VET353 Animal Welfare

Credits (ECTS):9

Course responsible:Andrew Michael Janczak

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

About this course

Animal welfare is organized with teaching over several years. The first four years of teaching is divided into smaller modules. In applied parts of the teaching learning activities are integrated with clinical activity. Experimental animal science is organized as a separate module.   

Learning outcome

PRIMARY LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge goals

After completing the studies the student should have knowledge about

  • Ethics, animal protection, ethology and experimental animals
  • How animal welfare is evaluated in specific cases
  • Sentral perspectives in animal ethics and consequences for the interpretation of animal welfare
  • Selected health-related, physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural components of animal welfare
  • Sentral welfare challenges, the impact of the environment including human-animal relationships, breeding, and the relationship between the environment, health, welfare, and quality assurance

Abilities

The students should be able to

  • perform relevant examinations and use methods that are common when using experimental animals

General competence

The students should be able to

  • understand and communicate existing perspectives, methods and interpretations from different sources and work independently and professionally in connection with discussions and finding practical and theoretical solutions
  • Understand and communicate relevant academic, professional and research ethical dilemmas
  • Reflect about the veterinarian’s roles and responsibilities

LEARNING GOALS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED OVER THE DIFFERENT TEACHING PERIODS

Knowledge  

After completing this course the student should have knowledge about

  • Animal welfare theory
  • Differences and similarities between animal ethics, animal rights, and animal welfare
  • Consequences of different definitions of animal welfare and how animal welfare is evaluated in different situations
  • Ethological concepts that are relevant for understanding animal welfare
  • Selected health-related, physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural perspectives on animal welfare
  • Sentral welfare challenges in production animals, sports- and pet animals, and experimental animals
  • Human-animal relationships
  • General principles and techniques that are used for experimental animals

Skills

The students should be able to

  • Read and understand material related to animal welfare
  • Evaluate and interpret animal welfare at the individual and group level and be familiar with the limitations of the possible interpretations
  • Participate in scientific and public discussions and debates about animal welfare
  • Perform general examinations and use methods that are common when using experimental animals

General competence

The students should be able to

  • Understand and communicate existing perspectives, methods and interpretations in the area of animal welfare and work independently with relevant problem solving
  • Relate critically to different sources of information
  • Be familiar with different scientific, professional, and ethical issues related to animal welfare
  • Understand and communicate about relevant issues, analyze them, and draw conclusions
  • Discuss the connections between ethics and animal welfare
  • Present themselves as reflected and professional in regard to the veterinarian’s role and responsibilities in animal welfare issues
  • Preparatory reading, independent and organised study groups and group discussions, as well as some lectures and tests. 
  • Se reading list. A teacher will be available for questions during parts of the organised teaching sessions. 
  • You must pass the test at the end of each module in order to participate in later activities. 
  • For students starting in 2021 and 2022: Canvas test at the end of each modul. The test is scored as pass/fail. It can be repeated an unlimited number of times within a given time period. The student must have at least 80% of the answers correct in order to pass. Students that fail or cannot take the test due to illness must organize a new time to take the test. 

    For students starting in 2023: Oral exam run in groups. The exam may be digital or live. Details will be provided in Canvas. Pass/fail. 

  • The course coordinator and an external sensor will participate in the oral group-examination. 
  • Participation in organized learning activities may be obligatory. Obligatory activities will be advertised in the Canvas room. Timeedit shows the time frame for all organized activities (obligatory and non-obligatory activities). Participation in obligatory activities is recorded at an individual level. The obligatory canvas test at the end of each module is scored as pass/fail. The test will be time-limited and be available during a specific time period at the end of each module. 
  • VET