COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
Postgraduate Offer-holders
Online Distance Learners’ eZine
In this issue Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro Student, One Health
“The group work sessions are just the best.”
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JULY 2015 Fritha Langford Programme Director, International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law
“It is truly international - we have students from nearly every continent.”
Join our LinkedIn group How to keep your motivation Academic tips Fringe Festival
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
Welcome
In this issue
Like the plane on the front cover, you will be taking a new journey very soon. Where will it lead you? Where will you end up?
Welcome .......................................................................2
Most times in our lives, we jump on the plane not realising what a change we’ve just embraced. We sincerely hope that your journey with us will be full of joy, positive experiences and valuable insights that will contribute to whichever goals you have in your life.
Join us on LinkedIn!......................................................3
Hello,
Read about the journey of Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro, who studies One Health, on page 5, who explains how important it is to stay connected to fellow students and teaching staff in order not to fall behind. We also prepared a very inspiring interview with Fritha Langford, Programme Director of International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law. Our student blogger Kiki talks about the importance of education, while Bella Maya tells you about speed reading. You will receive one more issue in August, so stay tuned!
See you soon, The Postgraduate Team
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Latest research news.....................................................4 News from around the University..................................5 Student perspective Interview with Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro, a Student........................................................................6 Why I chose this life!......................................................7 Academic matters Interview with Fritha Langford, a Programme Director...................................................8 Helping your academic development...........................9 Social Discover the University community...............................10 Featured: Our Student Bloggers...................................10 Edinburgh City...............................................................11
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Join your future classmates on LinkedIn! Join our international community on LinkedIn in the Edinburgh University MedVets Online Learning group. You can meet your future classmates and talk to our current students, who come from all continents of the world. Become a part of the Edinburgh family! The group has been created to help our online distance learners connect and communicate with each other prior to and during their studies. We hope that the group discussions will help you feel more at ease with starting your studies, while you make tons of new connections and learn more about how to fit in all the commitments with your studies and still stay on top of everything! If you feel like you’d like to make new friends and be a part of our distance learners’ community, then this is the perfect place for you. You can expect to become a part of interesting discussions, of an exchange of tips and tricks on how to study better and of a welcoming atmosphere where everyone else is here to help when you find yourself struggling.
Where our Online Learning Offer-holders come from
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Latest Research News Cell therapy helping diabetes patients
Study targets breast cancer spread
Blood stored as safe as fresh supplies
People with Type 1 diabetes are being helped by a transplant therapy that uses cells from the pancreas, a study shows. The technique aims to combat hypoglycaemia - a drop in blood sugar triggered in patients on insulin treatment, which can prove fatal.
Researchers at the University’s MRC Centre for Reproductive Health have discovered a trigger that allows breast cancer cells to spread to the lungs. They have found that blocking the signals in mice with breast cancer greatly reduces the number of secondary tumours found in the lungs.
Giving freshly donated blood to patients confers no major benefits compared with current practices of transfusing older blood, a study suggests. Blood given to patients that has been stored for around 21 days, which is the current standard, is as effective and safe as blood held for less than eight days before use, researchers say.
Read more
Read more
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News from Around the University Students vie for presentation crown
Students from each of the University’s three Colleges took part in the local final of the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) contest. Each entrant delivered a three-minute presentation communicating the significance of their postgraduate thesis, in language suited to a non-specialist audience. The winner of the 2015 competition was Chen Zhao from the School of Clinical Sciences, with her presentation ‘Astrocyte: the Star of Motor Neuron Disease’. Read more
Health Partnership
Art event highlights wonders of anatomy
Photograph © Callum Bennetts, Maverick Photo Agency
The University has signed an agreement with the Hong Kong Government. The Memorandum of Understanding focuses on researchers from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute, and will encourage more exchange programmes and increased knowledge transfer with animal health professionals in Hong Kong.
Doctors and artists joined forces to host an evening of art and anatomy that will illustrate the wonders of the human body. Handson workshops gave people the chance to body paint the muscles, tendons and blood vessels of the neck on each other. Read more
Read more Follow The University of Edinburgh Although you have not arrived yet, you can be part of what’s going on at Edinburgh even now. Join here!
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Student Perspective Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro invites you to explore how an online programme is ran and will tell you about ways to stay connected to fellow students and teaching staff at the University.
Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro, MSc in One Health
My name is Momanyi Kelvin Nyariaro. I am a Kenyan by birth and recent graduate (2014) from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine. I am currently an Online Distance Learning student in my first year master’s programme in One Health at the University of Edinburgh. How are you finding studying via the Virtual Learning Experience platform? The platform that I use in my MSc programme is called “Learn”. It is very user friendly and interactive. I love how the course materials are well organised, easy to access and integrated in a way that makes teaching and learning very convenient for me. The pre-recorded lectures, the lecture notes, reading lists and other external links provide a nice cocktail and dynamic way of studying which makes learning interesting and enjoyable. The VPN provides me access to a huge variety of articles in peer reviewed journals, which I must admit is a “smart library” and integrative resource system.
How do you stay connected to your fellow students on the programme? The virtual classroom through the discussion dashboards provides a flexible, interactive, and enjoyable learning environment. Other times we also get in touch through scheduled skype meetings, which are considerate to all our different time zones, and transcripts of every session are always available to those who miss to attend. We also get in touch through the student group emailing list especially when developing agenda for the Student Staff Liason Committee. The group work sessions Page 6
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“I love how the course materials are well organised, easy to access and integrated in a way that makes teaching and learning very convenient for me.” are just the best, since it is an opportunity to work collaboratively on a problem with my classmates.
How do you find the teaching staff at the University? I like how the staff are able to provide prompt feedback to questions posed to them. They are very supportive and powerful role models because of their accomplishments. The personal tutors are very good listeners and very resourceful in terms of providing both academic and professional advice. I love the teaching skill of the staff, they really know how to decode and deliver what seems very complex in a simple and exciting format.
Did you try a taster session of your programme? If so, did you find it useful? I had an opportunity to attend the induction sessions which provided very detailed introductory information to the virtual learning system and the University as a whole. Since this was my first online distance learning program, I must admit that the induction session was very helpful in getting to know who is who and what is where. The resources available at induction e.g. student handbook, guidance and regulations, class year book, and getting to meet the staff team and students was very exciting at the start of the program.
What was the highlight of your year? My year so far has been filled with learning of new and thrilling concepts about One Health, from both my tutors and fellow classmates. It being a new area of study, I have come to appreciate the intricate relationship between humans, animals and the ecosystem and that the health each one of them is dependent on each other.
Why I chose this life!
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
by Yusuf Alimi, MSc in International Animal Health
My Major Strategy for Studying Online
Why I chose this life!
For me the most effective strategy that has helped me to study online and keep up with the work quite effectively, borders on my motivation and enthusiasm. The truth remains that if you love what you are studying and you are excited about it, you would definitely take the pains of going the extra mile to achieve it.
Studying online is just totally amazing! But there is no way I would have known this if I had not taken the leap, or rather the plunge. The first time I ever considered studying for an MSc was in the year 2012. Back then I was just two years out of veterinary school, and very much a newbie to the world of professional clinical practice. I wanted to hone my veterinary practice skills and refresh my theoretical knowledge, as well as get a chance at real world management of a veterinary clinic, which of course, I knew close to nothing about at that time. The options before me were therefore clear as day and night: if I decided on a residential Masters’ program, I would most certainly not get the chance to learn job skills until about one or two years; at least not immediately. By contrast, if I chose to study online; I had the added advantage of learning while studying, and being able to transfer what I learnt online to my daily professional activities. So of course I chose to study online, naturally. I was interested in epidemiology of transboundary animal diseases. This had been my interest for as long as I could remember in veterinary school. I therefore chose to study International Animal Health MSc, and I am currently rounding my second year of studies. Next year is dissertation year, and I am excited. The rest as they say is history! Page 7
Like I said earlier, I have been enthused about animal diseases for as long as I could remember. I want to help solve some major animal disease problems globally, particularly those that were associated with human health and food production. That was led me to my current MSc programme. And this knowledge has served me well over these last two academic sessions. So my major advice to anybody looking to study online would be: try to look for the field which you are very excited about and pursue it with the fullest motivation. It helps to be motivated because from my experience I know that online study is no joke; particularly when it is a postgraduate qualification. One other tip I wanted to briefly highlight is about being active on the discussion board. Sometime while in final year in vet school, we had this mantra “make Google your friend”. Allow me to paraphrase this to “make the discussion board your friend!” There is a lot to learn from classmates and instructors alike on the discussion board. Court it, make use of it, you would never regret it. What’s more, it pays to be with kindred spirits in your learning journey, and the best way to achieve that is via the board. Here’s wishing you the very best as you embark on this memorable journey studying at Edinburgh Online.
Academic Matters
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
Fritha Langford’s days are varied and busy, and she works hard to enable her students get the most out of the International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law programme. Read more below. Fritha Langford, Programme Director, International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law Tell me a little about yourself. My name is Dr Fritha Langford, I am the Programme director of our online MSc in International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law. I have been working in the field of animal behaviour and welfare for years, focusing on the welfare of dairy cows. I am particularly interested in animal welfare education and work on a projects and courses in this area. What is your average day like? My average day, gosh that is a difficult one. My days are very varied, which is one of the great pleasures in my work. Some days I am more focused on my research and others more on teaching, student support and programme development. In general, I start about 08:30 making sure that the online courses are all ship shape, I often have a meeting with a student around 09:00 –and as my students are spread out all over the world, this will be by Skype (and at this time of day my students are likely based in Australia, New Zealand or South Asia). Then I might liaise with the online tutor for the courses running that week, to check for difficulty and offer advice on student matters. After that I might attend a research meeting to discuss the science going into the latest research proposal. The early afternoon would consist of planning Page 8
the future courses and discussing applicants with Bryony and Jill, our programme coordinators. I might get a bit of time at the end of the working day to carry out some statistics on our latest project (at present we are looking at the welfare of cull cows at market). Then I head off home and rest for a few hours before at 20:00 logging on to hear a round of live student presentations using our webinar software collaborate. Very varied and busy but highly rewarding. What is unique about the International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law programme? International Animal Welfare Ethics and Law is the world’s first Master’s programme to be offered online in the field of animal welfare. We are also the only online programme to offer a strong focus in the interdisciplinary aspects of animal welfare – social science, ethics, policy and legislation. This means we have students from very diverse backgrounds, which is great for them to learn from one another. We learn loads too!
“We often get emails from our students telling us how this helps them in their work while they are still students –so I hope our first graduates this year will find this too.”
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE
Academic Matters (continued)
Helping your Academic Development
What do you hope your students will get out of the programme to help them in their future career path?
Online Pre-sessional Academic Language course
Some of our students have been working in the field of animal welfare for years (sometimes decades) and for these students, the programme offers up-to-date information, contacts with experts from across the world and a formal qualification in the area of their work. Other students are just starting out in their careers, or are changing to focus more on animal welfare. For these students, the grounding in the science behind animal welfare is essential for them to understand the research and policy decisions made at the highest levels of government. What we aim for is that all students will end the programme knowing how science works, how to understand animal welfare science and how it relates to legislation and give them the confidence to speak, discuss and debate with a variety of audiences on all aspects of animal welfare. We often get emails from our students telling us how this helps them in their work while they are still students – so I hope our first graduates this year will find this too.
The English Language Teaching Centre offers a free course for international Online Distance Learning students to help prepare for their studies. The course is opened to those who: • accepted an unconditional offer of a place on an ODL Masters programme • achieved an IELTS (or equivalent) Writing score of no more than 0.5 above the minimum level required for your programme The course is run for 5 weeks from August till September. If you are interested, apply for the tutored course by sending an email to ODL-English@ed.ac.uk. You can also access an Independent Study version of the course via Learn, and you don’t need an unconditional offer to get enrolled on this one. Click here to find out more about the course.
What is your idea of an ideal student of your programme? How much time does your student need to dedicate to their studies? The ideal student for IAWEL? Oh my, these questions are hard! We have many veterinarians, people working in government, people working for NGOs, lawyers, academics, social workers and veterinary nurses. Our official prerequisites are a degree in zoology, biology or veterinary medicine, but people with a degree in associated areas (e.g. law) or veterinary nursing diplomas and 5 years’ experience should contacts us to discuss eligibility. Page 9
‘Preparing for your studies’ support from the IAD The Institute for Academic Development offers support on succeeding at master’s level. You’ll find advice on the skills you need including academic writing, fitting in your studies with other commitments and other helpful resources. Click here to get prepared!
Library support for online distance learners A guide to getting started at the University Library for online distance learning students. Although you may not be based in Edinburgh, as an online distance learning student you still have access to a large number of library resources and services. Find out more here
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Discover the University community through films, blogs and social media. Click on the icons below: A community where we encourage offer-holders speak to each other online. Keep up to date with the latest news from the Postgraduate Office. We have our own channel and are adding films all the time. Take a sneak peak at postgraduate life through our students. View our e-zines featuring interviews and key information for applicants. Join the Edinburgh University MedVets Online Learning group on LinkedIn to meet your classmates, talk to our current students and get tips and tricks on how to study online!
Edinburgh city The Fringe Festival Edinburgh is a truly festival city and with many events happening on campus, The University of Edinburgh also participates in the Fringe Festival. Take a look at the photos from previous years to discover the festival mood that transforms the city every August. Thousands of performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present incredible shows that take your breath away.
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The Fringe Festival is totally open-access and is a showcase for the performing arts, with show categories including Cabaret, Children’s shows, Comedy, Dance, Physical Theatre & Circus, Events, Exhibitions, Music, Musicals and Opera, Spoken Word and Theatre. This is the largest street fair of its kind in the world, and in 2014 saw 933 groups participate.