Built to Work: Why Instructional Design Is the Key to Effective E-Content in Veterinary Education
With over 50 collective years of professional, university-level education experience, we believe better veterinary education isn’t just about digitizing content—it’s about designing it intentionally. Focused on the learner. Designing scaffolded learning that meets students where they are at. That’s why every piece of e-content we build follows a clear instructional methodology that blends clinical expertise with proven learning science.
Our approach is rooted in a simple truth: not all e-learning is created equal.
A 2025 study published through Springer highlights what we’ve experienced firsthand: the effectiveness of e-learning depends on how it’s built, not just how it’s delivered.
“Effectiveness hinges on the intersection of technology, pedagogy, and the learning environment,” the authors note.
Emphasizing the need for e-learning programs to be shaped by theoretical frameworks like the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and instructional alignment strategies (SpringerLink, 2025).
From Upload to Understanding: The Instructional Core
That’s why we start every piece of educational material we produce (Specialty Pack, CBL and PBL, etc.) with a backward-design process: beginning with CBVE-aligned learning outcomes, and building forward from there. We use instructional models like Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction and Bloom’s Taxonomy to scaffold complexity—moving learners from recall to clinical application and analysis.
We also apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Cognitive Load Theory frameworks, ensuring that content is not only engaging, but accessible, structured, and manageable for learners across backgrounds and abilities.
It’s not enough to “digitize the lecture.”
The real question is: Does this help learners build reasoning skills, retain knowledge, and apply it under pressure?
What the Research Says
A 2025 systematic review further reinforces this idea: e-learning isn’t effective just because it exists—it becomes effective when it’s paired with thoughtful design. The study stresses that:
“pedagogical design is the differentiator in student outcomes.”
Further, that e-content must be sequenced with formative assessment and interactivity to sustain engagement and comprehension (SpringerLink, 2025).
Other researchers agree.
A 2021 review of simulation-based veterinary education found that interactivity and feedback loops significantly boost clinical performance outcomes—with effect sizes (Cohen’s d) ranging from 0.35 to 0.70 depending on the skill assessed (Veterinary Education Review, 2021).
At V.E.T.S., that’s why our modules are not static slideshows—they’re dynamic, case-based learning environments that include:
Scaffolding of clinical reasoning
Built-in formative quizzes and feedback
Summative review tools and CBVE competency mapping
Engineered and structurally designed for NAVLE-style assessments
Why This Matters for Veterinary Programs
Veterinary education is unique. Faculty time is limited, learner variability is high, and clinical decision-making must be trained long before students step into rotations. That’s why supplemental content can’t just be “extra”—it must be instructionally sound.
We are passionate about what we do - we design clinical learning experiences—with instructional architecture, not just delivery platforms.
As the 2025 literature suggests, e-learning reaches its full potential only when three elements align:
Pedagogy – grounded in evidence-based learning theory
Technology – easy to access and use across devices/LMSs
Context – suited for veterinary learners, specialties, and accreditation frameworks
We check all three.
Closing Thought
As veterinary education continues evolving, instructional design is no longer optional—it’s essential. The strongest supplemental e-content is never generic; it’s built for the learner, the learning goal, and the clinical future.
At V.E.T.S., that’s exactly what we do.
