Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Subject-specific journalistic article (800 words) | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Written essay on selected hot topic (Up to 2000 words). | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Group presentation based around one of key subjects (two, following a formative exercise). (20 minutes) | 20% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Written essay (2000 words) Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to failure of the module. | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Subject-specific journalistic article based around one of key subjects. (800 words) | 30% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Group presentation based around one of key subjects (20 mintues) | 20% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Describe and discuss a wide range of approaches and technologies available in the biosciences to provide solutions to globally important problems and issues from the past, present and into future.
2. Position his / her particular subject area within and between others, considering stakeholders, individual priorities, research effort and communication.
3. Use the generic framework provided to enrich knowledge within his/her own subject area.
4. Confidently describe and communicate his / her own subject area against the broad bioscience background provided (via written and oral approaches in scientific and journalistic styles).
Brief description
This module provides both generic and bespoke elements of teaching in the biosciences. Through its structure we highlight the integration of topics and research approaches. It also provides insight into how different researchers and practitioners and users of the information (stakeholders) communicate, view and position themselves around a particular topic.Students learn a breadth of topics but also specialize on their own topic. At the same time, they learn how to: write summaries from seminars; construct journalistic articles, deliver a hot topic problem-centered essay; integrate their collective subject-specific research into a conference presentation. The module culminates in group presentations delivered to all module participants and open to IBERS staff.
Content
We provide a comprehensive overview of selected major themes and topics in the biosciences. Students will be expected to attend all Departmental Research Seminars in Semester 1 providing them with a thorough insight into globally important problems and issues from the past, present and into future. Speakers describe and discuss approaches and technologies used to provide solutions to advance their particular area of research. These seminars will provide a broad bioscience research platform beyond the students' individual area of interest.
In tandem with the generic core provision, students are divided according to interest subjects (e.g. Marine and Freshwater; Biodiversity and Conservation; BioEnergy and Sustainability; Food and Health, Future Agriculture etc.) and engage in specialization via workshops. Here they target specialisation, integration within groups and communication to other groups (via discussion, oral presentations, lecture summary writing, construction of a hot topic essay and journalistic writing).
The module culminates in a multi-disciplinary conference involving presentations by students during week 11 of Semester 1. All students from all subjects will attend the conference where group seminars will be assessed.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | Professional level delivery of a research seminar. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | |
| Information Technology | |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Real world focuson problems and solutions. Response to feedback from various assessment. |
| Problem solving | Their aimisto move theirsubject forward by considering other subjects, providing solutions for the problems they identify. |
| Research skills | Critical review of recent peer-review publications and data based around their topic will be required for completion of assessments. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Subject specific research in own selected area of interest. |
| Team work | Assessed group work. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7