Awards
Target Award
Accreditation
Programme Offerings
Full-Time
Sandwich Year Out
Educational Aims of the Course
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The acquisition of knowledge is fostered through a range of taught sessions, these include: lectures, practical laboratory classes, and fieldtrips. Understanding of taught material is facilitated through tutorials, problem-based learning sessions, workshops, seminars, group work and independent study. Knowledge and understanding are assessed in a variety of ways. These include: online tests, examinations, laboratory and field reports, essays, and seminars, including problem-based learning sessions, case-studies, and poster presentations. Biology-related skills are developed in many areas of the programme. For example, the ability to synthesise and analyse information critically is developed in laboratory and field sessions from Level 4 to 6, including in the Practical Skills for Biology and the Research Project modules. Applying subject knowledge and understanding to address unfamiliar problems is developed in workshops in many modules, especially in modules that utilise interpretative examination questions. Moral and ethical issues are a key part of modern biology and developed in many taught and practical sessions. Laboratory and field reports, scientific communication, essays and examinations allow students to demonstrate the full range of these skills and attributes. Practical and professional skills are taught during laboratory classes and fieldtrips. Core principles and minimum standards of practical work are introduced at Level 4, developed at Level 5, and at Level 6 the students apply these skills during their independent Research Project. If the student has chosen the Work-Based Learning for Credit module (WBL) then these practical skills will be developed in an applied work setting. These practical and professional skills are assessed through laboratory and field reports, including the Research Project report. Transferable and key skills are inherent within the programme, but specifically they are taught in core modules at all Levels (Practical Skills for Biology and Fundamentals of Scientific Research at Level 4; Research Skills & Employability at Level 5; Research Project at Level 6). These transferable and key skills are assessed through coursework at all levels, in all modules.