Animal Assisted Learning to Alleviate Anxiety Over Examinations

Grant program: Teaching and Learning Development Grant (TLDG)

Grant recipient: Carolyn Mamchur, Faculty of Education

Project team: Anotidaishe Gwesu, Michelle Aslan, and Hany Tran, research assistants

Timeframe: July 2016 to January 2017

Funding: $1600

Course addressed: EDUC 100 – Selected Questions and Issues in Education

Final report: View Carolyn Mamchur's final report (PDF)

Description: It is the purpose of this study to determine if animal assisted learning is a successful strategy to address student anxiety during testing and examination time, and should therefore be a regular aspect of the curriculum in EDUC 100.

Questions addressed:

• How would students describe their experience at the farm?
• Did the experience have enough effect on how they felt about the course that they commented on it without direct questions?
• What is the general level of anxiety of students related to examinations?
• What is cause of examination anxiety?
• Did students feel the farm helped them to reduce anxiety during examinations?

Keywords: Anxiety, animals, interviews, email questionnaire