Through a series of practical sessions and exercises the basics of current application of information technology will be introduced, concentrating on Word processing and spreadsheets. Familiarity with using e-mail and the World Wide Web will also be ensured. The storage of data in files, file management, network uses and printing will be taught. Familiarity will be ensured with the use of a word-processing package where basic text handling and formatting operations willbe taught. Teaching the use of spreadsheet packages will be integrated, whereever possible, with the matheatical elements of the module in examples where real biological data will be handled. The concepts of workbooks and worksheets, inputting text and numbers, formatting cells and using functions as well as creating graphics will be dealt with.

The following mathematical concepts will be set in a background of handling biological data: basic numeracy; types of numbers; significant figures; scientific notation; units - conversion from one level to another (including standard SI units); logarithms, converting from number to log and back again; exponents; tables and graphs; concepts of dilution series; percentages and roportions; basic algebra; basic statistics; mode, median, mean, variance, standard deviation, frequency distribution; normal curves in biological applications.