Digital simulator of a bovine abattoir

Abattoir visits are an important educational experience for veterinary students, but have been shown to cause anticipatory stress and anxiety, which have the potential to inhibit learning, as documented in peer-reviewed literature. Virtual simulation, as a supplement to practical experience, plays a positive role in veterinary education by allowing students to safely acquire skills in realistic simulated encounters, improving confidence and knowledge without risk to live animals or students themselves. Our Virtual Abattoir Simulation (VSS) allows users to explore and learn the hygiene and welfare processes involved in meat production in the classroom. The VSS immerses users in a realistic environment where they can engage in dialogue with workers, experience the authentic sounds of animals and machinery, and observe the complexities of blood and carcass processing. The programme incorporates teaching scenarios, along with information points which describe the European legislation, in the context of welfare and hygiene requirements or make judgements on the fitness of meat for human consumption. These scenarios have been effectively used to test the understanding and engagement of our students. The major educational benefits of using the virtual abattoir are that it helps students become better prepared emotionally for an in-person abattoir visit and grasp the explanation better during the tour. It also complements the teaching by helping learners contextualise the theoretical aspects taught during the course. We would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the programme, explaining its educational benefits and extend the use of the programme to interested vet schools as a non-profit collaboration.