LSC-40038 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The module aims to give students a comprehensive knowledge of some of the modern techniques being used to advance knowledge in the field of Biomedical Science.
The module starts with a series of tutorial sessions including "Scientific literature, peer review, assessment of quality of evidence", "Critical writing", "Writing reflectively" and "Preparing effective scientific talks".
Next, a series of weekly journal clubs will be held over a period of 4-weeks. At each journal club session, several students will present an oral critique of a research paper relevant to their areas of specialism. By critically evaluating such research they will gain an appreciation of the importance of good experimental design and interpretation of data.
This module is not just about gaining knowledge, it is about developing key skills such as written and oral presentation skills, personal reflection, searching scientific literature, understanding the different types of scientific literature and being able to critically evaluate published research.

The module aims to give students a comprehensive knowledge of some of the modern techniques being used to advance knowledge in the field of Biomedical Science. It will also develop a number of essential key skills, such as critical evaluation, written and oral presentations and reflective analysis. By critically evaluating research publications relevant to their specialist areas, students will explore some of the research questions currently being addressed using these techniques and gain an appreciation of the importance of good experimental design and interpretation of data.

Intended Learning Outcomes

discuss a range of techniques applicable to research and justify how these are used to create and interpret knowledge: 1,2
reflect on their own learning and participation: 3
evaluate complex scientific data: 1,2
critically evaluate current research and show an appreciation of the importance of good experimental design: 1,2

Study hours

Active:
Scheduled Journal Clubs - 12 hours (3 hours x 4 clubs)
Peer assessment activities 8 hours
Tutorials 8 hours narrated material
Seminar attendance 8 hours
Independent:
Tutorial independent study / preparation 18 hours (4 hours per tutorial + 1hr each for intro sessions)
Journal club preparation 4 hours per week = 16 hours
Preparation of journal club presentation 20 hours
Completion of assessment 60 hours

School Rules

Students who have completed either IBMS Specialist portfolio or IBMS Specialist diploma will be exempt from this module. This still stands (2023 - DT)

Description of Module Assessment