BIOCHEM 3001 - Cancer, Stem Cells & Development III
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code BIOCHEM 3001 Course Cancer, Stem Cells & Development III Coordinating Unit School of Biological Sciences Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 6 Contact Up to 23 hours per fortnight Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites BIOCHEM 2500 & BIOCHEM 2501 or equivalent Assumed Knowledge BIOCHEM 3000 Assessment Exam on lecture material, practical component Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Dr John Bruning
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Understanding aspects of the molecular basis of cancer. 2 Understanding aspects of stem cells and development. 3 Understanding key experimental processes required to evaluate the molecular basis of cancer, stem cells and development, and knowledge of how to apply them to solve specific biochemical problems. 4 Specific skills in planning, performing, interpreting, quantitatively analysing and communicating biochemical research using a variety of modern experimental techniques. 5 Ability to find, read, interpret and critically analyse relevant scientific literature. 6 Ability to work in teams and communicate scientific outcomes. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1, 2, 3 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
3, 4, 5 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
4, 5, 6 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
5, 6 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
6 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Laboratory coat, safety glasses and closed shoes.Recommended Resources
Text book: Molecular Biology of the Cell (5th Edn) by Alberts et al., 2008, Published by Garland ScienceOnline Learning
Resource material such as lecture, tutorial, practical and past exams will be available on Myuni.Online assessment will be conducted via Myuni. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be delivered by the following means:
3 Lectures of 1 hour each per week by the Academic research staff.
1 Tutorial of 1 hour per week developing material covered in lectures. The lecturer takes the tutorial classes for their section.
1 Practical of 15 hours per fortnight. (Odd weeks = 5 hours & Even weeks = 10 hour
duration) during the first six weeks of the semester.
1 essay topic: 7 regular practical sessions are set aside for students to research and
prepare a specific essay topic.
3 online multiple choice tests of 1 hour duration per semester (weeks 4, 8 and 12, with
immediate feedback provided).
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A student enrolled in a 6 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 24 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).
Learning Activities Summary
Schedule Week 1 Signalling Domains: Structure and Function Lecture Week 2 Signalling Domains: Structure and Function/Cell Signalling Pathways Lecture Week 3 Cell Signalling Pathways Lecture Week 4 Cancer: Cell Cycle and Apoptosis Lecture Week 5 Cancer: Cell Cycle and Apoptosis Lecture Week 6 Cancer: Adhesion/Migration Lecture Week 7 Cancer: Adhesion/Migration Lecture Week 8 Cancer and Metabolism Lecture Week 9 Axis Determination and Positional Information in Embryos Lecture Week 10 Stem Cells Lecture Week 11 Cell Differentiation/Neurogenesis Lecture Week 12 Sex Determination Lecture -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome Written exam on lecture material Summative examination week
65% 1, 2, 3 Practical write up on research project Summative end of week 7 15% 4, 5 Essay research topic Summative end of week 12 15% 4, 5 Online assessment Summative/formative weeks 4, 8 and 12 5% 1, 2, 3 Assessment Related Requirements
Attendance and active participation at all practicals is mandatory.Assessment Detail
End of semester written Exam (65% of total course grade) – 3 hour examination covering the lecture material. It is made up of a mixture of short and long answer type questions.
Practical write up (15% of total course grade). The six week long practical exercise will include experimental work, keeping an up to date laboratory notebook, 1 oral presentation and thesubmission of a final practical report. The oral presentation is 10-15 minutes, cover the research performed in the practical, and performed in small groups in week 6. Students receive feedback throughout the semester on laboratory performance and keeping of laboratory notebooks, immediately after the oral presentation, and on the final report.
Outstanding students may have the option of a laboratory-based research project in place of the practical exercise.Essay write up and presentation (15% of total course grade). Students (working in groups of 6 - 8 with an essay advisor) will be given the opportunity to write an individual essay of approximately 2000 words on a current area of biochemical research and then present their topic, as part of a small group, to the Discipline of Biochemistry academic staff members and the essay advisors. Students receive detailed written feedback on the assessment of their essay.
Online exercises: Three multiple choice tests in weeks 4, 8 and 12 (5% of total course grade). Encourages revision of the material soon after the relevant lectures, and immediate feedback provided to students.Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted,then a penalty for late submission
will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Provision of Feedback to StudentsThe assessor usually provides appropriate feedback of assessment tasks to the student by means ofwritten comments. The student has the opportunity to directly liaise with the assessor to obtain additional feedback and clarification if required.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
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- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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