Oral Presentation - Research

Hoofprints and Footprints: Creating Impactful Skills Learning in Interprofessional Leadership Development Through Equine-assisted Learning

- CDT
Room: St. Nicholas B
Kimberly Tumlin, PhD
University of Kentucky
Darin Vaughan, BS
University of Kentucky
Jim Ballard, MS, EdD
University of Kentucky
Track:
  • Innovative Approaches to Interprofessional Pedagogy and Education Science
Incorporation of horses into care delivery for patients,1-4 and through equine-assisted learning (EAL) has demonstrated gains in emotional intelligence,5 self-regulation,6 and uniprofessional leadership development.7 However, use of EAL in interprofessional leadership is a nascent field of inquiry.

The University of Kentucky interprofessional team leadership development (ITLD) program supports learners from six colleges. Using experiential learning, this program uniquely incorporates horses for skills applications; crystalizing skills in situational leadership, group dynamics, feedback agility, and somatic intelligence.

This pilot’s objectives were to 1) evaluate competency attainment, and 2) define utility and impact of EAL methods for ITLD for multiple cohorts over 5 program years.Methods/methodology: Program data from 2019-2024 was used. Objective 1: Data were collected via the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS)8 as a pre/post assessment and evaluated using paired t-tests. Objective 2: Learners provided qualitative reflections to prompts on leadership, non-verbal communication, and engagement. Reflections were analyzed thematically,9 and via a sematic similarity model as a form of natural language processing (NLP) comparing responses to a 'gold standard' developed using GPT 4o. The gold standard incorporated relevant IPEC sub-competences and prompts presented to learners.Results: ICCAS scores were higher in post conditions (6.14 vs. 5.17; t(20) = 6.52, p=.003). Six primary themes emerged through qualitative analysis. NLP modeling indicated agreement within all responses (n=58; >0.5), meaning all students achieved intended skills.Conclusions, implications, and curiosities: This project was successful in providing evidence of both utility and impact of EAL as a methodological approach to ITLD. Non-verbal communication can be enhanced in ITLD by incorporating EAL approaches. In addition, relevant IPEC sub-competencies were also fostered by incorporating horses in the learning experience. NLP is a relevant and innovative approach to handle large qualitative responses for ITLD. Finally, learners described the experience with horses as transformative, suggesting the need for further innovating ITLD approaches.

Learning Objectives

  • Define EAS and the role of horses in promoting ITLD
  • Consider effective approaches of horses as an experiential methodology
  • Describe impacts of incorporating horses into ITLD

References

  • 1. Cantin A, Marshall-Lucette S. Examining the literature on the efficacy of equine assisted therapy for people with mental health and behavioral disorders. Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. 2011;8(1): 51-61
  • 2. Rigby B, Grandjean PW. The Efficacy of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies on Improving Physical Function. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2016;22(1)
  • 3. McDaniel-Peters, BC, Wood, W. Autism and Equine-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Mapping Review. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017; 47, 3220–3242.
  • 4. Collado-Mateo D, Lavín-Pérez AM, Fuentes García JP, García-Gordillo MÁ, Villafaina S. Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapies or Horse-Riding Simulators on Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina. 2020; 56(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56090444
  • 5. Clark DY, Mack JM, McCurdy KG. (2024) "Can an Equine-Assisted Learning Course Improve Emotional Intelligence in Undergraduate Students?" People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 2024;7(1), Article 17. Available at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/paij/vol7/iss1/17
  • 6. Rosing T, Malka M, Brafman D, Fisher P W. (2022). A qualitative study of equine-assisted therapy for Israeli military and police veterans with PTSD—impact on self-regulation, bonding and hope. Health & Social Care in the Community. 2022; 30(: e5074–e5082. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13922
  • 7. Bilginoglu, E. Equine-assisted experiential learning on leadership development. International Journal of Organizational Leadership. 2021;10(Special Issue-2021), 3-16.
  • 8. Schmitz CC, Radosevich DM, Jardine P, MacDonald CJ, Trumpower D, Archibald D. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS): A replication validation study. J Interprof Care. 2017;31(1):28-34.
  • 9. Braun, V. & Clark, V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 2006;3: 77-101.