| Unit name | Biomedical Research, Employability and Enterprise Skills |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PANM20006 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Pullen |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
This unit provides important core competencies for students on the Cellular and Molecular Medicine BSc and MSci programmes, and on the Cells and Molecules Pathway and Molecules and Systems pathway of the Biomedical Sciences BSc, to equip them with the skills they will need to succeed in the third year and their future careers. The unit also ensures that students learn to articulate the skills that they have gained in applications for further study or employment.
How does this fit in with your programme of study?
The skills that you develop in this unit will build on those you gained in Year 1 and help you with your learning within the programme and preparation for your next steps after graduation. Data handling and critical analysis skills are important for lab reports, as well as literature reviews for your third-year project leading to your dissertation. These skills are fundamental in helping you to develop your problem-solving skills, important for your future career.
An overview of content
The unit focuses on research, employability and enterprise skills – and aims to enhance research skills through the development of data handling, interpretation and scientific writing abilities.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
The unit will provide you with an appreciation of how science is conducted ethically and sustainably.
You will gain an understanding of how scientific ideas are funded as research projects with real world impact.
You will be able to recognise and articulate your transferable and discipline specific skills.
During the unit these aims will be achieved through both independent and collaborative work, and will foster written and oral communication skills to both scientific and lay audiences. The capacity for self and peer assessment will be developed during the unit.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this unit, a successful student will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a blend of online and in-person activities, including recorded lectures, workshops, feedback sessions and quizzes.
For some activities, students will be divided into small teams of students. Peer collaboration and feedback will be key to achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Statistics lectures will be followed by opportunities to apply appropriate statistical methods to data sets. In addition, you will have formative MCQ quizzes to support your learning. The production of a grant-proposal as a group will be supported by drop-in sessions for direct feedback on progress of the grant proposal. You will have begun to prepare your CV prior to starting the unit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Coursework:
CV and Cover Letter (25%)
Grant Proposal based on recent research in the School (35%)
Bioinformatics practical (5%)
Introduction to using R (5%)
End of unit exam:
Statistics MCQ exam (30%)
To earn credit for this unit you must normally have made a reasonable attempt at each of the components of the unit assessment. A reasonable attempt requires a student to have undertaken the assessment activity and engaged with its purpose in the academic judgement of the relevant Unit Director, or nominee.
When an assessment does not go to plan
If you are unable to take end of unit exam, you will have the opportunity to take this in the reassessment period.
If you do not pass the unit, the examination board will agree what components they need you to take, and this may be during the summer or in the reassessment period.
If you fail to attend and/or engage with components of a unit, the matter will be referred to the Faculty Board of Examiners. If the Faculty Exam Board decides that your attendance or engagement has not been sufficient to satisfy the unit’s learning outcomes, they may decide that you are unable to progress to the next year of study. If this is the case, you will be required to complete the reassessment work to a satisfactory standard. This may include additional written work (to be completed during the summer) or a requirement to repeat part or all of the unit in a supplementary year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PANM20006).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
