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Quick Facts

Medium Of Instructions	Mode Of Learning	Mode Of Delivery
English	Self Study	Video and Text Based

Course Overview

The course Introduction to Animal Behaviour presents a basic overview of the nature of animals and the reason why they act the way that they do. Candidates who want to broaden their understanding of how animals learn, find food, communicate, find and exploit resources, avoid predators, and other related areas are recommended to apply to this course. This programme requires no prerequisite knowledge, just enthusiasm, and curiosity to learn more about the creatures that coexist with us. This course will be taught to the students by three of the top researchers working at Wageningen University so that every concept is clear in the minds of the candidates.

The course will be giving out helpful course handouts, downloadable transcripts, and reading materials for the ease of the students. By working for a minimum of 6 hours every week, the students can excel in this course and complete it within the given time. The course is self-paced but the time given to complete the course is limited when the selection of the audit mode is made, the access to the course will be limited. In case the choice of the track is verified, the candidates will get unlimited period access to the course materials.

The Highlights

Certification by edX
Course by WageningenX
Helpful course handouts
The effort required is 4-6 hours a week
Course level introductory
Video transcript language English
Self-paced
6-week course
English language

Programme Offerings

Online Classrooms
video lectures
Study Materials
assignments

Courses and Certificate Fees

Fees Informations	Certificate Availability	Certificate Providing Authority
INR 17402	yes	Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen

This course is available for free.
The certification can be purchased by paying Rs.17,402 .

Fee Category	Amount in Rs.
Base Fee	nil
Certificate Fee	17,402

Eligibility Criteria

Certification Qualifying Details

The candidates have to verify their courses along with enrolling in it to gain the facility of certification by depositing the amount as specified.

What you will learn

Knowledge of science

The students will be exploring the following areas:

They will be provided with the fundamentals to understand animal behaviour
They will be introduced to the range of complexity of behaviours that can be found in animals
They will be acquainted with the procedures for the development and testing of scientific hypothesis
They will become familiar with the ways in which animals interact and communicate with one another
The reproductive ways and behaviour of animals will be known by them
They will also learn the social functioning of animals
They will come to know how the animals find and make use of resources of food
Candidates will become familiar with the methods by which animals avoid their predators

Who it is for

The candidates who can apply to this course are mentioned below:

Candidates who are interested in studying animals
Biology professionals who want to lay a strong base in animal behaviour
Educators who want to teach further masses with the help of this course

Admission Details

There are few simple steps that the candidates need to follow to enrol in this course. These steps are:

Step 1: You are requested to click on the given link.

https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-to-animal-behaviour

Step 2: View the contents of the page on the main site after clicking on the link.

Step 3: Find the button for enrolling in the course and tap on it to proceed further.

Step 4: Login with the help of Google/Microsoft/Apple or Facebook account or your own login credentials.

Step 5: Audit the course.

Note that this will not unlock additional benefits like graded assignments and certificates. For this, the candidates need to upgrade their courses.

The Syllabus

Introduction
Assignment: challenges in studying the behaviour
Kick-off assignment: animals around us
Applications of animal behaviour
Evolution and natural selection
The 4 ‘why’ questions
The scientific method
Methods: approaches to studying behaviour
Discussion: animal welfare

Introduction
Kick-off assignment: learning
Learning by association
Why do animals learn?
Learning from others
Behavioral development
Cognition and insight
Discussion: stress and companion animals
Assignment: get to know the scientific literature
Methods: scientific literature

Introduction
Kick-off assignment: animal signals
Project assignment: part 1 - planning
Modes of communication
Signals and information
Signal design
Communication networks and eavesdropping
Honest and dishonest signals
Complex communication and language
Methods: good scientific practice
Discussion: info chemicals

Introduction
Kick-off assignment: effective foraging
Optimal foraging
Competition for resources
Dispersal and migration
Antipredator behaviour
Discussion: animal personality
Project assignment: part 2 - data collection
Feeding behaviour
Methods: ethograms and behavioural sampling

Introduction
Kick-off assignment: variation in parental care
Mate choice
Sex differences and sexual selection
Verified: project assignment: part 3 - report your findings
Mate competition
Territoriality and lekking
Mating systems
Parental care
Methods: scientific writing
Discussion: family conflict

Introduction
Kick-off assignment: social interactions
Social networks
Methods: data analysis
Costs and benefits of group living
Cooperation between relatives
Culture and human behaviour
Verified: project assignment: part 4 - peer grading
Cooperation between non-relatives
Discussion: animal movement

Instructors

Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

1: How much time is required for the course?

This course is 7 modules long which the candidate can cover with a study of 4-6 hours weekly.

2: What subject does this course belong to?

Biology and life sciences are the subject of this course.

3: Can I contact my faculty?

The students can only make use of the discussion forum to discuss their doubts with the teachers. This way, the resolution of doubts is more efficient and faster.

4: Which institute will be providing this programme?

Wageningen University & Research will be providing this course to the students.

5: Which browser do I access the course from?

The browsers that are most recommended to the candidates are Firefox, Internet Explorer 11, Chrome and Safari.

6: Can I download the presentations made on PowerPoint?

Yes, there is a provision to download the PowerPoint presentations by clicking on the ‘Download Handout’ button below the video.

7: Can I use a language other than English to write my assignments?

No, since the official language of the programme is English, the students have to complete all assignments and communications by using the English language.

8: When will I receive the certificate?

After successfully completing the course by scoring 70% or more in the final examination, the candidates can download their certificates from the student dashboard.

9: Can I get refunded?

Yes, for availing of refund services, the candidates must unenroll from the course within 14 days of commencement or 14 days after fee payment.