LSC-30038 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

This module provides you with an opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of research whilst on a placement. You will get a taste of what it is like to work, often independently, in a real research/industrial environment. You will be under the supervision of a member of academic staff from the School of Life Sciences and a host placement supervisor. The topics are generally set by the supervisors but they can be designed within limits to reflect your interests. Doing a placement project will allow you to expand your technical and generic expertise and to apply that expertise to a research question. A varied list of topics reflects the diversity of research interests within the host placement partners and at Keele.
You will spend at least 6 months on placement between the second and final year of study.

To provide students with the experience of working safely in a research environment while on placement, enhance their evidence-based approach to solving problems and further develop both their analytical skills in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating scientific problems and ability to independently gather and analyse experimental data. Students will also present their work at a Keele-based student conference orally, either as a talk or as a poster.

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically appraise scientific literature: 2,3
plan and execute a hypothesis-driven experiment or survey with full appreciation of relevant ethical issues: 2,3
demonstrate technical competence in a range of experimental or observational techniques as appropriate to the project: 1,2,3
identify risks and hazards and apply fundamental principles of health and safety legislation in the work place: 1,2,3
analyse, evaluate and discuss the results of an experimental or observational study and present it in an appropriate format: 2,3
produce a substantial, scientific report that critically appraises the research hypothesis and presents an evidence based argument: 2,3
conduct themselves in the research environment in a manner becoming of a professional bioscientist (note taking, record-keeping, time-keeping etc.): 1,3
identify potential ethical dilemmas and develop appropriate justification for scientific pursuit within an appropriate framework: 1,3
summarise the background, methods, results and conclusions of research undertaken in an oral presentation: 3
identify risks and hazards and apply fundamental principles of health and safety legislation to devise appropriate risk assessments: 1,3
analyse, evaluate and discuss the results of an experimental or observational study and present it in an appropriate format: 2,3
produce a substantial, scientific report that critically appraises the research hypothesis and presents an evidence-based argument: 2,3

Study hours

300 hours, comprising:
20 hours: meetings with Keele supervisor
120 hours: literature survey
80 hours: data analysis
80 hours: report and talk preparation

School Rules

Students must have completed 6-month industrial placement.
Cannot be taken in combination with single Life Sciences placement (LSC-30019), single Life Sciences experimental ISP (LSC-30048) or double Life Sciences experimental ISP (LSC-30045).

Description of Module Assessment