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LSC-10087 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 03 November 2024

LSC-10087 - Core Practical Skills
Coordinator: David Watson Tel: +44 1782 7 33676
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 0
Study Hours: 88
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The development of core practical skills is an essential component of a bioscience degree and therefore this module will enable you to develop laboratory and/or fieldwork skills appropriate to the subject you are studying in the School of Life Sciences in the first year of your course. This module will be delivered through a suite of timetabled laboratory and/or field-based sessions across the year, allowing you to gain hands-on experience in a range of preparative, analytical and observational procedures, as well as in the safe use of equipment and general good laboratory working practices. You will also develop skills in data recording, analysis and interpretation using a laboratory/field notebook and completion of other assigned analysis tasks.
Successful completion of the module will be evidenced through attendance to a minimum of 70% of scheduled practical classes and successful performance in a short practical skills assessment relating to key skills developed across the module. Therefore this module will equip you with appropriate practical skills and competencies for further study in your course.
Additional workshops and tutorials will also support wider academic skills development, as well as career planning and evidencing a wider range of employability skills.

Aims
This module aims to develop core practical skills appropriate to the discipline and level of study, encompassing relevant core laboratory and/or fieldwork skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes

record accurately and appropriately the purpose, methodology, results and analysis/interpretation of outcomes from laboratory and/or field-based investigations in a laboratory/field notebook: 1,2
demonstrate the set-up and safe use of basic items of laboratory and/or field equipment in the preparation and analysis of biological samples/environments, complying to good laboratory working practices: 1,2
complete a range of preparative, analytical and observational procedures appropriate to the discipline, following relevant protocols and standard operating procedures: 1,2

Study hours

65 hours of taught laboratory and/or fieldwork activities
1 hour attending OSPSE assessment
22 hours of academic support and generic skills workshops

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Laboratory Practicals weighted 50%
Practical skills attendance
Students will be required to complete a range of core laboratory and/or fieldwork skills, appropriate to the discipline. This will also include other core skills in data recording, preliminary analysis and maintaining a laboratory notebook, checked at the end of each session. Engagement with a minimum attendance to 70% of sessions will be required for successful completion of this component and is a requirement of programme accreditation.

2: Practice Based Assessment weighted 50%
OSPE style practical assessment (~1 hour)
Students will complete an OSPE style practical assessment demonstrating competence in a range of core practical and analytical skills. Total duration of the assessment activity will be 45 minutes-1 hour spread over a number of activities, opportunities for formative assessment are also provided. Successful completion will be assessed against a detailed rubric for each activity. The OSPE will take place at the end of semester 2 and only students who have successfully met the attendance requirements for passing the module (as a condition of programme accreditation) will be eligible to complete this component.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 03 November 2024