Universität Wien

300134 SE Ethological and ecoethological Seminar (Grünau) (2025W)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 30 - Biologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 10 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes

15-17 October 2025
The seminar will take place from October 15th to 17th at the Konrad Lorenz Research Center in Grünau im Almtal. Students are expected to arrive by noon on October 15th, with the first three presentations on Animal Culture scheduled for that afternoon. On October 16th, there will be three additional Animal Culture presentations from 09:00 to 12:00. In the afternoon of October 16th, three presentations on Behavioral Innovation will be held, followed by three more Behavioral Innovation presentations on October 17th from 09:00 to 12:00. Students can check out and return to Vienna by 2:00 PM on October 17th. Accommodation, bedding, and access to a shared kitchen will be provided during your stay.

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Each student will select a peer-reviewed publication from the collection available on the Moodle site, aligned with this year’s themes: "Animal Culture" for Day 1 and "Behavioral Innovation" for Day 2. On each day, six papers will be available for selection. Students are required to prepare background information on the authors and the context of the study, providing insight into the research’s foundation and relevance. Following this, students will present a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation covering five key sections: the aims of the study, outlining the research question and objectives; the methods, detailing the approaches and techniques used to collect and analyze data; the results, summarizing the main findings and how they were presented; the discussion, which explores the interpretation and implications of the results; and critical thoughts, where students will provide their own analysis of the study, including strengths, weaknesses, and potential improvements or unanswered questions. This presentation aims to not only explain the research clearly but also to engage with its broader significance and reflect critically on its contribution to the field.

Assessment and permitted materials

Critical discussion based on the content of the presentation and discussion about relevant theoretical frameworks and methods with the responsible persons and the scientists at the KLF.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The assessment for the presentation will be based on several key criteria. Clarity and whether the PowerPoint was engaging—in terms of being visually appealing and presenting an interesting storyline—will make up 40% of the total grade. This will evaluate how effectively the content is communicated and how engaging the presentation is for the audience. The layout of the presentation will account for 10%, ensuring that the slides are well-organized, easy to follow, and visually cohesive. A critical examination of the paper will contribute 30% to the grade, where the depth and quality of the analysis, including strengths, weaknesses, and insights, will be evaluated. Finally, the capacity to respond to questions will make up 20%, assessing how well the student can answer questions related to the paper and presentation with confidence and accuracy. A minimum of 50% of the total marks is required to pass the seminar.

Examination topics

Students select a 'peer-reviewed publication' and consider the references cited in the paper they choose as supporting evidence, and/or find other papers that come to the same or different conclusion as the paper they are presenting.

For the ppt presentation, emphasis will be placed on their demonstrated understanding of the research question, methods, and conclusions drawn in the paper, and whether they seem to be logically sound or flawed.

Reading list

Students should allocate their selections so that six students present on Animal Culture, choosing from the 12 available papers on Moodle. Additionally, six students will choose one paper from the Behavioral Innovation options for Day 2. While there can be some overlap in the selection of papers, each student must select and present on a single paper only. This ensures a variety of perspectives and topics are covered while still allowing for some overlap in the themes explored.

Association in the course directory

CoBeNe W1

Last modified: Su 13.07.2025 20:06