| Unit name | Professional Skills in Palaeobiology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASCM0067 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cunningham |
| 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 Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
This unit provides training in a variety of key professional skills for palaeobiologists that are applicable to the research project and transferrable to a variety of settings and future careers. Students will design their research project in conjunction with their supervisor(s) and present a detailed plan for the research.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is for students in on the Palaeobiology MSc programme. It provides training in scientific project design, laboratory skills and safety, academic writing, and scientific graphics. Students will design and plan their research project in this unit before they begin the research phase.
An overview of content
Training will be provided in scientific skills such as laboratory skills and safety, academic writing, and creating scientific graphics. Students will complete a series of short exercises related to this training. Alongside this, students will design their research project with the advice and guidance of their supervisor(s), with whom they will meet regularly during the unit. Students will then develop a plan for their research that will be presented in the form of a grant application.
How will students be different as a result of the unit?
Students will have gained a variety of scientific and transferrable skills and will have designed and developed a detailed plan for their MSc research project.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
You will receive a series of training workshops and will receive feedback on work associated with these. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss the scope and design of the research project.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Students will receive feedback on the pass/fail exercises on different skills that will feed forward to the summative grant application. Students will receive informal feedback on project ideas in regular supervisory meetings and will receive feedback form their supervisor(s) on one plan and one draft of their grant application.
Tasks which contribute towards your unit mark (summative)
Penalties for exceeding the specific word and/or page limit will be applied.
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.
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. EASCM0067).
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.
