Outline

Overview

In Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science 3, behavioural theory and the behavioural and physiological responses of animals to stressors related to husbandry, housing, transport and slaughter are explored. This Unit enables students to develop an understanding of applied animal behaviour theory, and the responses of animals to common interventions that arise in the context of interacting with humans, including the domestication of livestock species and the management of wildlife. We introduce a framework for animal welfare assessment, and the principles of animal responses to stress are illustrated with production species as the main examples. An overview of the key behaviour and welfare considerations for performance and companion animals, and wildlife will be provided. Contemporary approaches to the scientific measurement of animal stress and welfare, based on an appropriate selection of scientific disciplines including ethology, psychology, physiology and neuroscience, are assessed with an emphasis on farmed livestock species. Genetic, environmental and evolutionary determinants of pain, stress and fear responses in animals are considered in the light of what is known about cognition and motivation in animals. Methods for assessing and enhancing animal environments and husbandry systems are examined and the impact on animal behaviour and welfare of stockmanship is explored in the context of human-animal interactions. Finally, the design and conduct of scientific experiments are assessed with a focus on animal ethics and current welfare issues.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	48cp of 1000-3000 level units including at least 6cp of (BIOL1XXX or AVBS100X)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Sabrina Lomax, sabrina.lomax@sydney.edu.au
Demonstrator(s)	Sarah Mac, sarah.mac@sydney.edu.au
Demonstrator(s)	Peter White (Vet Science), p.white@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Dominique Van der Saag, dominique.van.der.saag@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Ashley Ward, ashley.ward@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Essay progress report form Search criteria and essay theme described	10%	Week 04 Due date: 25 Aug 2023 at 11:59	3 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major project - proposal research proposal and ethogram	10%	Week 05 Due date: 01 Sep 2023 at 23:59	Written
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Behaviour and welfare quiz quiz on canvas requiring demonstration of understanding of theory	10%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 17:00	30 min
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Bio-ethics quiz Multiple choice quiz	10%	Week 09 Due date: 04 Oct 2023 at 17:00	1h
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay on contemporary behaviour or welfare issue Written critical evaluation including references	15%	Week 10 Due date: 13 Oct 2023 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Behaviour and welfare quiz quiz on canvas requiring demonstration of understanding of theory	10%	Week 12 Due date: 25 Oct 2023 at 17:00	30 min
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major Project Final report Final report on the major project	20%	Week 12 Due date: 27 Oct 2023 at 23:59	2000
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major project presentation Group presentation in person	15%	Week 13 Due date: 01 Nov 2023 at 17:00	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Major assessment- Group Project

Worth: 45% of overall grade
Due: Formative and summative tasks through semester, final due Week 12
How to complete: Presentation and Report
Learning outcomes: Demonstrate ability to work in a group, collect information through research, and communicate findings orally.

Project title and topic summary due week 3 - FORMATIVE
Project proposal and ethogram due week 5 - 10-%
Final report - due week 12 - 20%
Group Presentation - week 13 - 15%

Quizzes

Worth: 30% of overall grade

Due: Weeks 6, 9 and 13 (10% each)

How to complete: Submit Online as a tutorial quiz Canvas - 1 hour

Learning outcomes: Apply understanding of lecture, tutorial and practical content; research component will require referencing APA style

Bio-ethics quiz

Worth: 10% of overall grade
Due: Week 9
How to complete: MCQ quiz canvas
Learning outcomes: Applying animal welfare and ethics principles and frameworks

Animal Behaviour and Welfare Content quizzes Weeks 6 and 12

The quiz opens at Monday 12am and closes at 11:59pm in Week 6, and opens at Wednesday 12am and closes at 11:59pm Week 12

Once you open the quiz you have 60 min (1h) to complete and submit your answer.
Manage your time! Do not leave submission to the last minute. You must complete your response and submit your quiz within the 60 min time frame
Content from weeks 1 to 5 is assessed in Quiz 1 (week 6) and content from weeks 6 to 12 is assessed in Quiz 2 (week 13). All content from lectures, tutorials and practicals is assessed
Bio ethics content is not assessed in the quiz
This will be a short answer quiz. We are using an essay response which means you can just write your response directly into the text box.
You will be randomly allocated two questions from a large question bank. You must answer both questions.
Type your answer into a word doc and copy/paste into the text box in case of any internet issues. You can upload images if you choose to draw up a diagram or figure.
- As a guide 250- 300 words is sufficient for an answer, but note it is not about quantity of words as long as you answer the question
- You can use dot points
The quiz is open book and you can use references (peer review) and citations (APA style) in your answers.
All academic plan adjustments have been applied as per the exam adjustments in your AP (if you have one).

Comment on the Quiz discussion boards if you have any questions. If you have questions during the quiz please email Cameron privately.

Quizzes in this UoS are focused on assessing how well you understand content through application, not how well you have memorised or can recall the lecture material. So please don't feel that you need to memorise all of the slide material. The questions are focused on themes delivered across the lectures, you will have a question relating to one theme, so it will be easy to focus your research.

Scientific Essay

Worth: 25% of overall grade
Due: Friday Week 11 11:59pm
How to complete: Submit via turnitin on Canvas
Learning outcomes: A critical evaluation of behaviour and welfare issues

Essay progress report form: Due week 4 - 10%

Final Essay 1000 words: Due Week 10 - 15%

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	demonstrate deep understanding of the subject area; critical evaluation of the subject is evident. Clear and concise written arguments; grammatically and structurally outstanding
Distinction	75 - 84	Demonstrated understanding of the subject area; some critical evaluation of the subjects; argmuments are well formuated but could include further interpretation. grammar and structure are good.
Credit	65 - 74	demonstrated understanding of the subject; limited critical evaluation; requires work in grammar and sentence structure.
Pass	50 - 64	surface understanding of subject area; lack of critical evaluation; requires editing to improve flow, sentence structure and grammar.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Penalties of 5% per day will apply for late submissions as per University Policy.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Online (zoom) lectures covering a range of animal behaviour and welfare content	Online class (36 hr)
	practicals evaluating and assessing animal behaviour and welfare	Practical (6 hr)
	Self-directed visit to Taronga zoo for assignment	Field trip (6 hr)
	in person tutorials where students apply their learnings from lectures to exercises either individually or in groups to demonstrate their understanding	Tutorial (14 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance is not compulsory however students must pre-select the relevant practical and tutorial timeslots in the Timetable to avoid clashes and enable us to organise resources for the practical classes.

Lectures will be delivered on zoom and recorded and made available on Canvas.

Students get out what they put in, engagement is encouraged to facilitate learning.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Readings provided on Canvas and the Library site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Apply learnings to analyse the behaviour of wildlife, companion, performance and production animals
LO2. Measure and compare behavioural and physiological responses of animals to the challenges under different environmental, production or welfare contexts to provide a scientific assessment of animal behaviour and welfare
LO3. Critically evaluate the use of animals by humans from the perspectives of science and ethics to provide an informed opinion on the welfare of animals
LO4. Critically evaluate the impact of captivity, farming and/or housing systems in which animal behaviour is a limiting factor, and suggest solutions to overcome problems; for example, for farmed species, improve the efficiency of animal production through manipulating animal behaviour, or for captive ‘wild’ species, improve the diversity of behaviour under confinement situations
LO5. Collaborate with your peers to research and solve problems related to animal behaviour and welfare
LO6. Design research methodology to demonstrate understanding of the scientific process in the field of animal behaviour and welfare
LO7. Demonstrate skills in scientific writing and communication
LO8. Demonstrate skills in independent research and problem solving

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We have incorporated feedback from previous years to reduce the total number of assessments and increase the weighting of assessments. Staged assessments allow for feedback and feedforward to be integrated.

Additional information

Additional costs

Students will be required to pay for entry to zoo or other animal facility they choose for their major assignment. We are arranging a discounted fee.

Site visit guidelines

Students must be vaccinated for Q fever to attend practicals at Camden. Fully enclosed work boots or gumboots must be worn on farm. Overalls or long sleeve shirt and pants are a requirement for entry, without this you will not be allowed to participate in practicals. COVID PPE requirements will be advised in advance of practicals.

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

ANSC3106: Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camden, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Major assessment- Group Project

Quizzes

Bio-ethics quiz

Animal Behaviour and Welfare Content quizzes Weeks 6 and 12

Scientific Essay

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

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