BSc Biology with Industrial/Professional Experience / Course details

Year of entry: 2023

Course unit details:
Academic Tutorials Year 2

Course unit fact file
Unit code BIOL20000
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Full year
Offered by School of Biological Sciences
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

You will have a mixture of small group tutorials with your Academic Tutor and plenary sessions as part of a larger group. Plenary sessions will provide support with academic communication and allow you to develop transferable skills that increase your employability. Tutorials with your Academic Tutor will also develop your transferable skills and skills associated with your degree programme. Through activities such as essay writing and oral presentations, you will be helped to gain an overview of your subject area, and consolidate and integrate knowledge gained in your lectures.

 

Aims

To provide all students with the skills associated with their degree programme subject and to develop personal transferable skills that will prove of general use and enhance employability.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

• Develop and apply degree programme-specific knowledge.

• Develop and apply degree programme-specific skills.

• Extend knowledge of the degree subject and help to put the information received in lectures and practicals into perspective.

• Develop new and improve existing transferable skills.

• Describe the relationship between assessment and learning.

• Apply a conceptual (and theoretical) understanding of assessment.

• Describe the nature and meaning of assessment criteria and understanding.

• Select and apply appropriate approaches to assessment tasks.

• Search for information and identify relevant data to meet information needs.

• Identify relevant information to communicate science to specific audiences.

• Develop scientific writing skills

Syllabus

 

The unit will normally include at least 12 hours contact with the Tutor (for further details see the second level tutorial handbook). Some tutorials will be delivered to larger groups of students as plenary sessions. Some sessions may be student-led, and held without the presence of the Tutor. The content will vary between Degree Programmes but may include: abstract writing, essay writing, teamwork, problem solving, group based learning, oral presentations, reading and analysing primary research papers, lab report writing, exam question practice, careers advice.

 

Attendance

Attendance at tutorial and plenary sessions is compulsory. Students who fail to attend tutorials or plenaries, or who have a mean mark for their tutorial assignments of less than 40% will fail the tutorial unit. Compensation for partial failure of the examinations is available only to students who have passed the tutorial unit. In addition, students who fail the tutorial unit are required to complete an extended essay assignment during the summer vacation.

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Students participate in problem solving exercises.
Group/team working
Students complete some assignments as groups and do peer assessments of work.
Innovation/creativity
Students explore ethical topics allowing for the development of new ideas.
Leadership
Students must manage sessions without their Tutor to ensure work is completed.
Project management
Students must manage assignments that may include multiple components and ensure completion to deadline.
Oral communication
Students give a presentation and regularly have in-class discussions.
Problem solving
Students participate in problem solving exercises.
Research
Students must research topics for essays.
Written communication
Students prepare multiple pieces of written work.
Other
Students must organise their time and learn to prioritise tasks in order to meet deadlines.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods may vary slightly between degree problems but will include: written assignments; oral assessment/presentation; set exercise - data handling problem.; other.

 

Feedback methods

Students will receive written and verbal feedback from their Academic Tutor for all work submitted for the tutorial unit. Students are also encouraged to meet with their Academic Tutor to discuss their feedback in more detail.

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Tutorials 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 80

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Catherine Millar Unit coordinator

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