Dr Jill MacKay
Senior Lecturer

Contact details
Address
- Street
-
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute
Easter Bush Campus
Midlothian - City
- Post code
- EH25 9RG
Availability
Willingness to take Ph.D. students: Yes
Background
I'm a lecturer in veterinary science education who focusses on interdisciplinary research methodology. I am a proponent of open science, and particularly exploring how education research can adopt open science practices. My current fields of interest are technology enhanced learning and learning in digital environments, but as an interdisciplinary researcher I am always happy to explore some side interests, such as human-animal interactions.
My PhD was in animal personality, and I am passionate about public engagement with science and blog regularly at Fluffy Sciences. I also participate in many science festivals and am happy to do guest spots with student groups when asked.
Please feel free to contact me with any queries.
Qualifications
2010 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Characterising personality traits in cattle through the use of biotelemetry systems, University of Edinburgh
2004 Master in Science, Zoology, University of Glasgow
Professional Qualifications
2019 Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, SFHEA
2016 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA
Responsibilities & affiliations
Course leader: Student Research Component (BVM&S); Research Planning and Methodology in Animal Welfare (International Animal Welfare Ethics and Law Online MSc); Professional Skills (Agricultural Science BScs)
Undergraduate teaching
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVM&S)
- Student Research Component
Agricultural Science BSc (Hons)
- Professional Skills for Global Agri-Food Scientists
Postgraduate teaching
Clinical Animal Behaviour Online MSc
-
Principles of Animal Behaviour
-
Anthrozoology
International Animal Welfare Ethics and Law Online MSc
-
Research Planning and Methodology in Animal Welfare
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Current PhD students supervised
Syamira Zaini - Knowledge and attitudes of veterinarians with regards to pain and welfare in cats - an educational intervention
Wendy Watson - Friends, Forage, Freedom, an investigation into the welfare of managed horses in the UK
Research summary
Research methodology, open science practices
Within education research: Digital education (effectiveness, utilisation and effects on experience), student learning, student experience, staff teaching experience, effective public engagement.
Within human-animal relationships: animal support, companion animal welfare, animal welfare education.
Current research interests
I am based within the VMED (Veterinary Medical Education) research group. We have a wide remit looking at many aspects of veterinary education including student support and wellbeing, feedback and assessment and e-learning. I also maintain links with the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education group at R(D)SVS, and the Global Academy for Agriculture and Food Security reflecting my interest in personality and human-animal relationships.Research activities
-
Evaluation of surgical confidence and competence with surgical EPAs after repeated use of low-fidelity training models in veterinary students
(12 pages)
In:
Veterinary Record, vol. 192, pp. 1-13
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2779
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Veterinary students’ views on surgical EPAs and the impact of COVID-19 on clinical competence development
(10 pages)
In:
Veterinary Record, vol. 191, pp. 1-10
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.1978
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Using data about classroom practices to stimulate significant conversations and aid reflection
(16 pages)
In:
International Journal for Academic Development, pp. 1-16
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2022.2103817
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Freeing the free-text comment: exploring ethical text mining in the higher education sector
(238 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003138785
Research output: › Chapter (Published) -
Lecture rapture: The place and case for lectures in the new normal
In:
Teaching in Higher Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.2015755
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Development and evaluation of a faculty based accredited Continuing Professional Development route for teaching and learning
In:
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2021-0019
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The cost of asking ‘say that again?’: a social capital theory view into how lecture recording supports widening participation
In:
Frontiers in Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.734755
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Open Science for Veterinary Education Research
In:
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.745779
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
What'd I Miss? A qualitative exploration of student and staff experiences with lecture recording over an academic year
In:
Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, vol. 9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v9i1.467
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
The VetEd Conference: Evolution of an Educational Community of Practice
In:
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2020-0154
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Play in professional education: vets who horse around
In:
Journal of Play in Adulthood
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5920/jpa.704
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The use of lecture recording as study aids in a professional degree program
In:
Journal of Veterinary Medical Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2020-0067
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
Lights, camera, active! Appreciation of active learning predicts positive attitudes towards lecture capture
In:
Higher Education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00674-4
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
The cost of asking 'say that again?': a social capital theory view into how lecture recording supports widening participation
(17 pages)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/t7e5q
Research output: › Working paper (Published) -
Lights, camera, active! Appreciation of active learning predicts positive attitudes towards lecture capture
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/2jgcs
Research output: › Working paper (Published) -
Developing the FILL+ tool to reliably classify classroom practices using lecture recordings
In:
Journal for STEM Education Research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-020-00047-7
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
First year undergraduates make use of recordings to overcome barriers to higher education: evidence from a survey
In:
Research in Learning Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2476
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Ten simple rules for supporting a temporary online pivot in higher education.
In:
PLoS Computational Biology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008242
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Social Media Contexts Moderate Perceptions of Animals
In:
Animals
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10050845
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
10 simple rules for supporting a temporary online pivot in higher education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/qdh25
Research output: › Working paper (Published)