Unit information: Acquisition of Behaviour in 2021/22

Unit name	Acquisition of Behaviour
Unit code	BIOL20103
Credit points	10
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18)
Unit director	Dr. Bell
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None.
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Biological Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Aims:

• to complement interests in all areas of biology

• to provide a secure grounding for more advanced courses involving acquisition of behaviour in non-human animals

• to provide a secure grounding for practical projects relating to acquisition of behaviour in non-human animals

An important objective of this unit is to examine the scientific evidence for sophisticated mental processing in non-human animals.

This unit focuses on proximate explanations for acquisition of behaviour in animal: inheritance and learning. The unit begins by considering genetic influences on behaviour, and also interactions between genetic predisposition and individual experience in development of behaviour.

The unit will then explore the fundamental processes used by animals in acquiring their behaviour, including conditioning, recognition learning, classification and discrimination, following lectures address cognitive processes, and cover social learning, cultural transmission, intelligence, tool use, spatial memory, communication and language.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will:

1. Understand the diversity in the processes of behaviour acquisition throughout the animal kingdom and appreciate the different methods used to study this scientifically.
2. Learn to adopt and apply a rigorous scientific approach in investigating how animals acquire new behaviour.
3. Understand and employ the principles of experimental design, hypothesis testing and statistical analysis of behavioural data.
4. Demonstrate knowledge in how to present and discuss behavioural results in an accurate and informative way.

Teaching Information

Lectures, directed reading, research and/or problem-solving activities; practical exercises and independent study.

Assessment Information

Coursework (40%) plus summative written assessment (60%) with one essay question to be selected from a choice of two.

Resources

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. BIOL20103).

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 Faculty 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. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.