MEarthSci Earth and Planetary Sciences with Industrial Experience / Course details

The practical and field based skills elements within this unit are delivered by a practical day each week; this will allow you to participate in one day field courses with up to 6 locations planned that are easily accessible from Manchester such as the university’s own world leading planetarium and arboretum at Jodrell Bank, the wonderful Peak District and the coastal environments of the Wirral peninsula. On campus the practical day will be split into a morning and an afternoon class with each lasting up to 3 hours. In semester two, students will attend a one week residential field course where you will be able to apply the skills learned in the labs to complex real world environments.

You will develop fundamental academic and professional skills as natural scientists through individual, small group and large group exercises. You will develop the digital capabilities and the professional and transferable skills that are expected in the modern workplace, including the critical use of digital technology and the creative development and production of material to communicate your findings to an audience.

The assessment of this unit will be by a practical test at the end of each semester, the completion of two pieces of coursework set by your academic tutor and the completion of a skills workbook.

The aims of this unit are to provide hands-on training for the essential practical and field skills necessary for students of natural sciences, focusing particularly on geological, biological, and environmental data that are collected and analysed in laboratory and real world settings and to introduce the transferable and professional skills that are required in the modern world of work

Practical classes:

Each class will last between 2 -3 hours in duration. They are hands on and involve the identification and description of samples from both biological and geological examples. The safe use of laboratory procedures and the use of analytical equipment will be taught and developed. Observations, techniques, methods and results are kept in a lab book (either paper of electronic) and this can be taken into the end of semester exams. There will always be lots of help available in the classes from both staff and teaching assistants – asking questions and becoming involved in discussions is actively encouraged. This will facilitate oral feedback in regard to the skills being practised in class. Written feedback is given through the Blackboard site each week. Online guides are provided on Blackboard e.g.properties of minerals.

One day field trips:

The field classes are related to the skills that have been learnt in the previous weeks and allow the students to practise these techniques in real world situations. The field days also allow the students to experience the conditions of working outside and allow them to refine what field equipment they need, including appropriate clothing and footwear for the safe completion of field activities. Guidance on these matters is given by the leaders of the trips. Information on the area and the field activities are posted on Blackboard before the trip so students can prepare.

Professional Skills Classes:

These classes which last up to two hours are delivered in the form of workshops led by the appropriate professional service within the university. These can include the My Learning Essentials team, the Counselling Service and the Careers Service. The students are expected to complete a self-reflected electronic workbook where they must provide evidence for the completion of various activities relating to professional development e.g. time spent volunteering. Individual on-line feedback on their workbooks is provided each semester and face to face help sessions in completing the workbook are given. Guidance on specific on line resources the students can access is provided.

Tutorials:

Small group (up to 6 students in a group) tutorials are held in both semesters to help the students to learn and then refine their knowledge of academic forms of communication. The tutors will work with their tutees to develop their ability to defend a position on a subject to be identified by the tutors and the students together. The ILOs are tested by the completion of two pieces of coursework.