Dairy farm worker milking equipment training with an E-learning system.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• E-learning Technology

Background:

• On-farm training logistics are hindered by communication challenges and limited expert access.
• E-learning offers a potential solution for improving communication and cultural sensitivity in training.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify milking parlor problems linked to milker training.
• Design and evaluate an E-learning system for dairy farm milkers on equipment checks.
• Gather feedback for future E-learning module development.

Main Methods:

• Developed an interactive online course for basic milking equipment checks.
• Trained 95 dairy farm workers across 15 farms in New York State.
• Conducted pre-training assessments and post-training confidence surveys.

Main Results:

• Over 50% of farms had critical milking equipment issues detectable by milkers.
• All participants completed the E-learning module.
• 95% felt capable of checking equipment; 86% felt more confident reporting problems.

Conclusions:

• Milking equipment issues are common and require improved milker training.
• E-learning effectively enhances milker confidence in equipment assessment and reporting.
• Communication gaps between managers and milkers impact training effectiveness.