BIO3037 : Current Zoology
- Offered for Year: 2020/21
- Module Leader(s): Dr Pete Robertson
- Lecturer: Dr Amy Miller, Professor John Bythell, Dr Matthew Leach
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
Students will be familiarised with research in contemporary Zoology. They will use skills and knowledge they obtained during the degree programme in order to work with 3 lecturers on specific themes in contemporary Zoology. Students will be able to work independently on a research question using contemporary research literature and be able to deliver a scientific presentation on the specific research questions. Furthermore, students will be familiarised with animal welfare and ethics including legal and moral aspects of human use of animals, for example in research and agriculture.
Outline Of Syllabus
Taught sessions:
An introductory lecture will inform students about the work they will do in this module, and one or two lectures will inform students about issues of animal welfare and use of animals in research.
Other sessions will be centred on three theme areas, relevant to contemporary research in Zoology and to the interests of teachers of the Zoology degree.
Examples of the theme areas are: Animals and Humans (including animal welfare); Animals in the News (including media reports of Zoological research); and Animals and their Environment (including the ways animals adapt to the built human environment).
A different teacher is responsible for each theme, and each theme will have 4 timetabled sessions.
In the first, the teacher will introduce the theme, and identify four different topics within it that will be the basis of student presentations. The class will then be divided into four groups.
In the second and third sessions, each group will meet to plan and prepare their PowerPoint presentation. The teacher will circulate between the groups to advise and to check progress.
In the final session, the groups will each present their presentation.
Teaching Methods
Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | Four topic based lectures to be viewed asynchronously on-line |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 3 | 17:00 | 51:00 | Background reading and research assocaited with the three themes |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Written assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Complete written assessment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | PiP - Three two hour workshops for student presentations |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | PiP - Three scheduled sessions to help prepare for student presentations |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Module welcome and overview |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
An introductory lecture will inform students about the work they are expected to do during the module.
Lectures will provide information about animal welfare and research on animals.
Active learning experiences will be provided in each of the three areas, in which students work in groups with each one contributing by undertaking background reading, and then tasks in preparing and delivering a presentation.
Assessment Methods
Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | 60 | Summative presentation session; partly peer assessed. |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 40 | Students given a list of questions. One week to complete answers. |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 2 | M | Two formative presentation session, partly peer assessed. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Knowledge will be assessed in the exam.
Contribution to group work will be assessed as part of the professional skill assessments; partly by peers and partly by module teachers.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- BIO3037's Timetable