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	Motivation, learning and cognition are all fields that provide an underpinning to the study of animal behaviour and animal welfare. The students will be presented with the scientific basis of these areas, with particular reference to animal welfare. This module will also focus on historical and current interpretations of the concept of animal consciousness as well as on experimental approaches to the study of animal consciousness. Implications of the study of animal consciousness for models of animal welfare will be studied as well as basic principles of the moral evaluation of animal use.
Course description	Motivation, learning and cognition are all fields that provide an underpinning to the study of animal behaviour and animal welfare. The students will be presented with the scientific basis of these areas, with particular reference to animal welfare. This module will also focus on historical and current interpretations of the concept of animal consciousness as well as on experimental approaches to the study of animal consciousness. Implications of the study of animal consciousness for models of animal welfare will be studied as well as basic principles of the moral evaluation of animal use.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		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 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 67 %, Practical Exam 33 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	For this course students are asked to submit one formative assignment, which may be a self-directed activity. Summative assignments may include a case study, a training plan and an oral presentation (worth 33.3% each).
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)
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Understand how internal and external factors combine to produce motivated behaviour. 2. Understand the methods used to assess animal motivation and how experiments in animal motivation have contributed to animal welfare science. 3. Understand the basic types of learning and training and how to communicate this knowledge to different types of audience. 4. Understand the concepts underlying animal cognition and to be able to critically review the scientific literature in this area. 5. Understand the concepts of animal consciousness and be able to integrate and discuss scientific research and different philosophical approaches.