Postgraduate Course: Animal Cognition and Consciousness (AWAB11046)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | In the first part of the course students will be presented with the scientific basis of motivation, emotion, learning and cognition which are all integral to the study of animal behaviour and animal welfare. Emphasis will be put on the integration of these areas with a specific focus on welfare while an understanding of learning theory will be put in to practice through training practical sessions. This course will also focus on debates surrounding the concepts of animal sentience and animal consciousness; it will discuss historical and current interpretations, different existing experimental approaches, and philosophical conundrums concerned with the study of animal minds. It will consider the implications of the study of animal consciousness for models of animal welfare and provide an in-depth look at Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA), a methodology for the study of emotional expression in animals. |
| Course description |
In the first part of the course students will be presented with the scientific basis of motivation, emotion, learning and cognition which are all integral to the study of animal behaviour and animal welfare. Emphasis will be put on the integration of these areas with a specific focus on welfare while an understanding of learning theory will be put in to practice through training practical sessions. This course will also focus on debates surrounding the concepts of animal sentience and animal consciousness; it will discuss historical and current interpretations, different existing experimental approaches, and philosophical conundrums concerned with the study of animal minds. It will consider the implications of the study of animal consciousness for models of animal welfare and provide an in-depth look at Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA), a methodology for the study of emotional expression in animals.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 45,
Summative Assessment Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
145 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
67 %,
Practical Exam
33 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
For this course students are asked to submit three assignments and one formative assignment. Summative assignments may include a case study (30%), a training plan - 2 parts (one formative and one summative) (35%) and an oral presentation (35%).
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| Feedback |
Opportunities for feedback arise during timetabled courses, for example during live session tutorials, discussion boards, emails, telephone communication and in person/on campus. Feedback can be provided on coursework assignments but also activities which are not formally assessed, for example class discussion on the discussion board, group exercise, problem-solving and developing project plans and proposals. A formative task is provided in each course which provides formative feedback prior to the student submitting their first piece of assessed course work.
All assignments, including the formative assessment, will be marked and feedback is provided within a period of fifteen working days (where possible) following the submission date (excluding holidays periods whereby the University of closed, e.g. over the Christmas period)
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principal theories, principles and concepts of animal cognition, sentience and consciousness.
- Design a practical application that demonstrates a critical understanding of learning theory principles and concepts.
- Communicate using appropriate methods to targeted audiences about animal cognition and consciousness.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | animal behaviour,animal welfare |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Vincent Bombail
Tel:
Email: v1vbomb4@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Linda Pollock
Tel: (0131) 650 6149
Email: Linda.Pollock@ed.ac.uk |
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