Research in Human-Animal Interaction
Johnson, Rebecca A. Rantz, Marilyn J. McKenney, Charlotte A. Cline, Krista M C.
Gerontological Nursing, Sinclair School of Nursing, Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
rajohnson@missouri.edu Journal of Veterinary Medical Education. 35(4):511-3, 2008.
Students learn more effectively when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Therefore, case studies have become increasingly popular as a way to teach students about a representative subject. This article discusses the benefits of case studies, with a primary focus on how case studies can help veterinary medical students learn about the human-animal bond. The discussion is particularly aimed at veterinary medicine instructors and discusses how case studies can be used and why they are important. TigerPlace, a pet-friendly, innovative housing facility for older adults, is used as an example of a case study that can be used to teach about, and to study, the human-animal bond. In particular, the article addresses the special advantages of TigerPlace to students with respect to learning about older adults and the bond they have with their pets.