The presentations took the form of classroom lectures and a short questionnaire to reflect on what had been said.
The Face Says It All: Pain Assessment in Animals Using Facial Expressions, coordinated by Katerina Tomsič, PhD, and Barbara Lukanc, PhD, Veterinary Faculty
The researchers presented the topic to the students in the form of a short lecture and illustrated it with examples of short films and posters. At the end of the presentation, they tested their knowledge with a quiz. The pupils actively participated.
The Use of Animals for Research Purposes Enables Advances in Medicine and Helps to Improve Animal Welfare, coordinator: Tatjana Pirman, PhD, Biotechnical Faculty
At the beginning, Tatjana Pirman, PhD, discussed with the students whether they felt it was necessary to carry out research procedures on animals. Most of the pupils said no, because animals suffer and we cause them unnecessary stress. This was followed by a lecture introducing the topic and focusing on the areas in which laboratory animals are used. Part of the lecture was in the form of questions she asked the students, shedding light on the topic of animal procedures, while also giving some more information on laboratory mice, who can carry out procedures on animals and how they can be carried out.
During the presentation itself, Tatjana Pirman, PhD, encouraged the pupils to ask questions. At the end of the presentation, she used a short questionnaire to check understanding of the topic and invited students to discuss. Finally, she asked them again about their views on the necessity and importance of animal experiments. A few students changed their position in favour of justified animal procedures.
