Semester 3: Developing Scientific Literacy Skills
A. Reading scientific papers
In Semester 3 you will concentrate on reading primary research literature. You will be referring to original articles (papers) in scientific journals rather than textbooks when you carry out your Dissertation in Semester 4. In addition, your lecture units will be increasingly referring you to original papers as you progress on your course. Although scientific papers are normally set out in a logical and fairly standard format, first encounters with the literature can be daunting, particularly if the terminology is unfamiliar to you. Research papers that relate to your degree programme will be selected by your Academic Tutor.
To aid in developing your scientific literacy skills, you are required to attend plenary sessions (see further details below) on:
(i) Assessment Literacy
(ii) Communicating Science and Introduction to Dissertation
You will be asked by your Academic Tutor to write an abstract for a research paper and carry out a GBL session based on a research paper. These exercises should give you a chance to think about and discuss the principles of experimental design. The Writing and Referencing Skills module (BIOL10742) you completed in year 1 should help you to move from reading and understanding primary scientific literature, to writing your own.
B. Group Based Learning (GBL) session
In Semester 3 you will carry out a GBL session based on a research paper related to your degree programme. The GBL sessions will be organised according to Appendix 2, but will usually cover the research paper you used for abstract writing. You will be required to give a group presentation on the research paper in the final GBL session. The presentation should be a seamless, unified delivery of the research paper, presented cohesively by all members of your group.
C. Experimental Design Module (EDM) write-up
In the first semester of the second year, all students are required to write a report on one of the EDM practicals. This report contributes 20% of the final EDM unit mark. The practical to be written-up has been chosen by your Programme Director or your Academic Tutor. This report should be written in the style of a short research paper. Your Academic Tutor will briefly discuss the report and marking criteria with you in tutorials. Further instructions for the format of this report, submission deadline, and marking criteria are available on the EDM unit blackboard sites (BIOL21041/21051/21061).
D. Exam preparation
At the end of Semester 3 your exams will be mostly short answer and/or essay based. To gain experience in this type of examination you will be asked by your Academic Tutor to review one or more topics related to your lecture units. You will then be given a question, or questions, from which you will have to write an essay or short answers under exam conditions during a tutorial session. You Academic Tutor will mark this work and provide you with feedback that should be helpful in your preparation for January exams.