CSC8332 : Bio-data science
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Pawel Widera
- Owning School: Computing
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
Recent developments in the biological sciences and medicine resulted in generation of increasing volumes of biological data. This data is typically noisy and complex which poses a challenge to analytical approaches. This research focused module aims to introduce students to key data science concepts whilst providing a practical, hands-on, task driven experience reinforcing the learning through practice.
Outline Of Syllabus
1. Interactive environments for data science
2. Data handling
3. Data integration and workflows
4. Looking into data through statistics
5. Multi-dimensional data visualisation
6. Learning and classification
7. Neural networks and deep learning
8. Discovery and visualisation of clusters
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 8 | 0:15 | 2:00 | Online quizzes |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 8 | 0:30 | 4:00 | Key concepts (pre-recorded) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 8 | 1:30 | 12:00 | Guided practice sessions (in person) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Tutorial feedback session to support coursework. |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 7 | 2:00 | 14:00 | Asynchronous practicals |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | Coursework and report writing |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Support for queries about lecture material or coursework. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 30 | 1:00 | 30:00 | Background reading |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 8 | 0:30 | 4:00 | Revise lecture materials |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This is a very practical subject, therefore all the learning material will be supported by hands-on practical sessions. The guided practice will focus on application of the concepts introduced in the lectures to real biological data, and will equip students with practical skills needed in the individual work on the final report.
Lectures will be used to introduce the learning material and to demonstrate the key concepts by example. Students are expected to re-watch the lectures after each practice session to aid deep learning.
Online discussion on Canvas, drop-in sessions / office hours will be used to enhance learning and provide help with the coursework.
Students aiming for 1st class marks are expected to widen their knowledge beyond the taught material 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | M | 90 | Practical report on selected data handling and analysis tasks. Max 2,000 words. |
| Computer assessment | 2 | M | 10 | Online quizzes. Short questions testing the understanding of key theoretical and practical concepts after each guided practice session. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The report is the main summative assessment that allows students to apply data science techniques and test their practical skills on different datasets. The regular online quizzes test the understanding of key concepts.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CSC8332's Timetable