Video Course in Behavioral Observation
The Video Course in Behavioural Observation (VCBO) is a unique educational tool, designed to teach students the fundamentals of behavioral observation research. The primary aim of this four volume course is to stimulate students to think about the purposes and the methodologies of behavioral observation research. Students will learn to appreciate the usefulness of explicit categorization. The series is intended for class or individual use, with students at an undergraduate or graduate level.
Materials
Each volume provides you with the following materials:
- DVD - The main teaching medium is a film, consisting of introductory theory and several main tasks. The film consists of video recordings on location, interspersed with attractive, clearly structured schemes and graphical menus.
- Observation recording sheets - For those who wish to use paper-and-pencil recording, paper forms are included. These may be photocopied and distributed among the students.
- The Observer® software - Volumes two, three, and four of the video course come with a special student version of The Observer software. It supports keyboard versions of the exercises involved and some computer analysis of the results. The software can be installed and used on any number of computers within the framework of the educational training course. Students may also install the software on their own computers at home in order to complete the exercises.
- Tutors’ notes - This booklet explains the tasks, provides answers to questions, gives background information and literature references, and contains the full narrated text of the video film.
Design
Each volume of the VCBO is designed to be used as a self-contained course for students to use alone or in groups, without an instructor. The course is intended to be used as a series, but each volume can stand by itself. It has been written and narrated by Dr. David Dickins (Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK) and Dr. Roger Clark (Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University College, UK).
Volume 1 ‘Focussing in’ (video duration 50 minutes; full class duration 2-4 hours)
The first volume starts in the context of a university field trip. The approach of ethology is outlined and the kittiwake gull is introduced as focal species.
Volume 2 ‘Keys to success’ (video duration 60 minutes; full class duration 2-4 hours)
Volume two centers on behavioral categories. Examples of field projects on Lundy Island, again using kittiwake gulls as the focal species, show how categories are developed in relation to different research questions. Paper-and-pencil and keyboard recording are compared, as well as pairs of records to determine inter-observer agreement.
Volume 3 ‘Representative samples’ (video duration 90 minutes; full class duration 2-4 hours)
This volume gives an idea of the richness of the social life of chimpanzees in a well-maintained captive colony. This stimulates questions about the problems of anthropomorphism when trying to describe the behavior of apes objectively. Volume three compares different sampling methods and explains the necessity of representative sampling when conducting scientific studies.
Volume 4 ‘Observing ourselves’ (video duration 90 minutes; full class duration 3-4 hours)
The final volume introduces the ethological approach to the study of our own species, using the example of children in a university playgroup. It shows how behavioral observations can be used in conjunction with other investigatory techniques to understand complex interpersonal and cultural situations such as parent-child relations. The course introduces further analyses of observational data.