| Unit name | Science and Success: Writing, Speaking and Communicating Science |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20017 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
| Unit director | Professor. Memmott |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This unit will teach a range of transferable skills, including scientific writing and presentation skills, along with job application and interview skills. The unit has the short-term aim of preparing you for writing up and presenting your field course report/laboratory workshop report, and your year 3 and year 4 research and literature projects, and the long-term aim of preparing you for job hunting and life after graduation. Writing clearly is a key skill in many careers and while it is relatively easy to recognise good writing, it is rather harder to write well yourself. Similarly, a good spoken presentation is obvious, but it is harder to characterise the factors that make it so good.
During this course you will learn both of these skills and use them to write short reports and give a presentation. Success in science, and elsewhere, is obviously dependent on finding a job in which to succeed. You will apply for real jobs, short-list your peers' applications, and then interview others and be interviewed by peers in realistic role play. All parts of the course will be taught within a biological context. The unit culminates in you writing your Personal Development Plan (PDP). This teaches you the ability to review, plan and take responsibility for your own learning.
Aims: Preparing students for life after graduation through the acquisition of key transferable skills;
All parts of the course will be taught within a biological context. PDPs and CV writing are introduced at level 1; Science and Success will build on and strengthen this existing provision.
On completion of this unit, students will be able to;
1. Write a scientific paper, citing published papers
2. Give clear oral presentations
3. Understand and be able to use key interview skills
4. Produce an evidence-based Personal Development Plan (PDP)
The peer feedback, assessment and marking, as well as formal marking by academic-trained demonstrators are all assessed. The Personal Development Plan (PDP) is not assessed, but it is an essential piece of work that students will be required to complete.
Written and oral communication skills are tested using role play in which students apply for a job and take part in mock interviews.
Each student will use their course feedback to write a Personal Development Plan (PDP).
Exclusively continuous assessment in this unit (i.e. no exam).
Weightings: 40% scientific writing, 30% oral presentation, 30% job applications.
