| Unit name | Current Topics in Biology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | BIOL10001 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Whitney |
| 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 |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Biological Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
The twenty first century will be the century of biology. The biological sciences encompass an enormous range of science from, for example, reductionist molecular biology and genomics through to global-wide process and patterns of biotic change. These are all equally valid and important endeavours in understanding the natural world – the biological sciences is capacious, yet coherent. The challenge for the modern biologist is being able to appreciate, and even work, across this range of biology. Successful biologists of the future will be able to bring a wide-ranging, integrative approach to biology. Moreover, many of the scientific developments in the biological sciences have important societal, ethical and moral aspects to them. This means that biology really matters to everyone, not just to biologists. Biology is frequently in the news, often within the headlines. The subjects covered are numerous and often controversial, yet rarely explained in any depth. Within this unit we aim to introduce the current topics in an unbiased manner, introducing all the arguments so that Biological Science students are well informed about these subjects and can access peer-reviewed factual information on which to base their opinions. This will enable the students to participate in conversations on such topics in an informed manner.
How does this fit into your programme of study?
The aim of the unit is to help inform our student of the unbiased background to the current controversies in Biology and give a grounding in the current research from the School to allow them to develop a better appreciation of the scientific approach within Biology. Importantly, the unit also serves for more general development of critical skills and scientific communication skills required by you as a biological scientist, which will provide you with a basis for future study and which are sought after by employers well beyond your biology.
An overview of content
The topics will vary from year to year based on what is timely and getting press attention, but it is likely to include subjects such as the use of animals in research, use of GM crops, relevance of conservation work, synthetic biology, cloning/stem cell research etc. The unit will also showcase new research outputs from the school and broader subject area.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
As your start your lives as biological scientists, this unit will give you an introduction to aspects of biology that are of contemporary importance and that will not necessarily be covered depth during the rest of your undergraduate studies. The unit therefore will broaden your biological horizons, to help make you a better scientist to face this century of biology.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the unit, you should be able to:
You will learn through a combination of teaching activities including lectures, practical workshops, and independent study. Core knowledge, including explanations of underpinning theory, research approaches and supporting evidence will be largely delivered by lectures. Each weekly topic has a separate area in the unit Blackboard, where you can find resources related to the week’s content and information about directed reading, to support your independent learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative tasks from units within Teaching Block 1 will support your understanding of expectations regarding written reports at university level and will prepare you for the summative assessment. Individual feedback and general feedback will be provided. You will receive the feedback from these formative tasks in time to use for your summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
| Weighting | Summative Assessment Information | Intended Learning Outcomes assessed |
| 50% | Written work | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| 50% | Written work | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
When assessment does not go to plan:
Re-assessment of both the written work and exam will be conducted in the re-assessment period. Normally, if the written work is missed, the same assessment task will be set with an alternative question. If the exam is missed, an alternative paper will be set in the reassessment period such that the intended learning outcomes are met.
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. BIOL10001).
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 University 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. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
