Unit information: Laboratory and Digital Independent Project in 2025/26

Unit name	Laboratory and Digital Independent Project
Unit code	EASC30090
Credit points	40
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Sam Wimpenny
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	Geospatial Data Analysis Geophysical Surveying and Remote Sensing (for geophysical or remote sensing projects) Field and Lab Skills for the Environment (for environmental projects involving lab work)
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	Independent Field Mapping Independent Project (Geophysical Site Survey) Independent Project (Spring-fed Streams)
School/department	School of Earth Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

Collecting and analysing complex and multidimensional datasets is a key role for Earth Scientists in our digital world. Increasingly, Earth Scientists undertake research projects entirely remote from the region or specimens they are studying, which comes with unique methodological and ethical challenges. In this capstone unit, you will plan, prepare for and execute a data analysis project that combines digital and/or laboratory datasets (e.g. satellite data, geophysical data, environmental monitoring data), alongside physical specimens or laboratory analyses, to address a key question in Earth Sciences.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

The Independent Digital Project unit utilises the knowledge of geological and environmental processes developed during Year 1, and the skills in geospatial data analyses and remote sensing developed in Year 2, to conduct a digital data collection and analysis that addresses a key Earth Science problem. Through the project you will further develop skills in literature synthesis, geospatial data analytics, GIS, data modelling, laboratory analyses, scientific writing and ethics. You will create a professional scientific report that describes your findings.

Your learning on this unit

Content overview

As part of this unit you will design and undertake an independent data collection and analysis project that addresses an authentic research question in Earth Science. Projects may involve analysing remote-sensing data, environmental data, geophysical data, handling large geochemical or petrological datasets, creating maps, and studying physical specimens and samples. The project will be conducted independently under the guidance of a project supervisor, with each student developing their own hypothesis and using relevant datasets to test them.

How will students be different as a result of the unit

The independent nature of the unit will build your confidence and competence as a scientist. You will be able to critically evaluate the ability of different datasets to address research questions and become confident in manipulating and processing digital data. You will gain experience of seeing through a research project, from conception to completion, and gain experience as a researcher.

Learning outcomes

1. Be able to design, undertake and write-up an authentic scientific research project
2. Build confidence working independently to address scientific questions
3. Become critically reflective of your own knowledge and practice

How you will learn

You will learn through an inquiry-based approach in which you investigate an Earth Science problem by collecting and analysing digital datasets and physical specimens. These ways of learning are intended on testing your ability to independently analyse and make sense of complex datasets, and demonstrate how they can be used to test a set of hypotheses.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

1. You will undertake 1 week of skills workshops at the start of TB1 that cover project design, literature review, data analysis skills, GIS skills and report writing to prepare you for your project. You will receive in-class feedback from the workshop demonstrators.
2. After your data collection period, you will have small group meetings with your supervisor to discuss your findings and analyses, and to troubleshoot any problems/questions you have.
3. You will receive formative feedback on a draft introduction and methodology section of your report.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

Your summative assessment will include:

1. A 7500-word professional report that outlines your project’s backgrounds and aims, the hypotheses that you aim to test, the methodology you have used, the observations you have collected, and a discussion of what these observations mean for your hypotheses that you originally posed. [60%]
2. A scientific poster that visually demonstrates the results of your project. [15%]
3. Your lab notebook and a viva, which will be used to assess how well your record of data collection leads to the analyses and conclusions you have drawn in your report. [25%]
4. A risk assessment [pass/fail]

When assessment does not go to plan

The University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.

There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.

Resources

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. EASC30090).

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.