Veterinary Science: The Care of Animals

Course Description:

As animals play an increasingly important role in our lives, scientists have sought to learn more about their health and well being. Taking a look at the pets that live on our homes, on our farms, and in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, this course will examine some of the common diseases and treatments for domestic animals. Toxins, parasites, and infectious diseases impact not only the animals around us, but at times, we humans as well! Through veterinary medicine and science, the prevention and treatment of diseases and health issues is studied and applied.

Course Details:

Course Title (District): Veterinary Science: The Care of Animals
Course Title (NCES SCED) : Zoology
Course Provider : Michigan Virtual
Content Provided By : eDynamic Learning
Online Instructor Provided By : Michigan Virtual
Standards Addressed : Common Core State Standards
Alignment Document : http://media.mivu.org/mivhs/alignchart/other/VeterinaryScience.pdf
Academic Terms : Semester, Trimester, Accelerated, Open Entry / Fixed End
NCES SCED Code : 03061
Subject Area : Life and Physical Sciences
Course Identifier : Zoology
Course Level : High School (Secondary)
Available Credit : 0.5
Sequence : 1 of 1

How To Enroll:

Enrollment Website : https://slp.michiganvirtual.org/
Email : [email protected]
Phone : (888) 889-2840

Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.

Start Registration Request

Additional Course Information:

Additional Cost: $0.0

Additional Cost Description:

NA

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain the history of veterinary science and the requirements to become a veterinarian.
  • Examine major systems of small and large animals and what effects diseases have on small and large animals.
  • Discuss infectious diseases, their symptoms, and treatments among small and large animals.
  • Summarize the major threats to the health of large animals and why the health of horses, cattle, and swine are important for public health.
  • Investigate exotic animals’ living environment, diseases, and challenges veterinarians face when working with exotic animals.
  • Evaluate a variety of poisons and toxins and their effects on animals.
  • Investigate parasites, their transfer to other animals, and symptoms of infection.
  • Identify and discuss various zoonotic diseases.
  • Evaluate various holistic veterinary treatments for animals.

iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Course Overview and Introduction Rating Comments
Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Fully Met
Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. Fully Met Syllabus and pacing guide provided.
Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. Fully Met Provided in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Academic Content Standards and Assessments Rating Comments
The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. Partially Met We noticed several objectives were not written in measurable terms.
The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. Not Met While there is no content standard set specific to this course, there was no reference to any state or national standards relevant to any science discipline.
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. Not Met The content does not appear to be rigorous or have a lot of depth.
Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. Not Met No evidence of information literacy and communication skills incorportated.
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. Partially Met Via standard practices of instructor welcome letters, Start Here / Getting Started guidance, and Online Learning Orientation Tools located on the MVU website and LMS.
Legal and Acceptable Use Policies Rating Comments
The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. Fully Met
Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. Fully Met Provided in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Privacy policies are clearly stated. Fully Met Provided in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Instructor Resources Rating Comments
Online instructor resources and notes are included. Fully Met Provided in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. Fully Met Provided in the Blackboard learning management system (LMS).
Accessing Course Effectiveness Rating Comments
The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met Students have the ability to rate the lesson as completed, student evaluation at end of course.
The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. Partially Met MVU also uses the Knowledge Base course issues tracker, permitting instructors to make suggestions to improve the course.
Course Updates Rating Comments
The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. Partially Met While the content provider did not provide a release date for the current version of the course, the provider states that updates to its courses occur at least annually.
Certification Rating Comments
Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. Fully Met All MVS instructors are certified in the state of Michigan and highly qualified.
Instructor and Student Support Rating Comments
Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. Fully Met MVS instructors complete an onboarding course prior to teaching, annual professional development and conference attendance, participate in monthly department meetings, and are provided online resources for various instructional media.
The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. Fully Met MVS instructors have access to a knowledge base with tutorials to assist them. Students also have a customer care center that offers technical support and course management assistance.
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. Fully Met
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. Fully Met
The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. Fully Met
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. Fully Met Students are offered an orientation, i.e., the Online Learning Orientation Tool (OLOT), for taking an online course before starting the coursework in the learning management system.
Instructional and Audience Analysis Rating Comments
Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. Partially Met Text with audio is provided. No evidence of video presentations found.
Course, Unit and Lesson Design Rating Comments
The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. Fully Met
Instructional Strategies and Activities Rating Comments
The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. Partially Met Text is the main instructional format and little evidence of engaging activities. Some assignments are teacher graded.
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. Partially Met Text with audio for multiple learning paths. No evidence of hands-on activities to engage students and no alternative assignments.
The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. Not Met
The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. Not Met No accomodations, suggestions, or opportunities to check student understanding at the end of each lesson.
Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. Fully Met
Communication and Interaction Rating Comments
The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. Fully Met
The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. Fully Met Michigan Virtual School (MVS) instructor guidelines ensure such interaction through welcome letters, instructor introductions, and regular progress reporting.
The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. Partially Met Discussion board posts allow for students to have one-on-one communication. Teachers may need to allow for students to redo assignments if mastery of learning objectives is sought. Multiple attempts are not setup as a part of the course design at this time.
Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. Not Met No additional resources provided.
Evaluation Strategies Rating Comments
Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. Partially Met Student evaluation strategies are not all consistent with the stated course goals and objectives. Students are often asked to copy answers from the text.
The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. Partially Met Assessment strategies are limited to tests, quizzes and discussion boards.
Feedback Rating Comments
Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. Fully Met Pre-assessments, quizzes, tests and discussions are provided in each lesson.
Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. Fully Met Progress checks, gradebook, instructor feedback, and the "what-if" calculator.
Assessment Resources and Materials Rating Comments
Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. Partially Met Limited to quizzes, tests and discussion boards. Almost all assessments are based on recall.
Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. Partially Met Rubrics are not explicit but a generic one is provided for all assignments. No work samples are provided.
The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. Fully Met Provided in the MVS Blackboard LMS.
Course Architecture Rating Comments
The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. Partially Met Instructors cannot alter Florida Virtual School or eDynamic Learning, Inc. content, but MVS instructors are permitted to add supplemental materials as needed via the Blackboard LMS.
The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. Fully Met
User Interface Rating Comments
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. Fully Met
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. Partially Met Audio recordings or podcasts only; no video content. The program reads text out aloud, but video links to outside sources do not provide closed captioning.
Technology Requirements and Interoperability Rating Comments
All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. Fully Met Communicated in the syllabus, the MVU website, and the Blackboard LMS.
Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. Fully Met Communicated in the syllabus, the MVU website, and the Blackboard LMS.
The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. Partially Met Software tools were not always used as needed
The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. Fully Met
Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. Fully Met Communicated in the syllabus, the MVU website, and the Blackboard LMS.
Accessibility Rating Comments
Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). Fully Met
Data Security Rating Comments
Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Fully Met

Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review: 05/25/2016

NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses

Rating Comments
A1. A course overview and syllabus are included in the online course Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a link to the course syllabus within the quick access menu located on the class homepage. The syllabus describes, among other things, a course description, prerequisite learning requirements, course objectives or outcomes, an outline of learning topics, resources included, scoring systems and grading policies, estimated time commitments, assessment requirements, technology requirements, additional material costs, technical and digital literacy skill requirements, contact expectations and academic support information.
A2. Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated.* Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a link to the course syllabus within the quick access menu located on the class homepage. The syllabus describes, among other things, a course description, prerequisite learning requirements, course objectives or outcomes, an outline of learning topics, resources included, scoring systems and grading policies, estimated time commitments, assessment requirements, technology requirements, additional material costs, technical and digital literacy skill requirements, contact expectations and academic support information.
A3. The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided to learners and other stakeholders. Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a quick access widget on class homepages displaying the instructor's name, photograph, contact information, office hours, and personalized messages. Additionally, instructors post a welcome letter for students in their Getting Started module describing further biographical and professional information.
A4. Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. Fully Met Michigan Virtual's Student Orientation to Online Learning lesson content, linked in the Getting Started module common to all course offerings, describes in detail expectations and responsibilities for learners as well as for their instructors. Additionally, the course quick links located on the class homepage includes a link to Michigan Virtual policies, including policies for academic integrity, acceptable use, accommodations and web accessibility guidelines, anti-bullying, terms and conditions for dropping a course, student privacy, and purchasing terms and conditions.
A5. Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided.* Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a link to the course syllabus within the quick access menu located on the class homepage. The syllabus describes, among other things, a course description, prerequisite learning requirements, course objectives or outcomes, an outline of learning topics, resources included, scoring systems and grading policies, estimated time commitments, assessment requirements, technology requirements, additional material costs, technical and digital literacy skill requirements, contact expectations and academic support information. It is the responsibility of schools or parents/guardians enrolling their students to provide them with the necessary hardware and internet access. However, if the course requires additional software downloads, then this information is provided to students within the technology requirements description and/or in additional guidance located in the Getting Started module of the course.
A6. Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a link to the course syllabus within the quick access menu located on the class homepage. The syllabus describes, among other things, a course description, prerequisite learning requirements, course objectives or outcomes, an outline of learning topics, resources included, scoring systems and grading policies, estimated time commitments, assessment requirements, technology requirements, additional material costs, technical and digital literacy skill requirements, contact expectations and academic support information.
A7. The online course provides a clear description or link to the technical support offered and how to obtain it.* Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings contain a link to the course syllabus within the quick access menu located on the class homepage. The syllabus describes, among other things, a course description, prerequisite learning requirements, course objectives or outcomes, an outline of learning topics, resources included, scoring systems and grading policies, estimated time commitments, assessment requirements, technology requirements, additional material costs, technical and digital literacy skill requirements, contact expectations and academic support information. Additionally, the course quick links menu located on the class homepage includes a link to Getting Help, detailing who to contact for various common needs, a link to the online Knowledge Base articles maintained by Michigan Virtual, and contact information for the Michigan Virtual Customer Care Center.
A8. Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the online course. Fully Met All Michigan Virtual students complete the Student Orientation to Online Learning module, containing introductory lessons and four assessments, prior to beginning their other coursework. Additionally, all courses include as their first activity an introductory discussion board as an opportunity to engage with the instructor and other classmates.
Rating Comments
B1. The online course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course.* Fully Met Periodic quizzes test for student knowledge and competency in the subject matter as well as a variety of assignments.
B2. The online course expectations are consistent with course-level objectives or competencies, are representative of the structure of the course, and are clearly stated. Fully Met Class has thorough introduction through use of in-class textbook
B3. The online course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards, where applicable.* Fully Met Class is broken up into measurable and achievable sections that add up well to the overall course level aims
B4. Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum.* Fully Met Student introduction and orientation is taught in all courses and goes over many of the skills needed to navigate the course successfully.
B5. Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned to the specific content being delivered.* Fully Met All items that you supplement in nature link back to the course and unit material accurately and support the overall learning of the course.
B6. The online course content and supporting materials reflect a culturally diverse perspective that is free of bias.* Partially Met We went through all of the images in the first 4 units of the course and noticed right away that the images used were predominantly of white people. The content itself has no bias and could include multiple cultures in our opinion.
B7. The online course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, OER) that support course content standards are accurate and current. Partially Met This standard is met as in there are a variety of assignment types. However, the material is very routine and in our experience students will get bored of the same type of assignments for 8 units.
B8. The online course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements.* Fully Met No adult content or advertisements were noticed
B9. Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. Fully Met Citations are well documented and presented throughout all texts and resources
B10. Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation.* Fully Met Items such as videos, podcasts, and articles are linked to the students for summarizing, additional information, and diverse instruction.
Rating Comments
C1. The online course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. Fully Met Students have access to gradebooks and feedback left by instructors to support their own learning. Relearning options are available in the form of resetting assignments and access to course material at all times.
C2. The online course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. Fully Met Learning goals are clearly stated and appropriate for student's advancement and learning
C3. The online course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Fully Met Content follows a logical order and is consistent in assignment expectations.
C4. The online course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners.* Fully Met In class textbook is advanced enough for high school learners without being overwhelming
C5. The online course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. Fully Met All Michigan Virtual students complete the Student Orientation to Online Learning module, containing introductory lessons and four assessments, prior to beginning their other coursework. Additionally, all courses include as their first activity an introductory discussion board as an opportunity to engage with the instructor and other classmates.
C6. The online course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. Fully Met A variety of assignment types are provided for many learning types to succeed. Practice assignments and "games" are provided to forward that learning.
C7. The online course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. Fully Met There are many opportunities for instructors to interact with their students in discussion boards as well as for students to interact with each other. Discussion boards require two responses to other students posts to encourage engagement.
C8. The online course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress.* Fully Met Feedback options are available for instructors with multiple media options. There are also many opportunities for students to discuss course material with each other in discussion boards.
C9. Online course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner.* Fully Met In class textbook and activities are presented in a lively and engaging manner
Rating Comments
D1. Learner assessments are linked to stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. Fully Met Assessment through quizzes, projects, and presentations are well aligned with the course objectives
D2. Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward mastery of content. Fully Met Assessments are valid and make sense with the content
D3. Assessment practices provide routine and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning.* Fully Met In lesson assessments include many opportunities for students to self assess and check in on their own learning
D4. Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate mastery in a variety of ways.* Fully Met Course has varied types of assessment that are all conducive to student evaluation of learning
D5. Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners.* Fully Met Projects and presentations have rubrics and specific requirements that are evaluated by the instructor to evaluate competency
Rating Comments
E1. Online course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view.* Fully Met Course doesn't contain a lot of useless information or "fluff". The material follows a logical order and is concise and efficient in its delivery.
E2. The online course design facilitates readability.* Fully Met All course content is organized and is written in a way that makes sense for the learner.
E3. The online course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the needs of diverse learners.* Fully Met Many images are used throughout the course that are instructional and supplement. There are also links to articles for additional learning.
E4. Course multimedia facilitate ease of use.* Fully Met YouTube videos and podcasts are used to summarize and break up course content.
E5. Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course.* Fully Met Course has listening options for students to hear course content as well as a variety of explanations for the same topic.
Rating Comments
F1. Educational tools ensure learner privacy and maintain confidentiality of learner information in accordance with local, state, and national laws for learner data. Fully Met Student data within Michigan Virtual's learning management system are password-protected and require single sign-on from a secure student information system in full compliance with FERPA requirements.
F2. The online course tools support the learning objectives or competencies.* Fully Met All course material supports and correlates with the learning objectives listed at the top of the units
F3. The online course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate learners’ needs and preferences.* Partially Met Instructor role permissions within Michigan Virtual's learning management system permit instructors to add supplemental content and external resources both within lessons and announcements. Additionally, the learning management system permits online accommodations including text-to-speech tools, extended testing time, provision of multiple attempts, and scoring exemptions for extenuating circumstances. Course content is desgined, however, to meet state and national content standards alignment and provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum to all enrolled learners, and therefore there are restrictions on instructor permissions to modify the scope and sequence of course assessments.
F4. The course allows instructors to control the release of content.* Partially Met Michigan Virtual provides for flexible pacing and asynchronous delivery of its online course offerings. In order to maximize these opportunities for personalized learner preferences and flexibility concerning frequency or timing of individual learner availability or participation in courses during academic terms, with few exceptions, all course content is made available at all times throughout the term, and generally only midterm or final exams are password protected. Conditional release of content is intentionally avoided or used sparingly within Michigan Virtual course design and instructional delivery models.
F5. The course provides the necessary technical functionality to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades.* Fully Met Michigan Virtual ensures that the gradebook items are pre-populated in its course offerings, and the association of grade items with individual assessments, and the inclusion of grade categories, progress check calculations, and total point scoring established prior to the enrollment of learners.
Rating Comments
G1. The online course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. Fully Met Michigan Virtual regularly examines enrollment trends, student performance data, student completion rates, student responses to end-of-course surveys, and technical support requests to continuously examine the quality and effectiveness of individual course offerings.
G2. The online course is reviewed to ensure that the course is current. Fully Met All Michigan Virtual course offerings offered by third party content providers undergo formal evaluation and review for their degree of alignment to course design and content standards, including the currency of content where appropriate.
G3. The online course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. Fully Met Michigan Virtual maintains a continuous cycle of monitoring course functionality through multiple support ticketing systems for internal and external users, annual reviews of performance and perception data, as well as a 3 to 5 year cycle of updating, replacing, or retiring course versions in an effort to maintain currency.

Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review: 09/28/2021

  Unit 1: Introduction to Veterinary Science 
  Unit 2: Small Animal Medicine 
  Unit 3: Large Animal Medicine 
  Unit 4: Exotic Animal Medicine 
  Unit 5: Poisoning and Toxicology 
  Unit 6: Veterinary Parasitology 
  Unit 7: Zoonotic Diseases 
  Unit 8: Holistic Veterinary Science and Medicine

Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends Random Draw Date Enrollment Drop Date Course Starts Course Ends # of Seats Course Fee Potential Additional Costs
Drop Policy Completion Policy Term Type Enrollment Opens Enrollment Ends
Students can use chat, email or private message system within the course to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance.
School Year Enrollment Count Pass Count Completion Rate Notes
23-24 222 219 98.65%
22-23 233 227 97.42%
21-22 303 290 95.71%
19-20 321 289 90.03%
18-19 294 267 90.82%
17-18 249 228 91.57% Enrollment data includes all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the 2017-18 school year.
16-17 151 140 92.72% Enrollment data include all enrollments (21f and non-21f) for the 2016-17 school year.
15-16 97 88 90.72% None