Preparing Animal Behaviour lectures

NUS Digital library, web2.0 and shareware contributions to

Student Profile

Cross-faculty (enrichment)

195 students

No ‘A’ level biology

70% from Faculty of Arts

16% SDE

Course issues

Appreciate animal behaviour

Avoid anthropomorphisms

Appreciate scientific approach

Not “I feel” but “evidence suggests”

Not biology undergraduates

Lecture profile

LT 26, 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm

2.10pm - Late start

3.00pm, 10 mins - Mid-session break

3.45pm - Prompt end

Not 120 mins but 80 mins

No textbook

Market - mainly geared to biology students.

Library - a number of books they can reference.

Rapidly evolving field (e.g. lions and hyaenas)

Journal-based approach has advantages

I provide notes

No textbook

Course Structure

Subset of topics - Natural selection, Group living, Communication, Territoriality, Courtship and mating, Urban conflicts.

Case studies based on journal papers.

Localise!

Course Structure

Supplemented by articles, image, sound and video in lecture.

Module blog points to all these, rarely something additional.

Personal stories, local stories.

Part IApproach, supplements and joy of web2.0

Underlying science

Rapidly developing field, e.g. lions and hyaenas.

Lions - kingly, Hyaenas - scavengers.

Hyaena mums ignore pups that kill eat other.

Video is anthropomorphic

Journal use

Actually,

Lions steal from hyaenas.

Each site is unique.

Outcome of fights - body weight!

Hyaenas mums separate squabbling offspring, etc...

YEP

Sexual cannibalism

notes

popular articles

Dangers of courtingsolitary, aggressive females

Sexual cannibalismFemale’s food,fact or fiction?

Praying mantis

Catherine Chalmers

web2.0 - FLICKrShare and share alike

Dimorphic Jumping Spider(Maevia inclemens)

“Dance for females”Female signals receptivity

i.e. Courtship display affects mating decisionDiverse behaviour by males

OpoTerser

Two male morphsLong distance courtship - 9cmShort-distance courtship - 3cm

Maevia inclemens

Thanks for use and...

localise

Predatory femaleSeminal plugs in Nephila spp.

Mate while she’s busy!

Clementi Woods, Apr 2008Cai Yi Xiong’s photo series

Reading blog webpages

Blogstime-consuming,

not updated,

can be messy

Using Feeds

(Syndication)

Updates only

Clean look

Direct links

Photos too

Does it have a feed?

Which programme?

Webpage

Newsfeed

Part I - ReviewUnderlying science

Popular articles

delicious, blog

Flickr/CC

Localise!

RSS

Dwi Janto Johan

Part IIVideos and finding the science

Videos are critical

Early bird features: 6 - 8 mins clips

Interspersed in lectures: 1 - 3 mins

Evolution of availability

Japanese hornetalarm pheromone

60

Japanese bee thermal defense (1995)

61

Japanese hornetalarm pheromone

62