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BIOL4063: BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH PROJECT (T)

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Type	Tied
Level	4
Credits	60
Availability	Available in 2023/24
Module Cap
Location	Durham
Department	Biosciences

Prerequisites

Satisfactory completion of level 3 of the Biology and Physics MSci degree (FGC0).

Corequisites

Workshop MBiol (BIOL4111), Foundations of Physics 4B (PHYS4261) and an additional 20 credits of Physics.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

None

Aims

To carry out a research project in a specific topic on biological and physical sciences.
To present the results of the research project in the form of a project report and an oral presentation.

Content

Supervised project work and self-directed study.
Workshops and tutorials in experimental design, data analysis and presentation techniques.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

In depth knowledge and understanding of a selected topic in biological and physical sciences, to the limits of existing knowledge.
Knowledge of communication of scientific information in both written and oral forms.

Subject-specific Skills:

To be able to carry out an independent research-led piece of work in the area of biological sciences, in which qualities such as time management, problem solving and independence are evident.
To be able to present the results of practical research in a form accessible to an audience of peers, in the form of an oral presentation.

Key Skills:

Literacy, in being able to consult and extract information from printed and on-line archives.
Numeracy, in data analysis, statistics and calculation.
Communication skills, in presenting report and oral presentation.
IT skills, in use of online data bases.
Self-motivation, in self-guided learning, independent work on report and poster.
Time-management, in planning experimental work.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Research Project: an extended piece of research, based on academic research being carried out in the Biophysical Sciences Institute. The student has the opportunity to carry out research in a self-directed manner, based on training in generic areas, and on a framework supplied by the project supervisor. The project is assessed by means of project dissertation, based on the model of an MSc thesis, and an oral presentation.
Workshops and tutorials: large and small group teaching on background generic topics for project

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Duration	Total	Monitored
Project work		16 weeks	560
Tutorials and workshops	8	1 hour	8	Yes
Self-directed learning, project report		2 weeks	32
Total			600

Summative Assessment

Component: Continuous Assessment		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Project Dissertation		90
Oral Presentation		10

Formative Assessment

None.

More information

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