A New Online Hands-on Practical Training Method Suitable for COVID-19 Social Distancing Regulations

Online classroom lessons for agricultural and livestock personnel and instructors (animal clinical veterinarians) have been established as alternative ways of learning to allow for the social distancing required to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that emerged and expanded in 2020. However, significant issues remain in developing ways to effectively convey experimental and practical lessons to students. Some of these challenges have been addressed by developing and implementing a new online hands-on practical training method for various veterinary subjects. Currently, online training is limited to watching videos; however, this trial has the potential to provide novel hands-on training online. In our trial, students watched live or asynchronous videos of instructors using a capture board, from which they learned hands-on practices. The learning environment of the students was transmitted by a web camera attached to their PCs and displayed on a large screen visible to the instructor. This enabled the instructor to provide the students with online instructions. In the future, Yamaguchi University's animal welfare philosophy and newly developed alternative online learning methods can be applied to education in other fields.