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Becoming a Bioscientist: Experimental Design & Communication - BIO00065I

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  • Department: Biology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Rachel Hope
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

This module will build on skills developed in the earlier “Becoming a Bioscientist” modules, focusing on key skills in investigation and communication in the biosciences. It provides opportunities for students to design and undertake experiments in discipline specific contexts, and will build related/applicable data handling skills allowing for evaluation of their findings. This module will enable students to build their experience of working in teams and communicating science creatively/appropriately to a variety of audiences.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

The aim of the module is to gain experience in experimental design, focusing on how to develop a testable hypothesis and an appropriate research programme to investigate the question, informed by examining/examination of relevant scientific literature. Students will evaluate and interpret their findings by building on data handling skills and statistical approaches from earlier “Becoming a Bioscientist” modules. This module will equip students with the skills and confidence to complete independent research projects in Stage 3 and 4. Working in teams, students will also learn how to communicate science in a variety of ways to a variety/range of audiences, and in doing so will continue to build on their personal development and graduate employability skills.

Module learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

Work with others to design and conduct short research project to investigate a biological problem with testable hypotheses

Use relevant techniques to address a research question.

Select statistical models and use R to develop and run reproducible analyses on data in a variety of formats, and present the results graphically

Design and use appropriate media to communicate research to a range of audiences

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Poster		 N/A 60
Essay/coursework
RStudio Project		 N/A 20
Groupwork
Group Presentation		 N/A 20

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Poster		 N/A 60
Essay/coursework
RStudio Project		 N/A 20
Groupwork
Group Presentation		 N/A 20

Module feedback

Marks for all summative assessments will be made available to you and your supervisor via e:vision. Feedback will be either individual or cohort-level, depending on the assessment format. You should take the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with your supervisor.

For exam-style summative assessment, model answers will be provided for all questions along with cohort-level feedback indicating how students answered questions in general. Marks achieved per question will be added to your script.

For coursework assessments (eg. reports or essays) you will receive individual feedback on your work. This will usually be in the form of a feedback sheet that will include suggestions for further improvement.

During the teaching of the module you will receive formative feedback that may be at a whole class or individual level. Such feedback may include: model answers and discussion of workshop questions, summaries of performance in practicals, VLE-based quizzes, individual spoken comments during workshops, individual written comments on formative work.

Indicative reading

These are available through the VLE module site.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.