APP BIOL 4060AWT - Honours Applied Biology Project Pt 1

Waite Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

This research project is selected at the start of the Honours year following consultation with the Honours Coordinator and depends on availability of research supervisors in any particular year.

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Course Details

Course Code	APP BIOL 4060AWT
Course	Honours Applied Biology Project Pt 1
Coordinating Unit	School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	Waite Campus
Contact	By Supervision
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Restrictions	Available only to students admitted to the relevant Honours program
Assessment	Thesis, Thesis Defence, Seminar & Supervisor assessment

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Richard Muhlack

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students
should be able to:

1	Demonstrate an original and critical approach in the assimilation of the current state of knowledge in a particular area of research related to Applied Biology.
2	Identify current gaps in our understanding and the future areas for experimental investigation in a particular area of research related to Applied Biology.
3	Demonstrate mastery of the basic techniques required for the experimental study of a research question related to Applied Biology.
4	Develop a rigorous and methodical approach to the maintenance of laboratory records and the collection, storage and analysis of experimental data.
5	Identify and evaluate a problem and define the important elements required for its solution (appreciating the risks and benefits of alternate approaches).
6	Communicate scientific information clearly and concisely in written and spoken English.

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)	1-5
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	1,2,5,6
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	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	1-6
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	1-6
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	1-6

Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes

The Honours Research Project provides students professional training in a chosen area of specialisation and experience in scientific research. Students will learn new research techniques and broaden their skill base.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 18 unit, full year course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 36 hours per week on the studies required.

Learning Activities Summary
Workshops are provided during this course to support students towards course assessment and learning outcomes. Example workshop topics include:
- Communication skills & academic writing
- Statistics and data analysis

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
Research Plan Seminar	Formative	August	0%	1,2,6
Final Seminar	Formative and Summative	June	15%	4-6
Thesis	Summative	May	70%	1-6
Thesis Defence	Summative	June	10%	1-6
Supervisor Mark	Formative & Summative	June	5%	1-6

Assessment Detail

Research Plan Seminar (0%)

Students will give 10-12 minute individual presentations providing insight into the research question that is the focus of their Honours year. This will include coverage of the background information underlying this question, clear aims or hypotheses, the experimental design and a description of the methods to be employed. Students should endeavour to address current controversies in their area, and to give the audience some insight into the main schools of thought, as presented in the literature. 15 minutes are allocated for the first seminar, comprising of a 10-12 minute talk and 3-5 minutes for questions. Although no formal mark is recorded, presentations will be evaluated and feedback given to students .

Final Seminar (15%)

Students will give 20 minute individual presentations presenting the results of their research project, to indicate how their work has contributed to a greater understanding of their research area. Presentations should cover the background and aims of the project, experimental design and techniques, the analysis, presentation and interpretation of results, and the discussion and summary of key findings. Presentation skills also form a component of the assessment.

Thesis (70%)

Students will prepare a maximum 5000 word thesis in the form of a manuscript to be submitted to a scientific journal and comprising the background and aims of the project, experimental design and techniques, the analysis, presentation and interpretation of results, and the discussion and summary of key findings. Communication skills and the ability to analyse and interpret experimental data will be assessed.

Thesis Defence (10%)
The thesis defence will follow directly after your final seminar presentation and take approximately 20-30 minutes. Your examiners and the honours coordinators will ask you questions to explore your understanding of the project. The questions that can be asked are wide and varying, and are likely to include your understanding of key background literature, the techniques you used, how you interpreted your results, strengths and weaknesses of your work and what future research should be done in the area.

Supervisor Mark (5%)

Students’ laboratory and/or field skills will be assessed by their supervisor(s) and a grade awarded based on each student’s understanding of their subject area, skills in scientific research and degree of initiative and originality.

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:

NOG (No Grade Associated)
Grade	Description
CN	Continuing

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.

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.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator