Animals in tertiary teaching

Tens of thousands of animals continue to be used each year in Australia in disciplines such as anatomy, agriculture, biology, health sciences, psychology, physiology, pharmacology, veterinary science and zoology. In most cases the animals end up being killed when students have finished with them. In some cases the animals also suffer pain and/or stress. This destruction of animal life is not necessary for student learning.

Facts and figures

The Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (1997) states that:

Thousands of animals continue to be harmed each year in breach of this Code of Practice. It is a breach when the use of animals is not essential and there are suitable alternatives. Later sections in this document will show why they are not essential, and what some alternatives are.

The following tables show the numbers of animals used in Victoria and New South Wales. Not all states publish figures on animals used in research and teaching.

Numbers of animals used in teaching in NSW (minus domestic fowl) (note 1)
1992-1993 1993-1994 1994-1995 1995-1996
21,483 24,021 26,279 25,969

The main species in NSW in 1995-6 were cattle (7643), sheep (7553), rats (4332), mice (2185) and reptiles/amphibians (1868). Other species where over 100 animals were used included, in descending order, dogs, pigs, horses, other rodents, other ruminants, native animals, and cats.

Numbers of animals used in teaching in Victoria (minus domestic fowl) (note 1)
1987-8 1988-9 1989-90 1990-1 1991-2 1992-3 1993-4 1995 1996
16,949 15,977 16,717 14,194 13,374 11,759 10,694 14,077 18,451

The main species in Victoria in 1996 were sheep (5,051), mice (4,323), rats (3,376) and amphibians/reptiles (2,893). Other species, in descending order, included guinea pigs, cattle, rabbits, birds, dogs, marsupials, horses, goats, and cats.

Why harmful uses of animals are not essential

Some students need to have contact with animals. For example, animal husbandry and veterinary science by their very nature involve the care of animals. However, students don't need to harm animals to learn effectively in any field. There are many studies showing that tertiary students learn at least as much, sometimes more , by using alternatives to traditional uses of animals.

Studies cover biology, physiology, pharmacology and veterinary science. If you want to find out more details about these studies, go to Learning with Alternatives .

Alternatives to harmful uses of animals

There are now so many alternative products, and the range is expanding so quickly, that it is impossible to write out a comprehensive list. It is far more useful to search the NORINA database, which is available on the internet. Visit the NORINA web site.

NORINA stands for Norwegian Inventory of Audiovisuals, and is compiled by staff at the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine. By November 1997 it listed 3700 alternatives to animals in teaching. The user selects categories, which can include:

The following are only a few examples of alternatives to harmful uses of animals.

Pharmacology

The Pharmacokinetics project from the University of Melbourne's Biomedical Multimedia Unit allows drug responses to be investigated by students using a computer simulation. In the traditional animal prac, drugs were injected into mice, and then students waited until a reaction was observed. Using the computer simulation there is no waiting time, so students use their time more effectively and can investigate a larger number of drug reactions. High quality video clips demonstrate behavioural responses. The simulation assists students to observe subtle reactions that they may miss if left to their own devices.

A large range of pharmacology simulations has been produced by Sheffield Bioscience Programs . These simulations fall into 2 categories (1):

In all cases students can print out the results and analyse them, as they would after an animal prac.

Anatomy and Physiology

In this area there are also many computer simulations, for example the McMaster series of MacPuff, MacMan, MacDope and MacPee . Many other products can be found in NORINA. The following are a few other options.

Investigation of a Mammal (Rat) . This 30 minute video of a rat dissection demonstrates each organ system. It shows each organ much more clearly than a student dissection, since organs are shown in close-up and enlarged on the screen. Graphics have also been added to explain the action of various organs such as the lungs and heart. Students thus see the functioning of organs in a way that is impossible in dead animals (2).

Self experimentation . Videos and computer simulations present all students with the same experiments, with the same expected outcomes. Another approach is to have groups of students design research projects to carry out on themselves, as is done at the University of Adelaide (3). These experiments are original and therefore more motivating for students than the traditional, recipe-driven animal experiments, and are more relevant to human physiology.

Psychology

Sniffy the Virtual Rat . This is a computer simulation of operant conditioning. Sniffy can be taught any of 30 behaviours using various reinforcement schedules. Again, because this is not a real animal within the restricted time and space of a laboratory practical, students can run any number of learning trials and can investigate more hypotheses than with a real rat. For more information, visit the Brooks/Cole web site.

Free ranging animals . A different approach is to train free ranging animals, such as pigeons in the park. These animals can choose whether or not they want to participate in the experiment, since they are free to leave the area at any time. Unlike laboratory rats, who are usually killed at the end of the experiment, pigeons are left unharmed. US psychologists have shown how groups of students can effectively use cheap, home-made equipment to carry out such experiments. Discussion of ethics in psychological experimentation is an integral part of the course (4-6).

Medical education

There many alternatives for learning the basic sciences underpinning a medical education, such as anatomy and physiology. There are also alternatives in strictly medical skills, such as surgery.

In the UK it is illegal to use animals to teach established surgical techniques, except for microsurgery. Students are taught through work on cadavers, clinical observation, and surgery under supervision. The exception for microsurgery is ironic, since there are alternatives to animals in this area, and some medical centres train surgeons without using animals (7).

The most relevant training for surgery is in the clinic, but using models beforehand can increase confidence, coordination and fine motor skill. The big advantage with models is that students can practise over and over again in their own time, until they are satisfied. Models exist for many skills, including:

Realistic computer simulations can give students practice in diagnosing problems an taking appropriate actions before facing the pressure of real patients. In the Critical Care Simulator , students manage 20 critically ill patients by controlling their airway, ventilation, fluids and medication. In the Anaesthesia Simulator Consultant , dozens of anaesthesia problems have to be managed, including anaphylaxis, difficult airway, myocardial ischaemia and pneumothorax (9).

Laparoscopy involves operating through a tiny hole in the abdomen and watching the work on a screen. It too can be practised on a simulator. Simulab is a synthetic human torso containing latex simulated organs. Trainees create small incisions into the "abdomen" and operate on the "organs" while watching the videoendoscopic screen (10). A review of surgeons who learned laparoscopy through clinical experience, without animals, showed that they performed perfectly well, and that it was not necessary to use animals (11).

PracticeRat is an example of a microsurgery simulator, developed by a surgeon with extensive teaching experience (12). He was concerned that surgeons could not get enough practice to develop and maintain specialised skills in animal labs, and hence needed a realistic simulator that was available at any time.

He developed simulated arteries, veins and nerves, closely resembling the real tissue in terms of looks, feel, resistance to cutting and sewing and tear characteristics. Artificial blood can be pumped through the vessels with a pulsatile flow. Other models now available include the ureter, vas deferens and fallopian tubes. Students can practise as long as they need to in order to achieve the required level of skill.

Another approach to microsurgery is to use full-term placentas , which are normally discarded after the birth (13). Placentas are readily available in large hospitals, and contain fine blood vessels of various diameters that can be used for surgery practice. These vessels can be perfused to test the effectiveness of any anastomosis carried out.

Animal handling

The Koken rat and Koken rabbit. Some courses involve students learning to handle animals. These life-size models allow students to practise correct handling before they ever see an animal. The models have anatomically correct blood vessels for blood sampling and injections. They also have an oesophagus and stomach, which can be examined to see the result of tube feeding (14-15). Students should become skilled with these models before being allowed to handle animals.

Veterinary education

Clearly future veterinarians need to have contact with animals, but many alternatives to harmful uses have been developed in North America. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has produced a booklet of alternatives, including both general science and more specifically veterinary investigations (16).

As in the case of human medicine, there are many computer simulations available, covering such areas as anatomy, neuroanatomy and neurology, dermatology and case simulations , anaesthesia, and heart sounds (17-18). One big advantage of such programs is that they can include unusual cases that might otherwise be difficult to demonstrate to students.

Surgery, too, can be learned without causing harm. Pressure from students has led an increasing number of veterinary schools to provide an alternative surgical track (19). In the first instance, there are many models for students to achieve the basic manual dexterity required in areas such as:

As a next stage students operate on cadavers of animals that have died of natural causes. Then they perform necessary surgery under supervision. An increasing number of veterinary schools have arrangements with local animal shelters. Cats and dogs awaiting adoption are desexed and given post-operative care (26). In their final year students polish their skills in clinical placements.

For more information on surgical training in veterinary medicine, visit the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights web site. The president of AVAR, Dr Nedim Buyukmihci, is Professor of Ophthalmology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California (Davis). He is therefore very aware of the needs of veterinary students.

Advantages of alternatives to harmful uses of animals

I would like to see References for this document on alternatives to animals in tertiary teaching.

Note 1: If practicals for agriculture students incorporate commercial poultry sheds, the figures increase dramatically. In reality, however, the numbers of animals used has not really increased since the poultry were already in the sheds.