"How Animals Help Students Learn," a newly released book with Psychology Professor Nancy R. Gee as lead editor, provides concrete examples of how animals have been successfully incorporated into classroom settings.
Discussed in the book are different types of research which outline methods to achieve the strongest benefit, while ensuring the health and welfare of the students and animals.
Co-edited with Aubrey Fine (California State Polytechnic University) and Peggy McCardle (Peggy McCardle Consulting), the book guides education and human-animal interaction researchers through implementing and assessing educational programs that include animals.
Many teachers keep animals in the classroom, either as pets or as part of a teaching program, but so far there has been little evidence to demonstrate that the interaction with these animals actually helps students to learn. Given that the welfare of both animals and children should be paramount, measuring the educational effectiveness of this approach is important, Dr. Gee said.
