ALTERNATIVES FOR EXPERIMENTING ON ANIMALS
In year 2003 students were trying to find an approach to experiments
that would differ from the up to date approach. Experiments
conducted on courses of General and Comparative Animal Physiology
were carried out on outdated instruments. The majority of students
didn’t feel they had learned anything new out of them, but only left
a butchered animal behind, which did not deserve that. Some of
Pančić members appealed via internet to the www.peta.com (People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals) presenting the problem in their
practical courses. They received a list of organisations which deal
with experimental animals protection, finding www.interniche.org –
an organisation where students get lots of support, and an email
contact of InterNICHE person from Belgrade, they contacted soon
afterwards, and that’s how everything begun...
Students established conversations with professors whose practical
courses involved experimenting on animals. Some were very supportive
about alternative teaching methods, some not.
The alternative methods include replacing animals with various
computer programs, video clips, models, simulators, student self
experimenting, ethic corpses and tissues acquiring, clinical work
with animals etc.
Computer programs are multimedia interactive programs available on
CD-ROMs and DVDs. Student has the whole experiment displayed on the
screen, and every step in the experiment can be repeated as many
times as the student wants, in order to comprehend the process.
Sound is also available. Computer programs offer the ability to
change parameters which influence muscular, cardio-vascular and
other body organ functions used in the experiment. By changing
parameter values student comprehends their influence.
Photo galleries are also available, where students can get familiar
with morphological and physiological characteristics of the animal.
Using these programs enables simulating unethical or experiments
impossible to carry out in a student laboratory (for example the
influence of low concentrations of oxygen, cerebrospinal liquid
measuring etc.)
3-D models are made of synthetic materials. They present the organ
systems of animals, and some of them can be decomposed and rebuilt
again.
Simulators can be used for practicing different skills (sawing – the
skin being made of refined plastics or latex). They can simulate
different physiological processes, for example you can see blood
(red liquid) flowing throughout the circulatory system.
Ethical corpse and tissue acquiring means that students use dead
animals found on farms, breeding grounds, veterinary stations. In
this way – ethically, many animals would be spared of a painful
death, and students spared from taking lives away.
In contribution to alternative methods goes the 3 R rule: replace,
reduce, refine – which goes for experimental animals. The first
aspect: replacing the experimental animals with non animal models or
animals lower in the phylogenetic line (invertebrates, unaware of
pain because of their simple nervous system). The second aspect:
reducing experimental classes and enhancing demonstrative ones. The
third aspect: refining the experimental procedure to diminish
suffering for example by using anaesthetics before sacrificing the
animal.
Taken from the book ''From guinea pig to computer mouse'' -
Alternative methods for a progressive, humane education
Nick Jukes, Mihnea Chiuia
Second revised and expanded edition, 2003, 544 pages
Leicester: InterNICHE (www.interniche.org)
ACTIVITIES in the year 2005.:
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April 22., “Better CLICK then SQUEEK” Campaign, Promotion of alternative methods for a progressive, humane education of students, informing students about these methods by distributing brochures, t-shirts, badges…
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April 24., World Day For Laboratory Animals
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May 17., Tribune about alternative methods in education in cooperation with ORCA, Belgrade (Оrganisation for Respect and Care of Animals, www.orca.org.yu) and Students Union of Medical Sciences from Novi Sad
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September 2005. Usage of alternative methods in classes on Department
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Guesting on Novi Sad television channel