fa15 animal behavior syllabus.pdf

Kodiak College October 4, 2015

Course Description This course will focus on the ecological and evolutionary significance of behavioral patterns found in all animals, with an emphasis on those animals. Course lectures and discussions will introduce students to many of the sub-disciplines of behavioral ecology, including communication, orientation and navigation, sociality, foraging, predator avoidance, and the sensory mechanisms that underlie these behaviors.

The new prerequisite for this course is BIOL A288 Evolution

Instructor’s Goals1.Explain how animal behaviors are adaptations to solving problems imposed by the animal's environment.

Fall 2015 �1

Meeting Times and Course Structure

Our class is open from August 24 through December 12. While this course is asynchronous, it is not self-paced. Each week you should log-in to our Blackboard course, attend lecture via VoiceThread, watch videos, participate in the discussions. You should plan to spend up to 3 hours each week for the lectures and documentaries and up to 6 additional hours for reading, assignments and studying.

Logging in to Blackboard

Blackboard is found at classes.uaa.alaska.edu. You log in with the same username and password that you use for all other university log ins.

If you have difficulty logging on, please contact the UAA IT Call Center by telephone at (907) 786-4646 or toll free (877) 633-3888 or by e-mail at [email protected]. They have great hours 6am-midnight most days.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR 4 credits |BIOL A441 |Fall 2015

http://classes.uaa.alaska.edu

http://classes.uaa.alaska.edu


2.Teach students to analyze behavioral problems (and other ecological problems) on four distinct levels of analysis (Tinbergen's four why's): "Survival Value" (selective advantage), "Evolution " (phylogenetic history), "Causation" (proximate control), and "Ontogeny"(genetic x environment interaction in the development of behavior).

3.Teach students to apply behavioral techniques to the solution of conservation problems.

4.Teach students the conceptual basis of evolutionary theory that underlies the field of behavioral ecology.

Student Learning OutcomesA. Explain the evolutionary significance of a full suite of behaviors, with a clear understanding of the relationship between behaviors and environmental constraints.

B. Analyze a selected behavior with four distinct levels of analysis: survival value, evolution, causation, and ontogeny. The student will understand how all four levels can occur simultaneously, and how all four levels are needed for a complete understanding of behavior.

C.. Discuss the application of behavioral techniques to the conservation of wild animals.

D. Synthesize behavioral and environmental information into evolutionary theory to explain animal-environment interactions.

E.read, assess, and critique both classic articles and current research papers published in the area of behavioral ecology both in class and in writing.

Fall 2015 �2

Instructor Information

Dr. Cindy Trussell

[email protected] or [email protected]

(603) 259-1533 this number is good for calls and texts. If you choose to text, please tell me who you are in the text.

Office hours:

Mondays 10-noon

Thursdays 11am-1pm

Office Location: As this is a distance course, we can meet via phone, email, text, Google+ Hangouts or Skype.

To utilize any of these channels, we will need to set up an appointment so we know where and when to meet each other.

To make an appointment go to kodiak.mywconline.com/

https://kodiak.mywconline.com/

https://kodiak.mywconline.com/


Communication and Email Policies

Most distance students communicate with instructors via email. In this course, I will follow this convention, but have set up specific times as office hours during which I will answer email as soon as I receive it. Instant messaging via Google chat is also a possibility while in email communication. If an acute emergency situation arises, you may text to inform me of the emergency.

I will post my schedule in Blackboard so that you will know at what times I am available. Please be assured that I am always available by appointment at a time that fits both of our schedules.

No assignments will be accepted via email. You may send an email with the assignment to confirm that it is completed, but it will not be graded unless it is turned in via Blackboard using the assignment feature.

Grading

The following is the letter grade system for this class:

90% and above = A which means that your work is superior, far exceeds average understanding as evidenced in course work and goes significantly beyond the basics.

80% and above = B which means that you work is far above average, fully meets average understanding as evidenced in course work and fully understands the basics and can deal with concepts somewhat

beyond that level.

70% and above = C which means that your work is average and meets the minimum expectations and satisfies course requirements.

60% and above = D which means that your work is below average, though it still meets many minimum expectations and satisfies all or most course requirements.

Fall 2015 �3

Response Times:

Aside from during office hours, I will attempt to respond to email communications within 24 hours; during office hours response time will often been much faster.

Subject line in your emails:

Put the course ID (BIOL A441), and your topic in the subject line. For example: BIOL A441, VoiceThread Question

Important Dates

Students should be certain to familiarize themselves with the academic dates and deadlines each semester. They are provided here for your convenience.

Labor Day (no face-to-face classes): September 7 and 8

Drop/Audit Deadline: September 4

Withdraw Deadline: November 13

Thanksgiving Break (no classes) November 25-27

Withdrawal & drops: The instructor will not automatically withdraw students who do not attend or fall behind. Students who do not


Below 60% = F

Incomplete “I” grades: will only be given if the student has successfully completed more than 50% of the class and has some emergency or extenuating circumstance, which makes it impossible for them to complete the course this semester. An Incomplete grade will not be given to students who have simply fallen behind on the assignments or students who wish to get a better grade by turning in assignments after the course deadline.

Grades will be based on the following.Lecture Workshops 150 points

Literature Discussions 200 points

Midterm Exam 200 points

Final Exam 250 points

Observation Assignments 200 points

Total 1000 points

Other Readings:

In addition to the above book, I have selected various readings to support lecture/discussion topics. Method and Timing of Grading

Grading rubrics for the VoiceThread reflections, lecture workshops, discussions, and observation assignments are provided online. You are expected to familiarize yourself with the criteria by which you will be assessed. You should regularly check the Blackboard Grade Center to assess your academic progress. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions about a grade.

Fall 2015 �4

Textbook and Materials

The text book for this course is

Davies,N.B., Krebs,J.R., and West, S.A. (2012) An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, 4th Edition. Wiley-Blackwell

There are many options for purchasing the textbook including using the Kodiak College Bookstore, renting, or finding an electronic copy.

I provide the first two chapters on Blackboard so that there is time for your book to arrive.

In this course, we will also watch several full length documentaries and so you will need access to them. Many are available via Netflix and/or Amazon Prime.

20%

25%

20%

20%

15%

Lecture WorkshopsLiterature DiscussionsMiterm ExamFinal ExamObservation Assignments


Larger assignments will be graded before the next assignment of the same type is due. It will take a minimum of 7 days to grade items throughout the semester.

Explanation of Graded Components of the Course

Lecture workshopsVoiceThread will serve as our virtual classroom. Each week a lecture/case study will be presented via VoiceThread. Students are expected to watch the lecture sections and answer the questions posed throughout the session. Grades will be based on the quality and quantity of the responses.

Participation in Literature DiscussionsDiscussions are an important part of this course and will be graded using the rubric posted online. You should post your first response to the prompt by Saturday at 11:59pm, and reply to 2 other students by 11:59pm on Monday. There is no credit for late postings in the discussion forum.

Interaction is an important part of learning, and it is integral to distance learning. I’ll be looking for you to make significant contributions to the discussions. You get points for answering questions, thoughtful responses, additional questions, useful web finds, anything that moves the learning forward. Check the forum a couple of times a week. When writing in the discussion forum, please use appropriate grammar and spelling to the best

of your ability, but do not let your concern for written expression hinder your willingness to share your ideas online.

The success of our online discussions is dependent on each student feeling comfortable to share their opinion, wrestle with ideas and concepts, and ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.

Grading for these discussions will be based on quality contributions to the discussion. Quality contributions often include

Fall 2015 �5

Late Work:

Assignments must be received by 11:59pm Alaska Time, on the day they are due to qualify for full credit.

Due dates are in the My Grades area and in the Course Calendar and Course Schedule.

No late work is accepted.

Tobacco Free Campus

For the health and safety of our campus community, tobacco use and smoking, including the use of electronic cigarettes and similar products are prohibited on university property effective Nov. 19, 2015 (UA BOR policy P05.12.102).


synthesizing across several of the readings and videos to emphasize a point

building on the contributions of other’s comments

asking for clarification and/or giving clarification when needed

raising thoughtful questions and attempting to answer those questions

respectfully, disagreeing with points in the paper with evidence from another study

Discussion Forum ProtocolParticipate actively in the discussions after you have completed your reading, watched the weekly lectures and thought carefully about the issues.

Please keep initial posts between 200-300 words. Please keep responses between 100-150 words.

Check the discussion board several times throughout the week. Ask clarifying questions when appropriate. These questions are meant to probe and shed new light, not to minimize or devalue comments.

Pay close attention to what your classmates write in their online comments. Address your comments to your class colleagues. Discussions are designed to be whole class interactions.

Use a content-specific subject heading. Include your name in

Fall 2015 �6

Observation of "Netiquette"

What you put into an online course reflects on your level of professionalism. All your online communications need to be composed with fairness, honesty and tact. Posting of personal contact information is discouraged. Online threaded discussions are public messages, and all writings in these areas will be viewable by the entire class or assigned group members.

• It is expected that each student will participate in a mature and respectful fashion and conduct yourself as if you were in a classroom.

• Use proper structure, spelling and grammar. Do not use acronyms. Avoid strong or offensive language.

• Assume the best of others in the class and expect the best from them.

• Value the diversity of the class. Recognize and value the experiences, abilities, and knowledge that each person brings to class.


the subject line so readers can easily follow authors' threads. For example: Norah Jones: Deforestation.

Be professional and respectful in your postings. This is not a chat room, avoid the usual acronyms and shortcuts (For example: lol, btw, u for you, 2 for to or too). Attempt to use proper grammar and punctuation, but do not let concerns over writing limit your contributions. Think through and reread your comments before you post them.

Respect the expectation of privacy set up by this class and refrain from inviting non-class members to read other students’ postings without their permission.

Think carefully about being humorous or sarcastic; it is very easy for tone to be misinterpreted in a non-face-to-face setting, and something meant to be harmless might easily be read by someone else as intentionally offensive.

Note that red or capitalized words are generally interpreted as you SHOUTING, so please avoid using them in our Discussion Forum.

Midterm and Final ExamThe midterm and final exams are not cumulative. The questions will be a mixture of short answer, matching, fill in the blank, and essay questions. 50% of the exam will be factual information and 50% of the exam will be application of the material. Your notes are allowed for these exams.

These exams will be taken and proctored at an appropriate testing center. You will take these exams from within this Blackboard course shell, but you must do so at an approved test center with a proctor.

What you need to do: Fill out the proctor exam form for UAA students. All students must contact their local test center to coordinate their exams. Most testing centers require appointments. If you are within the UA system, the eLearning center at UAA will communicate with each test center administrator with the password to gain access to the exam within Blackboard.

I allow make-up exams only in truly rare circumstances or for

Fall 2015 �7

Students who require accommodations:

If you believe you require special accommodation to complete the requirements and expectations of this course because of a disability, please make your needs known to us.

The provision of equal opportunities for students who experience disabilities is a campus-wide responsibility and commitment.

Disability Support Services (DSS) is the designated UAA department responsible for coordinating academic support services for individuals who experience disabilities.

If you need disability-related accommodations, please notify Barbara Brown, the Academic Counselor at Kodiak College 486-1111 or DSS in Anchorage at 907-786-4530.

Your rights and responsibilities are spelled out in the UAA student code of conduct. Please see the UAA student code of conduct. http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/studentaffairs/

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/studentaffairs/

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/studentaffairs/

http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/elearning/proctored-exams/proctor-request.cfm


students participating in documented, university-sanctioned events. No make-up exams will be given without prior approval. Please do not assume that your excuse will automatically entitle you to take a make-up exam at a different

time.

Observation Assignments In this course you will watch several full-length documentaries showcasing animal behavior. The purpose of watching the documentaries is first to sharpen your observation skills, and second to apply Tinbergen's four questions to a behavior that you observe.

As it would be too cumbersome to attempt to analyze an entire documentary, we are going to practice this skill with short <3 min videos from YouTube.

These “projects” will be broken down into at least the following tasks.

Task 1: Find 3 short video clips <3 mins on YouTube of animals displaying interesting behaviors and post them in the discussion board. Construct hypotheses for each of the videos. Watch at least 2 other students clips and decide on the one that you want to describe.

Task 2: Describe what you see in the short clip of your choice using the guidelines given and evaluate a peer’s description of their clip.

Task 3: Using the textbook, the primary literature, and the video clip, describe what you see and determine likely proximate and ultimate explanations for the behavior. As with the previous step, you should also critique another student’s description.

Task 4: Prepare a script for the video that concisely and clearly conveys what is happening. It should summarize your observation of the behavior, analyzes the behavior for its proximate and ultimate causes and documents the proximate at ultimate causes with at least two primary literature papers.

For extra credit you can provide the narration (from your script) to your video clip using WeVideo or iMovie (or other program that you are comfortable with). I can provide assistance with the technical

Fall 2015 �8

Back-up Computer Plan:

It is a fact of life that hardware and software breaks down when you least desire or expect it. Successful online students are individuals who recognize this inevitability and plan for it. Make sure you have a plan to access a back-up computer. A broken computer is not sufficient reason for you to not attend class.

Let’s face it: technology breaks. servers go down, transfers time out, files become corrupt. The list goes on and on. These are not considered emergencies. They are part of the normal production process. An issue you may have with technology is no excuse for late work. You need to protect yourself by managing your time and backing up your work. No work will be accepted via e-mail and computer problems are not an excuse for late work.

It is a fact of life that hardware and software breaks down when you least desire or expect it. Successful online students are individuals who recognize this inevitability and plan for it.


aspects of this.

Basic technology requirements for this course: This is not an introductory course. You must be comfortable using a computer and working on the Internet. For this course we will utilize Blackboard and VoiceThread. To succeed in this course, the following skills will be required:

1. Using a Web browser (Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari). Note that these popular browsers perform differently. It is recommended that you be able to switch between browsers.

2. Using a standard word processor (for example, Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, Pages, or GoogleDocs). It is imperative that you know how to save in multiple file formats including .doc and .pdf

3. Reading, composing, and sending email, including sending email with attachments. Understanding and respecting netiquette and email etiquette.

4. Managing computer files. You will need to save and locate files that you have downloaded from the Internet.

5. Downloading software and installing software on your computer and keeping all software updated.

6. Finding information on the Web by using search engines and bookmarking useful web sites.

7. Taking a screenshot of your computer screen and saving it to a file.

8. Setting up audio for use with VoiceThread. The details on using VoiceThread are provided in Blackboard.

Most importantly, you must be willing to troubleshoot and attempt to resolve any technical problems that may arise. This will often include calling the UAA IT Call Center at 877-633-3888 for assistance. If you do not have the above skills, consider taking

Fall 2015 �9

Student Resources

Libraries - each campus has a library with great study spaces, computers, and helpful staff.

Tutoring - each campus also has learning centers that can help with writing assignments.

Testing - each campus has a test center where you will take your mid term and final exams.

All of these resources are detailed in the Student Help area of Blackboard.

Know your IX

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources in the Dean of Students Office.

Dr. Dewain L. Lee Dean of Students, Associate Vice ChancellorStudent Union, Room 2043211 Providence Dr.Anchorage, Alaska 99508(907) [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


a computer literacy course and/or working in the computer lab on your local campus.

Cheating, Plagiarism, or Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty Disciplinary action may be initiated by the university and disciplinary sanctions imposed against any student found responsible for committing, attempting to commit, or intentionally assisting in the commission of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty applies to examinations, assignments, laboratory reports, fieldwork, practicums, creative projects, or other academic activities.

The following examples constitute forms of academic dishonesty prohibited by the Student Code of Conduct and are not intended to define prohibited conduct in exhaustive terms, but rather to set forth examples to serve as guidelines for acceptable and unacceptable behavior:a. presenting as their own the ideas or works of

others without proper citation of sources;

b. utilizing devices not authorized by the faculty member;

c. using sources (including but not limited to text, images, computer code, and audio/video files) not authorized by the faculty member;

d. providing assistance without the faculty member’s permission to another student, or receiving assistance not authorized by the faculty member from anyone (with or without their knowledge);

e. submitting work done for academic credit in previous classes, without the knowledge and advance permission of the current faculty member;

f. acting as a substitute or utilizing a substitute;

g. deceiving faculty members or other representatives of the university to affect a grade or to gain admission to a program or course;

h. fabricating or misrepresenting data;

i. possessing, buying, selling, obtaining, or using a copy of any material intended to be used as an instrument of assessment in advance of its administration;

j. altering grade records of their own or another student’s work;

k. offering a monetary payment or other remuneration in exchange for a grade; or

l. violating the ethical guidelines or professional standards of a given program.

Penalties for violating the academic dishonesty policy in my courses:

• For a 1st offense on all assignments other than exams: A zero on that assignment.

• For the 2nd offense on all assignments other than exams: A zero in the course.

• For the 1st offense on an exam: A zero in the course.

All suspected offenses will be brought to the Dean of Students for evaluation by the Judicial Review Board.

Fall 2015 �10


Animal Behavior Fall 2015 Tentative Schedule

Week Date Lecture Topics Readings Assignments

1 8/24 Natural Selection, Ecology and Behavior a Historical perspective

Chapter 1 Start Here Unit Lecture Workshop

2 8/31 Hypothesis testing Chapter 2 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 1

3 9/7 Cost and Benefit Analysis in Behavior & Feeding Behavior

Chapter 3 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 2

4 9/14 Predator-prey relations Chapter 4 Selected literature

Lecture Workshop Literature Discussion

5 9/21 Competition and aggression Chapter 5 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 3

6 9/28 Group Living Chapter 6 Selected literature


7 10/5 Midterm Exam on content from Weeks 1-5

Remember to make an appointment at your local test center

Must be taken between 10/5 - 10/9

8 10/12 Social Behavior Chapter 11 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 4

9 10/19 Cooperation Chapter 12 Selected literature


10 10/26 Reproductive Behavior: Sperm competition and sex allocation

Chapters 7 and 10 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 1 & 2

11 11/2 Parental Care Chapter 8 Selected literature


12 11/9 Mating Systems Chapter 9 Lecture Workshop Observation Assignment Task 3 & 4

13 11/16 Communication Chapter 14 Selected literature


Fall 2015 �11


14 11/23 Thanksgiving Week No class activities No class activities

15 11/30 Cultural Evolution Selected Readings Lecture Workshop

16 12/7 Final Exam Must be taken between 12/7-12/11

Week Date Lecture Topics Readings Assignments

Fall 2015 �12

fa15 animal behavior syllabus.pdf

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