Kodiak College

August 13, 2015

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
4 credits |BIOL A441 |Fall 2015

Meeting Times and

Course Structure
Our class is open from August
24 through December 12.
While this course is
asynchronous, it is not selfpaced. 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.

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

Instructors Goals
1.Explain how animal behaviors are adaptations to solving problems
imposed by the animal's environment.

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
callcenter@uaa.alaska.edu.
They have great hours 6ammidnight most days.
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August 13, 2015

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).

Instructor Information
Dr. Cindy Trussell
citrussell@alaska.edu or
citrussell@uaa.alaska.edu
(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/

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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 Outcomes

A. 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
animalenvironment
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.
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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

August 13, 2015

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 oce 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.

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

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.

Labor Day (no face-to-face

classes): September 7 and
8

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

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

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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.

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August 13, 2015

Below 60% = F

Textbook and
Materials

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.

The text book for this course

is

Lecture Workshops
points

Davies,N.B., Krebs,J.R., and

West, S.A. (2012) An
Introduction to Behavioural
Ecology, 4th Edition. WileyBlackwell

Literature Discussions
200 points

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.

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150

Midterm Exam

200 points

Final Exam

250 points

Lecture Workshops
Literature Discussions
Miterm Exam
Final Exam
Observation Assignments

20%

15%

Observation Assignments 200

points
Total

1000 points

20%
25%
20%

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.
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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.

August 13, 2015

Late Work:

Lecture workshops

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

VoiceThread 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.

Due dates are in the My

Grades area and in the
Course Calendar and
Course Schedule.

Participation in Literature Discussions

No late work is accepted.

Discussions 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.

Tobacco Free
Campus

Explanation of Graded Components of the Course

Interaction is an important part

of learning, and it is integral to
distance learning. Ill 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.

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 (UABOR policy
P05.12.102).

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

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August 13, 2015

synthesizing across several of the readings and videos to

emphasize a point
building on the contributions of others 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 Protocol

Participate 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

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.

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August 13, 2015

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.

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.

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 oensive.

The provision of equal

opportunities for students who
experience disabilities is a
campus-wide responsibility and
commitment.

Note that red or capitalized words are generally interpreted as

you SHOUTING, so please avoid using them in our Discussion
Forum.

Disability Support Services (DSS)

is the designated UAA
department responsible for
coordinating academic support
services for individuals who
experience disabilities.

The 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.

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/

Midterm and Final Exam

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

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August 13, 2015

students participating in
documented, universitysanctioned 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 dierent
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 peers 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 students 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

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.
Lets 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.
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August 13, 2015

aspects of this.

Student Resources

Basic technology requirements

for this course:

Libraries - each campus has a

library with great study
spaces, computers, and
helpful staff.

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:

Tutoring - each campus also

has learning centers that can
help with writing assignments.

1.

2.

Using a Web browser (Firefox, Google Chrome, or

Safari). Note that these popular browsers perform
dierently. It is recommended that you be able to
switch between browsers.
Using a standard word processor (for example,
Microsoft Word, OpenOce, 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

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 Chancellor
Student Union, Room 204
3211 Providence Dr.
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
(907) 786-1214
dllee@uaa.alaska.edu

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August 13, 2015

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
f. acting as a substitute or utilizing a substitute;
others without proper citation of sources;
g. deceiving faculty members or other
b. utilizing devices not authorized by the faculty
representatives of the university to aect a
member;
grade or to gain admission to a program or
course;
c. using sources (including but not limited to
text, images, computer code, and audio/video
h. fabricating or misrepresenting data;
files) not authorized by the faculty member;
i. possessing, buying, selling, obtaining, or using
d. providing assistance without the faculty
a copy of any material intended to be used as
members permission to another student, or
an instrument of assessment in advance of its
receiving assistance not authorized by the
administration;
faculty member from anyone (with or without
j. altering grade records of their own or another
their knowledge);
students work;
e. submitting work done for academic credit in
k. oering a monetary payment or other
previous classes, without the knowledge and
remuneration in exchange for a grade; or
advance permission of the current faculty
member;
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 oense on all assignments other than exams: A zero on that assignment.

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

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

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

Fall 2015

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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

Lecture Workshop
Literature Discussion

7 10/5

Midterm Exam on content from

Weeks 1-5

Remember to make Must be taken between

an appointment at
10/5 - 10/9
your local test center

8 10/12

Social Behavior

Chapter 11

Lecture Workshop
Observation Assignment
Task 4

9 10/19

Cooperation

Chapter 12
Selected literature

Lecture Workshop
Literature Discussion

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

Lecture Workshop
Literature Discussion

12 11/9

Mating Systems

Chapter 9

Lecture Workshop
Observation Assignment
Task 3 & 4

13 11/16

Communication

Chapter 14
Selected literature

Lecture Workshop
Literature Discussion

Fall 2015

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Week Date

August 13, 2015

Lecture Topics

Readings

Assignments

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

Fall 2015

Must be taken between

12/7-12/11

12