Unit information: Concepts and Skills in 2022/23

Unit name	Concepts and Skills
Unit code	PHPH30007
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Ben Chant
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	PHPH30005
School/department	School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Unit Information

This unit aims to provide training in core skills and techniques that are vital to effectively, read, interpret and criticise the scientific literature, as well as to analyse and communicate scientific findings. It includes: statistics; data quantitation; limits of scientific understanding; critical reading of research literature; scientific writing and presentation; public engagement with science; ethics of animal and human experimentation.

Your learning on this unit

By the end of this unit, student will be able to demonstrate:

• Application of common statistical and analytical methods relevant to biomedical science
• A critical approach to reading scientific publications
• An understanding of how to communicate science to a variety of audiences

How you will learn

Lectures, workshops and online tutorial exercises on statistics

How you will be assessed

The unit will be assessed through:

• Exam in January (50%), consisting of multiple choice questions based both on the students statistical understanding and prior statistical analysis of a range of datasets. This assesses statistical understanding and is preceded by a formative assessment, using the same format.
• Coursework (50%) demonstrating critical reading of research papers and concise communication of key points. Assessed skills will include insight into research methodology and issues to be considered when interpreting reported experimental results. The assesssments will comprise of New Scientist/News and Views-style article (30%) and graphical abstract (20%)

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHPH30007).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.