| Unit name | Quantitative Methods in Biology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL20001 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
| Unit director | Dr. Barker |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. This unit is normally only available to students taking degree programmes in Biological Sciences |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Aim
Asking the right questions in the right way and being able to analyse the results of experiments are both very important skills in biology. The aim of this unit is to teach these skills.
Description
The unit will provide students with a basic understanding of experimental design and statistical analysis. The former will address issues such as sample size, replication and blocking. The latter will include t-tests, correlation, regression, analyses of variance and non-parametric methods. Lectures will be interspersed with numerous worked examples using data from real biological systems. Practical classes will involve the use of the computer software package SPSS to visualize data and to carry out simple statistical analyses.
You will be able to design appropriate experimental or observational studies, to decide which of a range of statistical tests to apply, and to use computer software packages to carry out simple statistical analysis (t-tests, correlation, regression, univariate ANOVA, basic non-parametric methods).
Attendance at practicals and completion of specified practical reports is mandatory.
Marked practical exercises (40%); end of Session exam (60%).
Students will receive immediate automated feedback from each of the five post lab tests (note that the marks are used for feedback only and not assessment). They will also receive marks and written feedback on their graded practical exercises.
Recommended:
Dytham, Calvin. Choosing and Using Statistics: a Biologist’s Guide. Third Edition.
