Gwybodaeth am Fodiwlau
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Scientific Report 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Skills & knowledge test Short answer 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Scientific Report Max 3,000 words 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Skills & knowledge test Short answer 2000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of skills used for the collection of biological and environmental field data from freshwater environments.
Identify, to species level, a range of common freshwater organisms.
Demonstrate the scientific method including hypotheses generation, data acquisition, data presentation/analysis and communication of scientific outcomes with reference to the scientific literature.
Demonstrate an improved knowledge of freshwater biology.
Brief description
The field course offers opportunities for the acquisition of professional practical skills and knowledge in the field of freshwater biology. The field course is heavily weighted toward practical sessions, supplemented with lectures and workshop sessions for quantification and analysis of material. Throughout, you will be expected to discuss data collected from field sampling and laboratory analysis in the context of the specific hypotheses being tested as well as established ecological/biological theory and current thinking within the wider scientific literature (prior study of BR22020 Freshwater Biology is recommended).
Content
The module will involve an intensive field course made up of briefing sessions, workshops and practical skills development. Practical sessions will take up most of the time, introducing students to different sampling techniques used in aquatic environments and methods of processing samples in the laboratory. Students will therefore gain experience in professional methods used for the collection of both biological and environmental data along with taxonomic identification. Students will work in small groups to collect data, providing experience of team working. Workshops and seminars will support the analysis and presentation of scientific data and guidance on how skills gained can be effectively communicated to future employers.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | The biological/environmental data collected will be analysed quantitatively using statistical techniques. |
| Communication | Students will be expected to listen effectively in workshops and practicals. They will have the opportunity to work in small groups, which will require the oral exchange of ideas/data. The students will communicate their scientific outcomes via a skills test and scientific report, as well as question and answer sessions. Students will be asked to reflect on the skills gained through demonstrating these in a format expected by employers. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Through discussion of performance within groups, subsequent peer assessment and through feedback following submission of assessed work. |
| Information Technology | Students will build competence and confidence with standard data handling/analysis and graphing tools as well as using the internet and other IT resources for further research. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will gain confidence in their ability to evaluate freshwater biological problems through an awareness of their personal skills and objectively assess the quality of proposed solutions. They will also gain experience in techniques used by research scientists, consultancy organizations, NGOs etc. |
| Problem solving | Through all the coursework students will be challenged to identify and solve complex problems-assessed through assessments. |
| Research skills | Students will be expected to produce academically appropriate assignments and comment, evaluate and scrutinize their own data in light of the scientific literature. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Use of field equipment specific to freshwater biology. Taxonomic skills with respect to freshwater organisms. Appreciation of health and safety issues relevant to freshwater fieldwork. |
| Team work | Students will work in small groups. They will be expected to contribute to the planning and organisation of the practical exercises, delegation of tasks within the group, and the execution of techniques relevant to the data collection as well as cooperation of amongst group members during group data preparation. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6