Postgraduate Course: Biology of Suffering (AWAB11047)

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	The importance of an understanding of the basic biological mechanisms relating to animal suffering will be highlighted. Then the students will learn what is meant by stress and the relationship between stress and animal welfare. Attention will be given to physiological and behavioural responses to a range of stressors, pain in particular. The course will discuss the scientific measurement of these responses and how they can be used practically in animal welfare assessment.
Course description	The importance of an understanding of the basic biological mechanisms relating to animal suffering will be highlighted. Then the students will learn what is meant by stress and the relationship between stress and animal welfare. Attention will be given to physiological and behavioural responses to a range of stressors, pain in particular. The course will discuss the scientific measurement of these responses and how they can be used practically in animal welfare assessment.

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 41, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 3, External Visit Hours 4, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 141 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	For this course students are asked to submit one formative assignment, which may be a self-directed activity. Summative assignments may be a research proposal (60%) and a pain assessment essay (40%).
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 the basic biological mechanisms of animal suffering, including pain perception, and apply this knowledge to the assessment of animal welfare. 2. Be able to discuss and communicate how stress relates to animal welfare. 3. Apply important methodological, ethical and practical thinking to the assessment of animal welfare. 4. Understand the behavioural and physiological response to acute and chronic stressors. 5. Be able to critically appraise scientific literature, and to integrate and communicate basic behavioural and neurophysiological knowledge in relation to animal welfare.