KELDAT – a competence centre of veterinary education built by all German speaking veterinary universities

KELDAT was started in 2012 as cooperative project by all German-speaking universities, funded for three years by the VolksWagenStiftung and the StiftungMercator, to enhance the quality of teaching in veterinary medicine. This was preceded by an intensive cooperation in the field of e-learning since 2007.

The main objective of the project is to improve the veterinary education and training together on. The aims of KELDAT are to evaluate veterinary education at all participating universities, to develop and improve specialized veterinary didactics, to establish educational research, to offer courses for teacher training and to exchange teaching materials and learning objects. The project team consists of members of all participating universities and meets online biweekly and in presence every halfyear.

As first results 13 educational research projects were started, a teaching price was awarded twice, a common progress-test was done as a pilot at five universities with 1,800 students, two didactical conferences and 60 training courses with more than 750 participants were held, a series of onlinelecture about current veterinary topics was initiated, a shibboleth connection between the LMS of the participants was tested and several cooperation in the field of teaching and learning were established.

Through the joint competence center individual initiatives could be concentrated; the veterinary educational research could be strengthened as well as synergies between universities are used.

Despite all the competition today in between the universities, a common, cooperative approach helps all involved in improving the quality of teaching and the promotion of innovation.