Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.
Title of course: “The Science of Cats�
k9cm(92E AC@>AE65 E96 :562 7@C E96 4@FCD6nk^9cm
kAmx�> 2? 6G@=FE:@?2CJ 3:@=@8:DE H9@ 92D DA6?E >J 42C66C DEF5J:?8 E96 6G@=FE:@? @7 D>2== =:K2C5D :? E96 r2C:3362?] x�> 2=D@ 2 =:76=@?8 42E =@G6C[ 3FE :E ?6G6C @44FCC65 E@ >6 E@ 5@ 2?JE9:?8 D4:6?E:7:4 H:E9 9@FD6 42ED] %96J’C6 92C5 E@ DEF5J � 6G6C EC:65 E@ 7@==@H J@FC 42E 2C@F?5 E@ D66 H92E E96J’C6 5@:?8n p?5 :? 4@?EC2DE E@ 2>A=J DEF5:65 =:@?D[ E:86CD 2?5 @E96C H:=5 76=:?6D[ x H2D F?56C E96 :>AC6DD:@? E92E E96C6 H2D?’E 2?J :?E6C6DE:?8 C6D62C49 36:?8 4@?5F4E65 @? E96 5@>6DE:4 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 @7 E96 42E 4=2?[ u6=:D 42EFD]k^Am
kAm%H6=G6 J62CD 28@[ x =62C?65 E92E x H2D 4@>A=6E6=J HC@?8] %92?<D E@ y@9? qC25D92H’D 3@@< “r2E $6?D6� 2?5 E96 qqr’D �%96 $64C6E {:76 @7 E96 r2E[� x 5:D4@G6C65 E92E 2:=FC@=@8:DED H6C6 FD:?8 E96 D2>6 4FEE:?8\6586 >6E9@5D � v!$ EC24<:?8[ 86?@>6 D6BF6?4:?8[ :D@E@A:4 2?2=JD:D � E@ DEF5J 5@>6DE:4 42ED E92E x FD6 E@ DEF5J =:K2C5D 2?5 @E96C C6D62C496CD FD6 H:E9 2== >2??6C @7 @E96C 4C62EFC6D]k^Am
kAm%9FD H2D 3@C? >J 4=2DD @? E96 D4:6?46 @7 42ED] x�5 =FC6 DEF56?ED :? H:E9 E96:C =@G6 @7 76=:?6D 2?5 E96?[ H96? E96J H6C6?’E =@@<:?8[ x�5 E6249 E96> 9@H D4:6?E:DED DEF5J 3:@5:G6CD:EJ —� 64@=@8J[ 6G@=FE:@?[ 86?6E:4D 2?5 3692G:@C]k^Am
k9cm(92E 5@6D E96 4@FCD6 6IA=@C6nk^9cm
kAmx? 6DD6?46[ E96 4@FCD6 :D 23@FE E96 A2DE[ AC6D6?E 2?5 7FEFC6 @7 42EDi H96C6 E96J 42>6 7C@>[ H9J E96J 5@ H92E E96J 5@[ H92E E96 7FEFC6 >2J 9@=5] p?5[ 4C:E:42==J[ 9@H H6 <?@H H92E H6 <?@H � E92E :D[ 9@H D4:6?E:DED 255C6DD E96D6 D@CED @7 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCD6 4@?4=F56D H:E9 DEF56?ED HC:E:?8 2? @C:8:?2= A2A6C @C >2<:?8 2 >:?:\5@4F>6?E2CJ] %96D6 AC@;64ED 92G6 DA2??65 2 G2DE C2?86 @7 E@A:4D :? 3:@=@8J 2?5 36J@?5[ DF49 2D E96 :>A24E @7 42ED @? 3:C5 A@AF=2E:@?D[ D6I:D> 2?5 E96 4C2KJ 42E =25J EC@A6[ E96 962=E9 67764ED AC@ 2?5 4@? @7 =:G:?8 H:E9 76=:?6D[ E96 C@=6 @7 9J3C:5:K2E:@? 2D 2 4C62E:G6 @C 4@?DEC2:?:?8 7@C46 :? 6G@=FE:@?[ E96 E@A\5@H? C@=6 @7 =2C86C AC652E@CD =:<6 4@J@E6D 2?5 5:?8@6D :? 4@?EC@==:?8 42E ?F>36CD[ 2?5 E96 AC@DA64ED 7@C ?6H 86?6E:4 E649?@=@8:6D E@ 4C62E6 2==6C86?\7C66 42ED @C E@ 4FC3 7C66\C@2>:?8 42E A@AF=2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm&?6IA64E65=J[ E96 DEF56?ED H6C6?’E E96 @?=J @?6D H9@ 6?565 FA HC:E:?8 23@FE 42EDi %96 4=2DD 2?5 :ED E96>6D :?DA:C65 >6 E@ HC:E6 >J @H? 3@@<[ â€�%96 r2E’D |6@Hi w@H r2ED tG@=G65 7C@> E96 $2G2??2 E@ *@FC $@72]â€k^Am
k9bm(9J :D E9:D 4@FCD6 C6=6G2?E ?@Hnk^9bm
kAm$@4:6EJ ?665D >@C6 3:@5:G6CD:EJ D4:6?E:DED E@ F?56CDE2?5 @FC C2A:5=J 492?8:?8 H@C=5] r2ED A@D6 D4:6?E:7:4 BF6DE:@?D @7 3C@25 :?E6C6DE[ 2?5 E96J >2J D6CG6 2D 2 82E6H2J :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ E96 H@C=5 @7 3:@=@8:42= C6D62C49]k^Am
k9cm(92E’D 2 4C:E:42= =6DD@? 7C@> E96 4@FCD6nk^9cm
kAmx>A@CE2?E C6D62C49 @? E96 ?2EFC2= H@C=5 5@6D ?@E C6BF:C6 EC2G6=:?8 E@ C6>@E6 4@C?6CD @7 E96 H@C=5] #6D62C49 @? 4@>>@? 2?:>2=D :? =@42= DFCC@F?5:?8D � 6G6? 9@FD69@=5 A6ED � 42? >2<6 :>A@CE2?E 25G2?46D :? 32D:4 2?5 2AA=:65 <?@H=6586]k^Am
k9cm(92E >2E6C:2=D 5@6D E96 4@FCD6 762EFC6nk^9cm
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ C625:?8 C6D62C49 A2A6CD[ H6 E@@< 7:6=5 EC:AD E92E H6C6 3@E9 6J6\@A6?:?8 2?5 7F?] (6 H6?E @FE 2E E96 4C24< @7 52H? E@ ;@:? 2 9@>6=6DD\42E 25G@42E6 7665:?8 F?@H?65 76=:?6D :? 2 CF?5@H? A2CE @7 E@H?] (6 2=D@ =62C?65 23@FE 42ED :? 2?4:6?E E:>6D 7C@> 2? t8JAE@=@8:DE[ EC2G6=65 E@ 2 42E D9@H E@ >2CG6= 2E E96 5:G6CD:EJ @7 42E 3C665D[ @3D6CG65 H:=5 76=:?6D 2E E96 $2:?E {@F:D +@@ 2?5 6I2>:?65 42ED :? 2CE 2E F?:G6CD:EJ >FD6F>D]k^Am
k9cm(92E H:== E96 4@FCD6 AC6A2C6 DEF56?ED E@ 5@nk^9cm
kAmr2E C6D62C49 :D E96 G69:4=6 7@C DEF56?ED E@ D66 E96 2AA=:423:=:EJ @7 D4:6?E:7:4 :562D E@ 2?:>2=D E96J <?@H 2?5 42C6 7@C 8C62E=J] %96 4@FCD6 ?@E @?=J C6BF:C6D DEF56?ED E@ DJ?E96D:K6 <?@H=6586 7C@> >2?J 5:776C6?E 7:6=5D[ 3FE 2=D@ 86ED E96> E@ E9:?< 23@FE C62=\H@C=5 4@?E6>A@C2CJ 5632E6D[ DF49 2D H92E E@ 5@ 23@FE @FE5@@C 42ED 2?5 E96 6E9:4D @7 3C665:?8]k^Am