Animal Care Short Course

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About this course

What is it?

The Animal Care Short Course can accredit between 10 and 60 hours of learners' activities and involvement in caring for all types of animals. This could range from looking after domestic pets at home, to working with farm animals and wildlife in the community, to finding out about more exotic species at zoos and wildlife centres.

The flexibility of ASDAN's Short Courses means they can be carried out in a variety of settings, over a time period to suit the individual or co-ordinating centre. Challenge descriptions can be interpreted and adapted according to the situation.

This Short Course can be completed using the student book or is available for learners to complete online through the ASDAN e-portfolio system. Learners log in to complete challenges, record skills development and upload evidence. Tutors can view learner progress and sign off work, leaving feedback as needed.

Log in to the e-portfolio

Join ASDAN

To teach this course you must have one of these membership types:

  • Qualifications
  • Programmes
  • Programmes Plus

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Who is it for?

Short Courses are widely used in formal and non-formal settings, by 13-19 year olds. Because they are multi-level, the focus is on completing challenges and skills development according to individual ability, although learners are expected to be working at Entry level 3 to Level 1.

Facts and Figures

 

 

Requirements

Learners must present evidence of their activities in an organised portfolio or e-portfolio.

This will contain:

  • a record of challenges completed, with supporting evidence for each challenge
  • recording documents, showing how learners have planned and reviewed their activities
  • summary of achievement, highlighting skills development
  • personal statement

Course Content

The Short Course is split into seven modules, each containing activities based around a different aspect of animal care:

  • Animal investigation
  • Safety around animals
  • Looking after animals
  • Animals in trouble
  • Animals in the media
  • Animals and the law
  • Careers in working with animals

Each learner will need their own copy of the Short Course student book or an e-portfolio login – this contains the challenge content and recording documents.

Download sample pages from the Animal Care Short Course student book.

Supporting Resources

A quick guide to Short Courses is available to support the delivery of all ASDAN Short Courses. This document offers advice and guidance for tutors, including a step-by-step guide to delivery.

1. Staff training

• The members of staff with overall responsibility for delivery should attend an ASDAN introductory workshop, webinar or an INSET.
• Training to deliver Short Courses is not a mandatory requirement, however it is highly recommended to ensure that the centre and learners obtain the maximum benefit from the programme.

2. Register with ASDAN

• You will need to have ASDAN Programmes membership to deliver Short Courses. Membership allows centres to purchase materials and access support from ASDAN, including regular mailings and updates.
• Become a member at: asdan.org.uk/membership or manage your existing membership at: asdan.org.uk/membership-details

3. Create a new cohort

• Create a new cohort using the ASDAN website: asdan.org.uk/member/cohorts
• Specify a course co-ordinator, the expected completion date and the number of learners taking the course.

Either:

  • Select student books for your learners.
  • Or, assign tutors and generate login details for learners via the tutor portal: tutor.asdan.org.uk

4. Purchase supporting resources

• Buy optional supporting resources below. 

5. Delivery

• Learners can log in to their e-portfolio at eportfolio.asdan.org.uk
• Deliver the course to your learners. Resources, such as skills sheets, can be accessed through the e-portfolio and downloaded from this page.

6. Internal moderation

• Internally moderate all e-portfolios to ensure that learners have met the full requirements of the course. Ensure learners are given time to make any necessary amendments. Internal moderation checklists are provided to support this process.
• While Short Courses are not externally moderated, ASDAN reserves the right to sample learners’ portfolios for quality assurance purposes.

7. Certification

• After successful internal moderation, confirm your learner names and details claim certificates via the tutor portal: tutor.asdan.org.uk
• Choose a free downloadable PDF certificate, or request printed and foiled certificates from ASDAN at an extra cost.
• Certificates will be posted to the Short Course co-ordinator for your centre within 20 days.
• If credits gained from a Short Course are being used towards another programme or qualification, you must ensure that both the Short Course certificate and the student’s portfolio are presented at external moderation.

ASDAN training events are delivered by experts to enable your centre to successfully run our courses. They provide an introduction to the course, along with guidance on the processes involved, course delivery and moderation.

Book training

Costs

All costs shown below are per candidate, unless otherwise stated. Each learner will need their own copy of the student book. Books or registrations purchased for Short Courses are valid for three years from the date of purchase. 

Item Price
Animal Care Short Course student book £10.95
Animal Care Short Course PDF certificate Free
Animal Care Short Course printed and foiled certificate (optional, per learner, per Short Course) £2.95

Products can be purchased below.

Products

Course resources


Animal Care Short Course: 4A8 - Endangered animals

This worksheet can be used to support challenge 4A8 of the Animal Care Short Course, which asks learners to give a presentation about the plight of an endangered species and what can be done to help. This resource provides examples of endangered animals for learners to pick from and a template to help prepare for their presentation.


Animal Care Short Course - 7A4 Interviewing someone who works with animals

This worksheet can be used to record an interview with someone who works with animals (e.g. vet, zookeeper, Police dog handler). This resource links to challenge 7A4 of the Animal Care Short Course.


Animal Care Short Course - 1A7 Animal handling session diary

This worksheet can be used to record participation in an animal handling session at a zoo or wildlife centre (e.g. birds of prey, snake handling, pets corner). This resource links to challenge 1A7 of the Animal Care Short Course.


Evaluation chart (individual)

This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week individual activity. Learners are asked to mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt; at the end of the project the learner should join up the marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.


Evaluation chart (group)

This evaluation chart can be used by learners to evaluate a six-week group activity. Each member of the group should choose a different colour and mark on the graph each week to show what they did and how they felt. At the end of the project, each group member then joins up their marks to give a picture of the whole activity. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.


Planning a group or team task

This resource can be used when planning a group or team task. It links particularly well to ASDAN's Short Course programmes.


Self-evaluation template

This generic self-evaluation template can be used by learners to evaluate almost any group activity. Learners are asked to record how they felt about the activity and pick out the best and worst bits, before reflecting on what they could do better next time. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.


Teamwork health check

This generic teamwork health check template can support a wide range of group activities. Learners are asked to come up with a list of agreed ground rules for good teamwork, then rate each group member's performance against these criteria. This resource is particularly suited to challenges in Short Courses, Personal Development Programmes (Bronze, Silver, Gold), CoPE and Wider Key Skills.

Success stories

Animal therapy builds learners’ resilience and preparation for adulthood

As part of our response to National Stress Awareness Month we spoke to Jayne Haigh, owner of Goxhill Meadows, an eco-friendly glamping site in East Yorkshire. Jayne tells us how animal-assisted therapy helps young people overcome trauma and improve their mental wellbeing, and why Goxhill Meadows uses ASDAN’s Short Courses to accredit learners’ progression.
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