periods of 3 years by ASP Council with no limit to the number of years of continuous service
- The Convenor will form and coordinate an Education Committee to plan, oversee and implement the Society’s tertiary educational activities and initiatives
- The Convenor, or their delegate, of the Education Committee shall attend ASP Council meetings and the Annual General Meeting of the Society and provide reports on the Education Committee’s activities at each meeting.
- The Education Committee will hold bimonthly (online) meetings
- An annual face-to-face meeting of the Education Committee will be held during the annual conference of the ASP for Committee members who are able to attend
- The Education committee will plan, oversee and implement activities and initiatives with one member of the committee selected to champion each activity/initiative. Champions will form a working party to establish deliverables and a timeframe for these and report back to the Committee
- Committee members can self-nominate and will be appointed by the Convenor for a period of 1 year with the possibility of re-appointment for further periods of 1 year with no limit to the number of years of continuous service
Resources
Horse Parasite Module
Here is a link to the latest Horse Parasitology teaching module by University of Melbourne parasitologists https://is.gd/HorseParasiteModule
Parasitology subjects taught at Australian Universities
Parasitology Education Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abdul Jabbar, Charles G. Gauci, Clare A. Anstead, Parasitology Education Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Trends in Parasitology, 2020, ISSN 1471-4922, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2020.10.009. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471492220302944)
sharelink to article
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1c3iB5Eb1x5BPW
Example of PowerPoint slides prepared for a veterinary parasitology practical
List of selected websites useful for parasitology education
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Parasites VR
Virtual reality for parasitology teaching:
Read an overview and get the manual
Horse Parasitology module
The ASP Education committee helped to fund the development of a SmartSparrow powered Horse parasitology module that was used in teaching DVM Year 3 students at the University of Sydney. The students reported that after completion of the module they were on average 78% more confident that they could diagnose and appropriately advise clients about horse parasite management. Great outcome team (Nichola Calvani, Gabi Van Galen, Kris Hughes, Anne Beasley, Shokoofeh Shamsi and Jan Šlapeta)!
You can check the module here: https://aelp.smartsparrow.com/v/ktnsycfu/bu1pjhu3.
Veterinarians are microorganism detectives Powerpoint
A presentation suitable for Primary school students in Years 5/6 by Dr Susan de Burgh BVSc(Hons) MANZCVS (Parasitology).
Download the slides:
“Veterinarians are microorganism detectives”
