SLE355 - Zoological and Wildlife Field Studies
Unit details
| Year: | 2024 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong) |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Philip Barton |
| Cohort rule: | This unit is only available to students enrolled in S369, S393, S398 |
| Prerequisite: | SLE251 or SLE226 |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | SLE302 |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 11 x 2 hour online lectures per trimester, 5 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester. Multi-day/night off campus practical experience (field trip) in regional Victoria. Students will need to cover accommodation and food costs while on the practical experience (field trip). The practical experience (field trip) will require students to engage in an immersive learning experience. |
Content
Well-designed field studies that test important ecological theories or the effectiveness of environmental management remain a key approach for how zoologists and wildlife ecologists understand or manage wild animals. This unit aims to train students to design and undertake field studies that address how Australian wildlife populations respond to their natural environment, and changes to that environment. The unit's classes and practicals will advance understanding in key zoology and wildlife ecology concepts and develop skills for the synthesis of literature, research design, experimental methods, data analysis and visualisation, critical evaluation, and scientific communication. Field based practical learning is the key focus of the unit's learning and experience outcomes. Here students will participate in a field trip located at an off-campus location in Victoria. The field trip will allow students to develop technical proficiency in the use multiple ecological field methods that collect data used to study wildlife populations. Students will learn, through hands-on experience, how to survey wildlife using techniques such as trapping, pitfall trapping, observational surveys and camera-based surveys. These techniques will allow students to assess the interrelationships between flora and fauna and how this understanding can be used in management. Completion of this unit will see students having advanced their conceptual and practical skills desirable for employment in government, industry or the private sector.
| ULO | These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Understand the role of physiological and ecological mechanisms for coping with abiotic and biotic environmental variation with emphasis on the effects of rapid global environmental change and Australian environments. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO2 | Understand how ecological assessment can be applied to conservation purposes including prediction of species responses to climate change. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO3 | Gain an integrated understanding of animal functions in ecological and evolutionary contexts. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO4 | Gather and analyse ecological data under laboratory and field conditions in an appropriate manner and present these effectively in a written and/or oral format. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO5 | Experience up to 7 days in a remote and unique habitat and gain an understanding of how to conduct field research to assess how resident fauna respond ecologically to these conditions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
| ULO6 | Gain experience in examining primary literature to address topics pertinent to currently debated issues in ecological and evolutionary physiology and communicate this information in a concise and effective manner. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking GLO6: Self-management |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 Individual practical assignments | Practical assessment tasks | 20% | Weeks 1-6 |
| Assessment 2 Mid-trimester quiz | Online quiz | 30% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 3 Field Report | Field trip report | 50% | Week 9 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning Resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information
Unit Fee Information
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