Print Syllabus

Syllabus

P000010 Understanding cognition and emotions to improve animal welfare, 3.0 Credits

Subjects

Animal science

Education cycle

Postgraduate level

Grading scale

Prior knowledge

Admitted to a postgraduate program in animal science, biology, veterinary medicine, food science, nutrition, nursing, or related subjects, or to a residency program in veterinary science.

Objectives

On completion of the course, the student should be able to: 1\. Understand different aspects of animal cognition and how these relate to emotion. 2\. Evaluate and critically argue for different methods to assess cognitive abilities and emotional state. 3\. Argue how cognitive and emotional processes influence animals’ adaptation to different housing systems, management, and training/handling. 4\. Relate their own research to animal welfare, cognition and emotion.

Content

The course consists of a combination of lectures, seminars, group discussions, written assignment and presentations of individual project work. Students will prepare for the course by reading the provided course literature and prepare a presentation of their own research project (24 hours). During a three-day meeting, the students will be provided an overview and theoretical framework of animal cognition in relation to emotions, as well as different methods used for assessment of emotions and cognitive abilities. Moreover, common housing, management and handling/training practices and their impact on cognition and emotion in animals will be outlined and discussed. During the course, the students will engage in active discussions with other course participants and reflect on the methods used in their own research projects, discuss challenges and advantages of different methods, and how different methods can be improved and strengthened (24 hours). There will be a one-day follow up activity after students have been given time to reflect on what they have learned in the course. Students will give a second presentation in which they elaborate on how they can apply their knowledge about animal cognition and emotion in their own research project (16 hours). Students will also complete a written assignment where they discuss different cognition and emotion assessment methods taking into account animal housing, management and handling, and if applicable, in relation to their own research on animal welfare (16 hours).

Additional information

International lecturers, as well as lecturers from SLU, will be invited as lecturers. The course will be held in hybrid-form, with some activities on campus (with a zoom connection) during a three-day meeting and presentations via zoom online after the on-campus meeting.

Responsible department

Department of Animal Envrionment and Health