CSC8333 : Research Skills and group project for digital biology
- Offered for Year: 2023/24
- Module Leader(s): Dr Katherine James
- Lecturer: Dr Pawel Widera
- Other Staff: Dr Emanuela Torelli
- Owning School: Computing
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
In this module you will learn the skills necessary to propose and carry out research in biological data synthesis and analysis. A team project in the preparation of a research proposal will introduce you to issues around working as a team and your individual project proposal will form the starting point for your main research project. A series of online lectures will be given by researchers from different fields covering different key skills.
The aim is to build up research and key skills involving literature searching skills, project planning, presentation skills, communication, time management, team working and management.
Outline Of Syllabus
Key Literature
Searching skills
Research Skills
Ethical, legal and social implications of computational biology
Production of a research project plan
Experimental design
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | PiP lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 2 | 0:30 | 1:00 | Presentation Team based: Research proposal 1 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 34 | 1:00 | 34:00 | Work on individual project proposal – coursework 2 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 6 | 0:30 | 3:00 | Presentation Individual: Research proposal 2 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | Work on group project proposal – coursework1 |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Student led group meetings between members of the student teams |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | PiP tutorials to support group project |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 16 | 1:00 | 16:00 | lecture follow up |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 12 | 1:00 | 12:00 | 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 follow-up lectures within a few days by re-reading and annotating lecture notes to aid deep learning.
Online tutorials will be held to support the group project.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | 80 | Coursework Individual - Summative assessment: Individual research plan - video presentation. |
| Research proposal | 1 | M | 20 | Group research proposal - submit as slides |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The group research proposal coursework, will train the students in team working and provide practical experience in research skills. The production of an individual research plan, summative assessment, will be a major component of the assessment for this module. This will test the students’ ability to plan their research, choose the research methods, and discuss project timeline. The presentation format will additionally assess the students’ ability to effectively communicate.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CSC8333's Timetable