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Curricular information is subject to change
On sucessful completion of this module, students should have improved their skills in
(1) analysis and appraisal of scientific research work
(2) planning and managing a project
(3) communicating scientific ideas, both verbal and written
(4) understanding the ethics relating to ownership of ideas and discoveries and how to correctly acknowledge scientific work
(5) becoming an independent learner
(6) understanding the value and impact of scientific research on society
(7) working as part of a team.
Week 1
Monday or Wednesday – 1pm: Introduction to the philosophy and structure of the module.
Friday – 9am: Introduction to career development and issues around group work. You must be mindful of your career development throughout your studies in UCD and this lecture will raise that awareness and give you some useful guidance.
Week 2
Monday or Wednesday – 1pm: Preparing to engage in the module – this lecture will cover in more detail some of the key tasks that you will be required to undertake. It will cover how to learn, making observations, report structure, referencing sources of information & making presentations.
Friday – 9am: Using the library for success in SCI10010. This is a very important lecture as it will show you how to effectively use library resources to source information for the project (described below) that is the key task in this module.
Tutorials
Students are assigned to a tutorial group with 5-6 members within one of 5 subject areas (biology, physics, chemistry, maths, geology). A tutor (scientist) will be in charge of each group and tutorials will begin in Week 3. The purpose of the tutorials is to engage you in scientific discussions and guide you through a number of assignments as follows:
• Prepare a summary of a scientific paper (submit by Week 6)
• Undertake group project research
• Prepare project report (submit Week 12)
• Make presentation on the project (Week 11)
• Prepare 2 Learning & Reflective Journal entries
| Student Effort Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 4 |
| Small Group | 70 |
| Tutorial | 12 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 30 |
| Total | 116 |
Not applicable to this module.
| Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Project: Group Project Report | Week 12 | n/a | Graded | No | 40 |
| Assignment: Individual Research Paper Summary | Week 5 | n/a | Graded | No | 15 |
| Presentation: Group Presentation | Week 12 | n/a | Graded | No | 20 |
| Attendance: Engagement and Participation | Throughout the Trimester | n/a | Graded | No | 25 |
| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
|---|---|
| Spring | No |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
Feedback will be provided on the individual continuous assessment components within 20 days of their submission. The module is tutorial-based and your tutor will provide written and/or oral feedback on your individual research paper summary and reflective journals and initial feedback on drafts of your group presentation and report prior to presentation/submission. Feedback on final presentations and group reports will be available within 20 days of presentation/submission. If engagement in tutorials and group work is unsatisfactory during the semester, you will be advised by your tutor. Grades for engagement will be recorded by your tutor and oral feedback will be available. There will also be a peer review process to establish the level of contribution of different individuals in each group to the the group's activities.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ms Edel Caraway | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |