Participants from across the globe took part in the course first time round. Topics covered include anatomy and physiology of the equine digestive tract and equine nutrient sources. There are also modules on dietary management for different kinds of horses and ponies, particularly those with nutrition-related disorders.
There will be lecture videos and quizzes to work though each week and an opportunity for participants to share their thoughts and ideas with others on the course. Assessment will take place at the end of the course with a series of multiple choice questions.
The equine nutrition course was one of six free courses for online students to be launched by the University of Edinburgh in January.
These Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been delivered via the Coursera partnership - a network of leading international universities which offer short undergraduate-level online courses free of charge.
Equine course organizer Dr. Jo-Anne Murray said: “We were delighted with the response to the first course and hope that many more people will sign up this time round. If anyone wants to take part, all they need is internet access and a keen interest in equine nutrition.”
Dr. Murray is a senior lecturer in animal nutrition and program director for the Veterinary School's on-line program in equine science.
Dr. Murray has a PhD in equine nutrition, a Masters in e-learning, a postgraduate diploma in animal nutrition, a postgraduate certificate in higher education and degree in equine science.
To learn more about the course, please go to: https://www.coursera.org/#course/equinenutrition.
