Helen Rodgers 1 PHYSICAL VERSUS VIRTUAL PRESENCE : ISSUES FOR MEDICAL AND VETERINARY MEDICAL EDUCATION

Introduction and Discipline Specific Context There has been much debate regarding "embodiment" and on-line learning in education in general. Traditionally face to face teaching has been the norm in medical and veterinary medical education. This is historical, with both disciplines developing over hundreds of years and adopting an apprenticeship model. However, with the development of medical education units in the UK since the mid 1980s modern educational teaching methods have in turn modernised medical curricula. These modern methods have welcomed new technologies. The need for more doctors has led to both an increase in medical student numbers at existing medical schools, but also to the opening of new medical schools which have embraced new teaching methods such as problem based learning (PBL). Such schools have rapidly adapted to new technologies as they develop brand new curricula, often for postgraduate students, some of which rely on a significant component of flexible learning. Veterinary medical education as a discipline in its own right tends to lag behind medical education as an inevitable consequence of significantly smaller numbers and associated smaller resources. Nevertheless, there is an increasing recognition of the importance of engaging with topical issues in education in general in order to enhance curricula and optimize the learning experience for students. By virtue of the many similar issues faced by both disciplines, there is much 'common ground' when considering both the utilization and potential impact of e-learning technologies.