CSC8321 : Computing for Digital Biology
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Pawel Widera
- Owning School: Computing
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
To identify the appropriate manner with which biological data and services may be provided by a variety of different enabling technologies and presented in a cohesive manner to users. The module provides an elementary introduction to some important topics of computer science that are relevant for biological data science and software development. These topics include Computer Architecture, Data Representation and Storage, and Systems Administration.
Outline Of Syllabus
Introduction to Computer Architecture,
Networks and Distributed Computing,
CPU/Memory/HD/Network bound computation,
Data Modelling (including Object-based data representation),
Data Storage (including relational databases, and SQL, and other databases such as RDF),
Data Transfer, Web Services, and DATA sharing (XML, JSon, REST),
Data Standards,
Workflows,
System Administration.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 24:00 | 24:00 | Assessment preparation and completion |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 4 | 6:00 | 24:00 | Lecture follow-up, including time for practical exercises |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 8 | 1:30 | 12:00 | Asynchronous online materials |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Synchronous present-in-person sessions. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Synchronous present-in-person sessions. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 4 | 6:00 | 24:00 | Background reading |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will be used to introduce the learning material and for demonstrating the key concepts by example. Students are expected to prepare for lectures using asynchronous online material and to follow-up lectures within a few days by re-reading and annotating lecture notes to aid deep learning.
Students are expected to spend time on coursework outside timetabled practical classes.
Students aiming for 1st class marks are expected to widen their knowledge beyond the content of lecture notes through background reading.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 100 | A written report demonstrating understanding of the theory and computational technologies behind biological data organization. |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prob solv exercises | 1 | M | A short piece of writing on biological data organisation. Equivalent to 500 words. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Assessment consists of a single piece of academic writing. The written report assesses the student’s understanding of the theory of computational technologies for digital biology, as delivered in the lecture material of the module. A formative writing exercise is provided to help students gauge their performance against teaching expectations.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CSC8321's Timetable