AD1BWE: "Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics"

Module code: AD1BWE

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Zoe Barker, email: z.e.barker@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 8 September 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The relationship between humans and animals has evolved over millennia, and the more complex these relationships become, the more detailed our understanding of their behaviour and welfare must be. You’ll be introduced to important concepts relating to animal ethics, behaviour and welfare including the functions, evolution, causes and development of normal and abnormal behaviour in animals and the concept of sentience. You’ll gain understanding of the main ethical frameworks (for example animal rights and utilitarianism) and the policies designed to afford protection to animals, and you’ll develop a critical understanding of the main scientific frameworks for assessing animal welfare and discuss example of ‘good’ and ‘poor’ welfare. Together this forms a vital knowledge base for further study of the science of animals under human influence in a wide range of contexts.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Describe and discuss the mechanisms behind normal animal behaviour, and processes underlying development of abnormal behaviour  
2. Discuss and evaluate scientific methods by which animal welfare may be assessed  
3. Discuss and debate ethical theories and policies relating to animals under human management  

Module content

Topics discussed in the module include:  

• Understanding animal behaviour: Tinbergen’s four questions (function, evolution, causation and development of animal behaviour)  
• Fundamentals of the neurobiology/endocrine control of behaviour  
• The range of behaviours animals display  
• Introduction to approaches for observing and recording animal behaviour  
• Ethical issues and frameworks for analysing human-animal interactions in different contexts  
• What is sentience?  
• What is ‘good’ welfare and what is ‘bad’ welfare and how do we know?  
• Frameworks for assessing welfare (five freedoms, etc.)  
• Methods for assessing animal welfare (behavioural and physiological)  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is primarily taught through lectures and interactive seminars These will be supported by computer practical sessions and a visit to the University farm to gain insight into basic practical observation of animal behaviour and welfare.

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

In class discussions, activities and quizzes will allow students to evaluate their learning through the module.  

Reassessment

Additional costs