PS4-12. Not Your Traditional Lecture: A Collaborative, Media-driven Animal Science Classroom.

Abstract Animal Science is a broad field of study, often containing dense curriculum that may be intimidating and challenging for first-year college students to approach and learn. Developing teaching methods that help students engage with and feel more confident in their ability to learn course material may encourage them to continue their studies in Animal Science and boost retention of course content for later upper-level courses. Collaborative notetaking allows students to interact with their peers to build a comprehensive understanding of course material. Alternatively, animated pre-lecture videos flip the classroom, allowing students to work through content at their own pace prior to lecture and use class time to participate in active learning activities. This study evaluated the effects of these techniques on student motivation, confidence, and understanding. In Introduction to Animal Science, students (n = 48) formed groups of 3-4 within their respective lecture sections to complete 4 collaborative note assignments throughout the semester, submitted after each corresponding exam. At the start of the semester, groups met with the instructor and peer tutor to review a draft of their first note packet and sign a self-developed accountability contract defining group roles. Additionally, students were given access to 14 short (≤ 6.5 min) videos covering digestive and reproductive physiology and were required to individually complete corresponding quizzes prior to lecture. At the end of the semester, a 14-item Likert scale survey was administered via Qualtrics to assess the impact of the active learning strategies (85.42% response rate). The results revealed that a majority of students strongly agreed or agreed (13.63% and 29.27%, respectively) that course content was challenging to learn in a collaborative group despite most students feeling that the initial meeting and group contract provided clear expectations and effective communication among group members. Most students disagreed (31.71%) or strongly disagreed (12.20%) that collaborative notes were valuable for exam preparation. In contrast, students had a positive response to the animated videos with 36.59% strongly agreeing and 46.34% agreeing that they complemented their learning style. Additionally, most students felt the animated videos made it easier to grasp new concepts and would retain information beyond the semester. The combination of animated videos and collaborative notetaking motivated most students to participate actively in class activities. The results of this survey are consistent with a similar study we previously conducted, which found students perceived little value in the collaborative notes as a study tool. These results remained consistent even when students selected their own groups, instead of assigned by the instructor. However, students in both studies had a positive reaction to the animated videos, reporting they helped them grasp new concepts more easily. Future research should focus on further developing animated videos and corresponding in class activities.