ANSC 377 – Food Animal Behaviour Winter 2018
LECTURE TIME: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:00 to 8:50am in NRE 2-090 (Engineering Bldg just north of GSB).
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Clover Bench, PhD
Assistant Professor - Applied Ethology 3-10G Ag/For Centre
Tel: (780) 492-9081
E-mail: [email protected]
ANSC 377 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
This course is a broad overview of food animal behaviour and applied ethology designed to help you (in no particular order):
1. Recognize the important applications of animal behaviour (ethology) in livestock (food animal) production.
2. Learn about the behavioural repertoire of various livestock and common food animal species.
3. Learn about scientific methods used to study animal behavior (ethology), as well as how to read and interpret journal articles in animal behaviour science.
4. Become familiar with how to construct a behavioural ethogram and to conduct an ethological experiment, including participation in behaviour observations.
5. Learn and discuss ethological concepts and theories.
6. An important additional objective in this course will be to help you improve your
spoken and written communication skills (eg. through written and oral assignments)
and overall professional skills.
OFFICE HOURS
Office hours are by appointment. Dr Bench’s schedule is busy outside of class, so please provide a range of dates and windows of time you are available to meet and she will get back to you.
E-mail policy: If you send e-mail related to the course, start the subject line with ANSC 377. Limit e-mails to brief clear questions that require brief answers. Do not expect to receive replies outside of university business hours (Mon-Fri, 08:30 to 16:30 h). Emails will not receive a response after 4:30pm or on weekends or holidays. Every effort will be made to reply to messages within 48 h.
COURSE PRE-REQUISITE
ANSC 101 or ANSC 200 Principles of Animal Agriculture
Prerequisites are a COURSE requirement, not an experience requirement. As such, you must show you have taken coursework which satisfies the prerequisite. In particular, you MUST have a solid knowledge and understanding of current food animal production practices.
Without this background, a prerequisite waiver will not be granted. Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis by Dr Bench.
Note: Students must have completed *60 credits to take ANSC 377 as it is an applied course intended for 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students. If you are currently a 2nd year student or if you are a visiting veterinary student or a transfer student, please make an appointment to see Dr Bench.
Recommended Textbooks
1. Martin, P. & Bateson, P. 2007. Measuring Behaviour: An Introductory Guide. 3rd Edition.
Cambridge University Press, 176 pp. (available in U of A Bookstore). This textbook is also the recommended textbook for ZOOL 371 Behavioural Ecology.
2. Price, E.O. 2008. Principles and Applications of Domestic Animal Behavior. CAB International, 332 pp. (limited quantities available in U of A bookstore)
Additional required readings will be posted on eClass as pdf documents, weblinks, or given as handouts in class.
eClass
Lecture notes, assignments, additional readings, links, articles and other items of interest will be posted on eClass. The most current course syllabus (eg with updated lecture schedule) will be posted on Moodle, along with course announcements.
Please note: Our course eClass website will be available starting Friday January 5th and remain available until Monday April 30th.
LECTURE NOTES
As a rule, always take your own lecture notes, with available instructor/lecturer's notes used as a supplement. Even if lecture notes are not posted and/or you do not attend lecture (for any reason), you are responsible for knowing the content of each lecture. If you miss something in class or you are unable to attend the final course review, please contact another student in the course.
Please note: Guest lecturers do not always provide copies of their presentation notes. If they are available by the guest lecturer, they will be posted. If not posted, then they were not available by the guest (per their organization’s policies).
RECORDING OF LECTURES:
Students who wish to record (in any form) lectures or other class activities must arrange formal, documented permission with the instructor in advance. However, all content of such recordings remain the exclusive property of the instructor (as intellectual property) and may under no circumstance be shared, transferred, or uploaded to the Internet. Failure to adhere to these terms may result in legal action.
Note: Students are further advised that FOIP rules may apply to photos/videos of other students in class. If you have questions, please speak with the instructor.
If you are out sick or are absent from class: If you experience flu-like symptoms (eg. fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc) during the term, follow Alberta Health’s guidelines (available on the Alberta Health website) and self-isolate until symptoms have passed (usually about a week). You may contact Dr. Bench via email and let her know you are in self-isolation so she knows you will be missing class as a result. Every effort will be made to have lectures, assignments, and announcements posted on-line at eClass so any student(s) in self-isolation can continue to participate in class as much as possible. The same is also true for any medical emergency that may arise (eg. surgeries, hospital stays, family emergency, etc) that you have no control over.
EVALUATION
Please note: Implementation of the Official University Grading System:
Throughout the term, raw marks will be assigned to reflect performance on each component of the course. Letter grades will only be assigned to the final distribution of mark totals.
COMPONENT VALUE DUE DATE
Participation (incl
Professional Skills) 5% Throughout Assignment Part 1 20% Fri-09-Feb
Mid-term exam 20% Wed-28-Feb
Assignment Part 2 25% Wed-04-Apr
Final exam 30% Thurs-26-April
TOTAL 100%
Important Information:
Assignment #1 is to be done individually, while Assignment #2 will be done in pairs.
Throughout the term, marks will be assigned to reflect performance on each component of the course (in percent form). Letter grades will be assigned at the END of the term and will be based on the final grade achieved in the course out of 100.
Course grades will be assigned according to the percentage cut-offs noted in the following grid (rounded off to the nearest whole number).
Grades are unofficial until approved by the University Registrar’s Office and they appear via Bear Tracks.
You are responsible for learning the information presented in the class and knowing it well (not merely memorizing it, but also able to integrate and communicate technical ideas, use critical thinking, and problem solve).
You are Animal Scientists and Animal Health Professionals in training. As such, you are expected to interact with fellow classmates and the instructor in a professional manner. You are reminded that both your fellow classmates (and instructor) are your future colleagues!
Course Letter Grade Distribution:
95-100 A+
90-94 A
86-89 A- 81-85 B+
76-80 B
71-75 B- 67-70 C+
64-66 C
60-63 C- 55-59 D+
50-54 D
<50 F
STUDENT RESOURCES:
Student Accessibility Services (SAS):
Students who require accommodation in this course are advised to discuss their needs with Student Accessibility Services (1-80 Students’ Union Building or [email protected]). More information about SAS services can be found at:
http://www.ssds.ualberta.ca/en/Students.aspx
Student Success Centre:
Students who require additional help in developing strategies for better time management, study skills or examination skills should contact the Student Success Centre (2-300 Students’
Union Building or
[email protected]). More information about Student Success Centreinformation can be found at: http://www.studentsuccess.ualberta.ca/
Centre for Writers:
Students who require additional one-on-one writing support can book an appointment with a
tutor (you can book up to two appts per week or drop in during their hours of operation as
many times as you like) at the Centre for Writers (1-42 Assiniboia Hall or
[email protected]). More information about the Centre for Writer’s many services
can be found at: http://c4w.ualberta.ca/
EXAMS
Exams cover all in-class material and assigned readings.
During exams you may be asked to verify your identity. Therefore, you are required to bring your student identification to all exams.
Once an exam begins you cannot leave the exam room for at least 30 minutes. In addition, you cannot begin an exam once the exam has commenced for 30 minutes.
Hats and sunglasses are not permitted during exams.
Electronic devices including (but not limited to) smart phones and personal computers are not permitted during exams.
Midterm:
The midterm will include all material covered to that point in the course (both material covered in class and any assigned readings). The midterm exam will include vocabulary, terms and concepts, multiple choice as well as written questions. You will be given 50 minutes to complete the midterm.
There is no “make-up” mid-term exam in this course. If a student misses the midterm exam, the weight of the midterm exam will be transferred automatically to the final exam. It is strongly advised that you make every attempt not to miss the midterm, as many students who have deferred the weight of a missed midterm have found the heavier weight of the final exam (ie 50% of course mark if midterm is deferred) to be stressful. The midterm is 20% of your course mark.
Final:
The final exam will include: half will be material up to midterm, with the other half from material from midterm to the final exam and will be scenario-based and be completely written questions (about 8-12 scenarios). You will be given 3 hours to complete the final (usually takes about 2 hours to write). Students are encouraged to check exam schedules prior to making travel or event plans. The decision to grant a deferred final exam can only be granted by a student’s own Faculty (eg. ALES students go to 2-06 Ag/For to obtain an exam deferral, Science students go to 1-001 CCIS).
Acceptable reasons for an excused absence may include illness or bereavement, and unacceptable reasons include weddings, travel arrangements or being on vacation. The University policy on deferred exams can be found in Section 23.3.2 of the University Calendar. The final exam is 30% of your course mark.
Request for Regrades (Midterm or Assignment #1):
If you have a question about your midterm or assignment #1 mark, please make an appointment with Dr Bench (you will need to arrange this via email). Please bring your midterm or first assignment with you to the appointment. At the appointment, Dr Bench will review your midterm or assignment
#1 marks along with the exam key or assignment rubric. If it is verified that you have provided an answer that is in the exam key, however for which you did not receive marks, or if it is verified that there was an error in adding up your marks – these corrections can be addressed at your appointment with Dr Bench. These corrections are not considered true re-grade requests, but are intended to correct any omissions that may have been made during the marking process.
Re-Grade Requests: If you did not receive marks for an answer which was not in the exam key or captured in the assignment rubric for which you feel should have received marks, a re-grade requires the preparation of a written re-grade request with the following information: 1) exam question/assignment rubric item and the answer you gave, 2) exam key answer/assignment rubric criteria for the exam question or rubric item, and 3) your reasons for requesting consideration for your answer to be granted additional marks. During the appointment, Dr Bench will have you go over the nature of the re-grade request, and then the written request is submitted to Dr Bench for consideration. No marks are granted at a re-grade request appointment. The meriting of any additional
marks in these circumstances is contingent on the strength of the argument made in the written request and is determined on a case by case basis. This process allows for a written record of any changes to the exam key or assignment rubric to be made.
Note: Assignment #2 marks, final exam marks, and participation marks are calculated at the very end of the term and are not handed back in class. Students who wish to know their marks on assignment
#2 or the final exam can either see Dr. Bench in person at her office or email Dr Bench. Please note, marks are only notified to the individual to whom they pertain (i.e. a student may only request their own mark, not that of another student, even for a shared assignment).
Sample Questions:
Sample questions are provided on eClass to illustrate the basic format of exams, the types and numbers of questions that have been asked over the past 2 years. The content of the actual exam questions will be modified, however, to reflect assigned readings for the Winter 2018 term. So, use the sample questions as a resource, not as a study guide. Study guides will be posted on the course eClass site prior to the Midterm and Final exams.
Course Review:
To help you study for the scenario-based final exam, Dr. Bench will also hold a Course Review in class on Fri-13-Apr as well as a fun game of Food Animal Pictionary (this is a tradition in the animal behaviour courses to aid in studying for the final). Food Animal Pictionary will be held in-class on Wed-11-Apr and everyone is encouraged to bring a friend! Both are held in order to help you study for the final exam. If you miss the course review, please see a fellow student in the course to find out what was covered.
PARTICIPATION
Marks for this component will be assigned based on you making useful contributions to discussions in class (eg. Attending lectures, interacting with lecturers, participating in class discussions, contribution towards group assignments, etc). Participation is 5% of your course mark.
Overall, the more you participate in this course, the more you will get out of it, and the better you will do in the course. All students in the course are encouraged to take an active role, ask questions, participate in discussions, make suggestions, and offer ideas and input. This course offers many opportunities to get in contact with the instructor for additional assistance: in-class, via email, through eClass, office hour appointments, and more.
All students are encouraged to attend animal behaviour seminars and conferences outside of class as they are available, but they are not a requirement of the course. For example, you will note on the course syllabus the Banff Pork Seminar in Banff (Alberta) is scheduled for January 9-11, the Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer (Alberta) is scheduled for March 6-9, and the Alberta Farm Animal Care Livestock Care Conference in Olds (Alberta) is scheduled for March 14th (extra day for post-secondary students to meet welfare experts) and March 15th (note: Dr. Temple Grandin is the keynote speaker this year). Dr. Bench will announce these in class for those interested in attending.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
One of the secondary objectives of this course includes emphasis on the development of professional skills which will be invaluable to you throughout your career (and makes for a better learning and teaching environment). In particular, this class emphasizes professional skills by requiring you to practice your written and oral communication (e.g. in-class and via assignments), treat others with respect, follow class etiquette (see texting, ipod, and laptop policy below), practice time management and organization skills, develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, and to be collegial when approaching the course instructor, guest lecturers, and fellow students throughout the course. Please use this opportunity to get into good professional habits.
NO TEXTING/CELL PHONE IN-CLASS Policy:
Texting, taking calls, looking up information on cell phones, taking selfies, playing games, or any other use of cellphones are not permitted during class time.
You are asked to turn off your cell phone or switch it to vibrate during class (8:00 to 8:50am MWF) and put your phone away! Texting during class is distracting to fellow students as well as to the instructor, and is not conducive to learning or teaching. Please come to class ready to participate in class discussions and activities without your cell phone.
Violations of this policy in-class will be handled as per the following: 1) Student will be asked to put the phone away (either in person or via email), 2) Repeat non-compliance with the class policy will result in the instructor requesting to meet with the student about texting/phone use in class and a 20%
deduction from the student’s participation mark.
Laptop and Tablet in class policy:
Students in ANSC 377 are welcome to bring tablets and laptops to class for learning purposes (eg.
lecture notes, course eClass, and looking up information relevant to what is being discussed in class).
Other uses, particularly those that are disruptive to student learning (yours and others seated around you) are not allowed (eg. games, music, watching videos, shopping on-line, instant messaging, social media, etc.). Such incidences will be documented per the Texting In-Class Policy for the course. No electronic devices of any sort are allowed during any examination.
INSTRUCTOR’S EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:
All students are expected to master the basic concepts of the course. You will best meet the course objectives by attending class, being prepared for class (e.g. read lectures posted on eClass in advance), by reading the assigned material, actively participating in discussions, meeting deadlines for graded coursework, and collaborating with fellow class members when appropriate (eg. group assignments). As parts of the course involve discussion and interaction with classmates, attendance is imperative.
University Expectations: READ THESE!
General: The use of electronic devices such as mobile phones, iPods, calculators, laptops, etc., is not permitted during examinations. Appropriate professional behaviour demonstrating respect for fellow students and instructors is expected.
Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and
avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.” (GFC 2003)
Code of Student Behaviour
All students at the University of Alberta are subject to the Code of Student Behaviour, as outlined at:
http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofSt udentBehaviour.aspx.
Please familiarize yourself with the Code of Student Behaviour and ensure that you do not participate in any inappropriate behaviour as defined by the Code. Key components of the code include the following statements.
30.3.2(1) No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or poster in a course or program of study.
30.3.2(2) c. No Student shall represent another’s substantial editorial or compositional assistance on an assignment as the Student’s own work”
Please speak with the instructor if you have any questions or concerns about the Code, particularly as it pertains to the definition of plagiarism in assignments, internet research, using the same work as part of assignments in more than one course or lab, etc.
ASSIGNMENTS
Note: Assignments will be handed out and discussed in detail in class to provide information, guidelines and criteria including details regarding layout and specific assignment expectations via assignment instruction and rubric handouts. Assignments will also be available on eClass on the date formally assigned in class.
You will submit 2 assignments as part of this course. Both assignments are technical papers.
Assignment 1 (Individual) – Constructing an Ethogram – Due Fri-09-February
Assignment 2 (Pairs) – Behaviour Observations and Interpretation – Due Wed-04-April
Late Assignments:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class (ie 8:00am) on the date indicated. Assignments are considered late if not received in-class by 8:50am on the date due. Good excuses are hard to come by so please make it easy on all concerned; get started early and finish it with time to spare!
Late assignments will not be accepted. A grade of 0 will be recorded. Please pay close attention to the course calendar for policies around term work (Section 23.3.2).
In the spirit of helping students practice good project and time management habits as part of professional training, Dr Bench will point out at strategic points in class what should be completed on your project assignments up to that point in order to help you assess whether you are ahead, on-time or in danger of falling behind on project milestones. If you find you are chronically behind on project/assignment milestones, you are encouraged to be proactive and speak to Dr Bench so she can help provide you with useful time management and project management strategies you can immediately employ in order to turn in good quality work on-time.
A NOTE ABOUT ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR OBSERVATIONS:
Keep in mind this is a course about food animal behaviour and the science behind it. As part of class assignments, you will be actively participating in animal behaviour observations, sometimes in a barn setting and sometimes in a field/pasture setting. Animal behaviour observations often require you to stand on your feet or sit quietly and patiently for periods of time while noting your observations.
Applied Ethology involves conducting these types of observations in the animal’s natural environment (so – they may be outside in the cold or inside a dusty barn). Please advise the instructor if this is a problem so a dust mask or other type of accommodation can be made during observations.
While ANSC 377 does not have a lab per se, behavioural observations as part of project work are to be completed outside of class time as a requirement of the course assignments.
LECTURE SCHEDULE (Lecture topics by date are tentative; lecture schedule will change as needed by the instructor)
NO. DATE GENERAL TOPIC READINGS
Animal Behaviour Science and Conducting Ethological Research 1 Mon-08-Jan Introduction to ANSC 377: Syllabus review
Assignment #1 handed out in class PADAB Chap 1 2 Wed-10-Jan Introduction to Applied Ethology and Ethograms
Banff Pork Seminar MB Chap 1 & 2
3 Fri-12-Jan Conducting Behaviour Observations MB Chap 3, 4, 5 & 6 In class exercise - Knots 4 Mon-15-Jan Conducting Behaviour Observations MB Chap 3, 4, 5 & 6
In class exercise – Stop motion
5 Wed-17-Jan Experimental Designs MB Chap 7, 8, 10 & 11
In class exercise - Marbles
6 Fri-19-Jan Experimental Designs MB Chap 7, 8, 10 & 11
7 Mon-22-Jan Controlling Environmental Variables
8 Wed-24-Jan Animal Experience, Learning and Development (Ontogeny)
PADAB Chap 4 & 5 9 Fri-26-Jan Ontogeny (cont)
Behaviour Genetics
PADAB Chap 2 & 3
10 Mon-29-Jan Behaviour Genetics (cont) PADAB Chap 2 & 3
Animal Behaviour – By Topic Area
11 Wed-31-Jan Behaviour Motivation Models: What drives behaviour? PADAB Chap 6 12 Fri-02-Feb
Motivation (cont)
Social Behaviour (incl. Dominance Hierarchy and Aggression)
PADAB Chap 11, 12, 13 & 14
13 Mon-05-Feb Social Behaviour
14 Wed-07-Feb Locomotion, Rest, Eating and Drinking 15 Fri-09-Feb Locomotion, Rest, Eating and Drinking
Assignment #1 DUE 16 Mon-12-Feb Sexual Behaviour
Assignment #2 handed out in class PADAB Chap 7, 8 & 9 17 Wed-14-Feb
Maternal, Neonatal and Play Behaviours Guest Lecture: Hector Perez Marquez, DVM PhD Student, Applied Ethology, Univ of Alberta
PADAB Chap 10
18 Fri-16-Feb
Maternal, Neonatal and Play Behaviours Guest Lecture: Hector Perez Marquez, DVM PhD Student, Applied Ethology, Univ of Alberta
PADAB Chap 10 Mon-19-Feb Family Day Holiday – No Classes Catch up on reading Wed-21-Feb Winter Term Reading Week – No Classes Catch up on reading Fri-23-Feb Winter Term Reading Week – No Classes Catch up on reading
19 Mon-26-Feb Behaviour (cont) 20 Wed-28-
Feb MIDTERM EXAM Material up to 26-Feb
21 Fri-02-March Animal Handling and Movement PADAB Chap 15 & 16 22 Mon-05-
March Animal Handling and Movement PADAB Chap 15 & 16
Animal Behaviour – Behaviour Ethograms by Species 23 Wed-07-March Poultry Behaviour
Western Canadian Dairy Seminar 24 Fri-09-March Poultry Behaviour
Western Canadian Dairy Seminar 25 Mon-12-
March Swine Behaviour
26 Wed-14- March
Beef Cattle Behaviour
Guest Lecture: Dr. Susan Markus
Research Scientist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Alberta Farm Animal Care’s Livestock Care Conference (Student Day)
27 Fri-16-March
Beef Cattle Behaviour
Guest Lecture: Dr. Susan Markus
Research Scientist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry 28 Mon-19-
March Dairy Behaviour 29 Wed-21-
March Bison Behaviour 30 Fri-23-March Sheep Behaviour 31 Mon-26-
March Behaviour (cont) 32 Wed-28-
March
Ethology Research
Guest Lecture: Dr. Nigel Cook
Welfare Research Scientist, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
PADAB Chap 17 Fri-30-March Good Friday Holiday – No Classes
Mon-02-April Easter Monday Holiday – No Classes 33 Wed-04-April GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Assignment #2 DUE 34 Fri-06-April GROUP PRESENTATIONS
35 Mon-09-Apr Ethology Research PADAB Chap 17
36 Wed-11-Apr Course Review: Pictionary Bring a Friend!
37 Fri-13-Apr Course Review: Scenarios Last Class
Thurs-26-
Apr FINAL EXAM @ 9:00 AM (Location TBA) Material to 13-April
*Additional exposure to animal behaviour and animal welfare may be offered as opportunities arise to have visiting guest lecturers and possibly field trips (outside regular class time) scheduled according to convenience and student interest (e.g., Alberta Farm Animal Care Conference).If you are interested in getting involved in animal behaviour and welfare (applied ethology) research, contact Dr. Bench at.[email protected]
I affirm that I have read this course syllabus in its entirety.
Signed______________________________________ Date________________________
