Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL2119: Animal Minds and Animal Ethics

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • Animal Consciousness: What is it like to be non-human?
  • Reasoning, Concepts and Beliefs: Do Non-Human Animals think?
  • Mindreading: Do non-human animals know each other’s beliefs?
  • Communication: Do non-human animals have a language?
  • Moral Norms: Do non-human animals create rules?
  • Animal Ethics: How should we treat smart non-human animals?

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Schedule Learning and Teaching Activity22Weekly 2-hour lectures/seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar.
Guided Independent Study83Private research in preparation for essay writing and slides presentation. Instructions will be given via ELE.
Guided Independent Study45Private study: reading the assigned material for classes and complementary readings.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay PlanDraft outline: 500 words1-8Oral/Written

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Video Presentation with Slides3010 minutes of recording1-8Written
Essay702,000 words1-8Written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Presentation with SlidesShort Essay (1000 words)1-8August/September re-assessment period
EssayEssay (2,000 words)1-8August/September re-assessment period