A new study published in the Journal of Dairy Science® found Instagram can serve as an effective way to teach dairy cow nutrition and management to students and professionals
Philadelphia, March 5, 2025 – As social media platforms like Instagram become increasingly popular for sharing educational information, universities have adopted these new digital tools to better engage and teach the students and the professionals who look to them for cutting-edge guidance. In a new study in the Journal of Dairy Science, five researchers used their own university farm’s Instagram account to examine the efficacy of social media as an educational tool for sharing dairy cow nutrition and management education—finding that it not only has potential to train students and professionals but also helps to foster trust and increase engagement during the learning process.
The study’s co-principal investigators, Martina Lamanna, DVM and PhD candidate, and Damiano Cavallini, DVM, PhD, and EBVS ECVCN (both of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy), and Edlira Muca, DVM and PhD (Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy), explained that despite the explosion of social media used for education, “how users perceive and use Instagram for learning, particularly in specialized fields such as dairy cow nutrition and management, remains largely unexplored.”
Instead, dairy science students and professionals traditionally rely on formal lectures, workshops, continuing education, and peer-reviewed academic journals to hone their crafts and stay connected to the latest science in the field. Can social media---particularly Instagram with its unique focus on visuals, videos, and interaction---actually be effective for teaching dairy cow nutrition skills and shaping how followers practically apply what they’ve learned?
To answer these questions, the team used the Instagram account “Stalla Didattica Unibo,” belonging to the Dairy Cow Nutrition University Farm at the University of Bologna. The account was created in December 2020, to modernize and promote educational outreach to veterinary students and practicing veterinarians, as well as other professionals in the veterinary and agricultural industries, such as farmers and those involved in dairy cow management.
“By sharing daily farm activities, research insights, and expert advice,” explained Lamanna, “students and professionals in the industry trusted the account as a credible source of information.” Lamanna, Cavallini, and Muca, along with colleagues Giovanni Buonaiuto and Andrea Formigoni, aimed to share the importance of science-supported dietary habits and management applications through short-form, easy-to-digest informative content via Instagram’s video features, including Stories, highlighted Stories, Instagram TV, and Reels.
The authors emphasize the value of engagement and share effective tactics that demonstrate the effects of tailored content on enhancing knowledge and practical applications for students and professionals. “One of the effective tactics we employed was the ‘Know Your Feed’ series,” said Lamanna, “which provided comprehensive insights into various cattle feed varieties, their nutritional makeup, and optimal feed management techniques.” The researchers also hosted weekly Q&A sessions, partnered with similar accounts, and employed interactive content like quizzes and polls, explained Cavallini, “all of which allowed us to build trust and foster a deeper connection with our audience.”
Caption: Eight features of @stalladidattica_unibo on Instagram that lead to the account’s success teaching management and nutrition of dairy cows (credit: Martina Lamanna).
The Instagram account has since grown to over 1,800 actively engaged followers. But did the content effectively teach new skills? To get an answer, the researchers analyzed data from 102 respondents through an online survey distributed via Instagram Stories between January and March 2024. The team found that 75.6% of general users and 74.5% of students from their Instagram audience reported improved knowledge after following the educational account. “Well-being, healthcare, and pathologies all ranked as the most interesting or helpful content in the general population,” said Lamanna, “followed by milk and its derivatives, breeds and genetics, and new technologies.”
Over 64% of all users reported applying the knowledge gained in practical situations, and more than 77% of general users and 84% of students would recommend the educational Instagram page to others. “These findings are particularly relevant as educational institutions seek innovative ways to deliver specialized knowledge,” said Muca. “The high rate of practical application among followers suggests that social media can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world implementation in veterinary education.”
The researchers were careful to note the limitations of the study, including its reliance on self-reporting and its restriction to only Instagram followers. They also made note of the potential risk of social media to potentially spread misinformation. Lamanna, Cavallini, Muca, and their colleagues recommend future studies on this subject and emphasize the importance of sharing only scientifically sound content on social platforms. The results, however, do underscore how social media can be used to strengthen knowledge as well as the social ties and trust between students, professionals, and researchers. “Educators should consider adjusting their methods to fully utilize evolving digital platforms,” asserted Lamanna. “Through innovative social media use in education, we can improve overall outcomes and better prepare students and professionals for success in the field.”
Notes for editors
The article is “From posts to practice: Instagram’s role in veterinary dairy cow nutrition education---How does the audience interact and apply knowledge? A survey study,” by Martina Lamanna, Edlira Muca, Giovanni Buonaiuto, Andrea Formigoni, and Damiano Cavallini (https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25347). It appears in the Journal of Dairy Science, volume 108, issue 2 (February 2025), published by the American Dairy Science Association and Elsevier.
The article is openly available at https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(24)01351-1/fulltext, and the PDF version is available at https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0022-0302%2824%2901351-1.
Full text of this article is also available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Eileen Leahy at +1 732 406 1313 or jdsmedia@elsevier.com. Journalists wishing to interview the authors should contact Martina Lamanna, DVM, or Giovanni Buonaiuto, PhD, MS, of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy, at martina.lamanna5@unibo.it or giovanni.buonaiuto@unibo.it.
About the Journal of Dairy Science
The Journal of Dairy Science® (JDS), an official journal of the American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA), is co-published by Elsevier and ADSA. It is the leading general dairy research journal in the world. JDS readers represent education, industry, and government agencies in more than 70 countries, with interests in biochemistry, breeding, economics, engineering, environment, food science, genetics, microbiology, nutrition, pathology, physiology, processing, public health, quality assurance, and sanitation. JDS has a 2022 Journal Impact Factor of 3.5 and five-year Journal Impact Factor of 4.2 according to Journal Citation Reports™ (Source: Clarivate™ 2023). www.journalofdairyscience.org
About the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA®)
The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) is an international organization of educators, scientists, and industry representatives who are committed to advancing the dairy industry and keenly aware of the vital role the dairy sciences play in fulfilling the economic, nutritive, and health requirements of the world’s population. It provides leadership in scientific and technical support to sustain and grow the global dairy industry through generation, dissemination, and exchange of information and services. Together, ADSA members have discovered new methods and technologies that have revolutionized the dairy industry. www.adsa.org
About Elsevier
As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making with innovative solutions based on trusted, evidence-based content, and advanced AI-enabled digital technologies.
We have supported the work of our research and healthcare communities for more than 140 years. Our 9,500 employees around the world, including 2,500 technologists, are dedicated to supporting researchers, librarians, academic leaders, funders, governments, R&D-intensive companies, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals, and educators in their critical work. Our 2,900 scientific journals and iconic reference books include the foremost titles in their fields, including Cell Press, The Lancet and Gray’s Anatomy.
Together with the Elsevier Foundation, we work in partnership with the communities we serve to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research, and healthcare in developing countries and around the world.
Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information on our work, digital solutions, and content, visit www.elsevier.com.