Unit name | Neuroethology |
---|---|
Unit code | BIOL20026 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Holderied |
Open unit status | Not open |
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
The human brain is considered the most complex structure in the known universe. 86 billion nerve cells interact over an estimated 125 trillion synapses to create your conscious self. This unit focusses on how brains translate the information an organism’s senses collect into this organism’s behaviour. Neuroethology takes a comparative and evolutionary approach to the fundamental links from physical stimuli that sensory systems encode and feed into brains that in turn create animal behaviour.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
All aspects of animal ecology and behaviour are shaped by their respective cognitive abilities. This unit will thus draw from and integrate many units across all years of study. Biological Sciences in Bristol has particular strength in the fields of Sensory Biology and Animal Behaviour, and this unit is a cornerstone of our teaching in these fields. Specifically, Neuroethology forms the connecting unit of a Sensory Biology pathway in our programme, which starts with Sensory biology content and practicals in the first year of study (Diversity of Life) and then continues in the optional 3rd year unit Staying Alive.
An overview of content
The learning journey of this unit follows five stages (roadmap for learners): Starting with ‘Stimuli’ and the closely linked ‘Sensors and Senses’, we then explore in ‘Neurophysiology’ how information is encoded and pre-processed. The ‘Brains’ stage shows how concepts and structures of brains and their function finally lead to ‘Behaviour’. All is done in a comparative and evolutionary approach. The four lab practicals in this unit are designed to each match one of these stages. Neuroethology is deeply interdisciplinary, integrating physics and biochemistry, with neurology and animal behaviour and evolution.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
By the end of this unit your view of your own perception of the world will have been challenged and transformed. Your anthropocentric perception bias will have been unveiled. Specifically, you will understand the physical stimuli we use, how information they contain is coded into neuronal signals, how simple adaptive neuronal networks (including artificial networks and the brain) operate and process this information, and finally how multiple-sensory input eventually determines animal behaviour. In short, you will understand your image of the world around you and be able to reflect on how this shapes your self-perception.
Learning Outcomes
You will know information collection and processing concepts (five stages) and apply these for critical evaluation.
You will understand how sensory, morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations have evolved through natural selection.
You will be able to employ principles of experimental design, hypothesis testing and statistical analysis.
You will be more self-aware of your perceptual and cognitive biases, which can aid your personal effectiveness and wellbeing.
Lectures, directed reading, research and/or problem-solving activities, practical exercises, an online neuronal network playground, and independent study. There will be two formative practical classes and two summative that are matched to the learning stages and serve to apply and practice knowledge and concepts. They are designed to develop and strengthen experimental, analytical and interpretative skills and to consolidate content.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative assessment of this unit consists of two lab-based practicals. These formative assessments serve the double purpose of consolidating concepts and learning skills for two of the five stages of Neuroethology and preparing you for later summative assessments. The two formative practicals are ‘Electroretinogram’ covering the Neurophysiology stage and ‘How well can you see?’ for Senses & Sensors. You will write practical reports for both, for which you will get personal feedback. This will aid you in writing summative reports based on two similarly structured practicals.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Your unit mark will be based on coursework from the two summative practical classes (40%) plus summative written assessment (60%) with one essay question to be selected from a choice of three. The ILOs are assessed in both the CA and summative written assessment. The two summative practicals are called ‘Brains: Does size matter?’ covering the Brains stage and ‘Psychoacoustics: How well can you hear?’ linking Senses and Behaviour stages. The assessment is based on a detailed written report for each of them.
When assessment does not go to plan
Re-assessment arrangements differ between the two summative practicals. For the ‘Brains: Does size matter?’ practical we will arrange an alternative opportunity to take the practical in the lab. The ‘Psychoacoustics: How well can you hear?’ practical exists in an online version. Summative practicals do not require group-work so re-assessments can be completed individually.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. BIOL20026).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.