Animal Behaviour Course

Are you keen to study Animal Behaviour by distance learning? Do you wonder why animals behave in the way they do? This course is an intriguing insight into how and why animals act like they do.

It covers everything from the animal at play, to the learning process and the development of behaviour; it even explores the link between genetics and behaviour. You will also cover the mating game, social behaviour and territoriality and aggression. This course is perfect for anyone who has an interest in animals and may want to work with them more closely in the future.

Like all Start Learning courses, you will have full tutor support and the course is designed, with you at heart, in bite sized sections to make learning convenient and fun. So Start Learning today!

Distance Learning Support

At Start Learning we pride ourselves on our friendly and supportive tutors. Your tutor support will start as soon as you receive your course and will be valid for 12 months. All our tutors are highly qualified with extensive experience in supporting distance learning students. You contact your tutor via email and they are responsible for marking assignments answering your questions and guiding you through the course.

Home Study Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements for this course. At Start Learning we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and study further, so we try to keep our entry requirements to a minimum.

Recommended Hours of Study

We recommended you spend approximately 110 hours of your time studying the Animal Behaviour course. The pace of study is completely up to you. To give an example, if you dedicate 2 hours a week to the course it would take you a year to complete but if you could spare 4 hours a week you could complete it in six months.

Distance Learning Course Contents

Unit 1 -  The animal at play: The dangers of play behaviour in an animal’s natural environment and to demonstrate how the risks are often outweighed by the benefits of play - The primary reasons why play behaviour occurs - Examples of the diversity of play - Recognising and appreciate the differences between carnivorous and herbivorous play behaviour - The primary differences between play behaviour in makes and play behaviour in female

Unit 2 - The Learning Process: The basic principles of the learning process in associative and non-associative learning - The processes of habituation and sensitation - The relevance and form of cultural behaviour with regard to animal behaviour - The decay and the interference theory as type of neural programming - The theories of filial and sexual imprinting and develop an understanding of their relevance

Unit 3 - The Development of Behaviour: The basic concepts of instincts, evolution and genetics - The relevance of early post natal behaviour - The revelvane of social behaviour and dominance in social animals - The development of behaviour in its entirety and not as separate entities working in isolation

Unit 4 - Genetics and Behaviour: The behavioural changes that can occur due to genetic changes - The terms genotype and phenotype - Behavioural abnormalities caused by abnormalities in the sex chromosomes - The genetic flexibility of the domestic dog

Unit 5 - Seasonal Breeding: The primary reasons why animals exhibit seasonal breeding - The reproductive characteristics of these groups - The theories of photoperiodism and ciracadian rhythms, with reference to seasonal breeding and melatonin

Unit 6 - Migratory Behaviour (1): The reasons why animals migrate - The concepts of biological equilibrium - The role of the circadian rhythm in migratory behaviour - How the circadian and circannual rhythms can work together in controlling the avian migratory urge - The methods employed in avian navigation

Unit 7 - Migratory Behaviour (2): The process of dispersal migration - The migration of the monarch butterfly as an example of non dispersal insect migration - The diversity of animal migration generally

Unit 8 - The Mating Game: The advantaged and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction, the nature of the male and female gametes and the consequences for mate choice - The criteria for mate choice, and appreciate the consequences if intersexual and intrasexual selection 

Unit 9 - Territoriality and Aggression: The primary reasons for aggression and ritualized fighting in the animal kingdom - The consequences ofritualised fighting - The principles of the dominance hierarchy

Unit 10 - Communication and Social Behaviour (1): The principle components of animal communication - The graded and discrete signals used in animal communication - The primary roles of communication and recognition in animal communication

Unit 11 - Communication and Social Behaviour (2): The student to understand why animals congregate in order to survive - Flock size and food availability - The theories of social facilitation and local enhancement - Reasons why animals roost together

Unit 12 - Our Companions: The widespread popularity of pet ownership - The need to nurture and the advantages of having such a need 
To demonstrate the modern trends of pet ownership and its influences

Qualifications

On successful completion of all of the assignments students will receive a  Start Learning Diploma in Animal Behaviour.

According to national framework guidelines, the course is deemed to be Level 2 by the Institute for Animal Care Education.

Language of Examination

English

Assessments

This course is marked through a process of continuous assessment guided by your tutor. This means that your qualification will be awarded according to your performance on assessments rather than by taking an exam. Assessment takes the form of question papers and directed report writing. The reports are designed to test the student's ability to understand the modules as a whole. The question papers are designed to test the students understanding of the individual concepts within the lessons. Reports (3 in total) represent 70% of the total mark; the questions papers (12 in total) represent the remaining 30%.