| Unit name | Animal Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOLM0043 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Andy Radford |
| 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 |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
Natural history films provide some of the most popular content on television and constitute a tremendous tool to share our passion for the natural world and encourage the general public to care and protect the planet. However, natural history film-makers often lack the scientific background to critically evaluate the content they present and make the most of the latest scientific understanding. In this unit, you will learn from leading behavioural ecologists and their research groups about their cutting-edge research in a range of research areas, have opportunities to pursue your own interests in animal behaviour, produce fresh and innovative films that move beyond the status quo, and embark on your journey to become a prizewinning filmmaker of the future. Working in partnership with world-acclaimed filmmakers (including BBC, Netflix, Apple TV), we will equip you with the tools allowing you to critically assess both scientific and journalistic content to build meaningful, intricate natural history stories with the potential of delivering powerful messages that underpin societal change.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This compulsory unit in Teaching Block 2 provides direct access to some of the leading natural history filmmakers in the world. In addition to critically appraising and then making some amazing films, you will explore the impact of filmmaking on crews, and the responsibility of filmmakers in how their films influence audiences. This will link to the exploration of ExoAnxiety in society in the Resilient Communicator unit, and the power of engaging and scientifically-rigorous storytelling in the Science in Society unit. Furthermore, we expect that several of you each year will seek placements and internships with natural history production companies in Bristol and internationally for your Science Communication Projects.
An overview of content
This unit is divided into three blocks, each one grounded in contemporary behavioural ecology research, which explore the current challenges in storytelling, how the relationship between researchers and filmmakers is evolving, and how more innovative natural history films might be developed moving forward:
At the start of each block, in science-focused workshops you will meet researchers who are both at the cutting edge of animal behaviour research and who have had varied interactions with natural history filmmakers (e.g., research discussions, building of individual sequences, development of whole series). You will hear about particular areas of animal behaviour research to advance your own scientific understanding, and explore how new knowledge can be applied more broadly (e.g., to wildlife conservation and for understanding human behaviour). Interactions with filmmakers will ensure perspectives from both sides of the process will be discussed. In groups, you will develop scripting for an individual film sequence, ensuring scientific accuracy and tailoring to the desired audience; this will be a formative assessment. You will learn about the scope for researchers to benefit from filming - through the capturing of rare behaviours and the quantifying of behaviours from the 100s of hours of unseen footage that arise from film shoots - and the methods that can be employed to generate new hypotheses and data. Finally, you will individually develop innovative ideas for a whole episode that goes beyond the standard storytelling arc, producing an outline storyboard for summative assessment. Throughout, you will be encouraged to provide peer-to-peer feedback to build your own editorial and critical skillset that you can apply to your own work.
Where relevant, you will be encouraged to attend external natural history filmmaking events (e.g., those run by Wildscreen and Future Filmmakers).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
After this unit you will have a richer understanding of the concepts, experimental methods and current questions in the field of animal behaviour. You will develop a broad knowledge of how natural history films can be used to convey different messages, identifying your own ideas about exciting future directions for communicating behaviour and building stronger narratives that instil deeper understanding. You will feel confident about working at the interface of science and filmmaking, cultivating stronger links that push the boundaries of human knowledge and create exciting films.
Learning Outcomes
In this unit, you will learn key skills that support your development as an effective communicator:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
During the first block of the Animal Behaviour unit, you will be formatively assessed through co-scripting of a natural history film sequence. In small groups (pairs or trios) you will research an exciting animal behaviour story, developing the audio (i.e., scripting, music, etc.) for an existing natural history sequence; you will need to consider your target audience and the style of film, tailoring your audio accordingly. You will receive feedback from academics (and potentially filmmakers), and you will also be trained to assess the work of other groups critically to develop skills in giving supportive peer-to-peer feedback. In the second block, there will be work in collaboration with filmmakers to develop a greater understanding of the mutual benefits that can arise from the relationship between scientists and those producing natural history films. That will include learning some of the methods used by scientists to extract valuable information from film footage.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
In the third block of the Animal Behaviour unit, you will be summatively assessed on the individual production of a storyboard/treatment for a programme containing multiple sequences. The focus will be on innovative storytelling, in relation to the linking of different sequences in the episode to build a more comprehensive narrative than is often seen. You will receive written feedback from academic staff, and generalised verbal feedback given to the whole class.
When assessment does not go to plan
The summative assessment is an individual assignment, so if you are unable to submit due to extenuating circumstances or pass at the first attempt, you may be allowed to work with a new topic and resubmit with an agreed revised deadline.
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. BIOLM0043).
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.
