FOUNDATION YEAR FOR BIOSCIENCES - 2020/1

Module Overview

This module provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate the knowledge, comprehension skills, practical skills, and reasoned judgements required to join level 4 study in the Bisociences.  Three strands of knowledge: Chemistry, Biology, and Physiology are taught at level 3, but with an emphasis on transition to the undergraduate style of learning.  Skills development is embedded throughout the strands and encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning.  The module will use a combination of teaching strategies that encompass cross discipline learning, reflection on outcomes, self-guided research, and traditional lecture teaching.  There will be synoptic assessment of the assimilation of knowledge and understanding across the main strands of study in the module. The chemistry and biology strands will be connected by shared topics of importance (i.e. buffers, acids, bases and enzymes).

Module provider

School of Biosciences and Medicine

Module Leader

HATCH Robert (Biosc & Med)

Number of Credits: 120

ECTS Credits: 60

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

The content for this module will build knowledge and understanding around the following areas in an integrated way:

Indicative content includes:

Biology components

• Biological molecules


• Enzymes and energetics


• Biological membranes, transport, & buffers


• Cell structure & signaling


• Cell cycle, Mitosis & Meiosis


• Cellular respiration & photosynthesis


• Cell and tissue adaptation


• DNA, genes, transcription & translation


• Molecular biological techniques


• The tree of life and taxonomy


• Inheritance and genetics (Mendelian, population and disease)


• Evolution, biodiversity and speciation


• Ecology and the environment

Physiology components

• Physiological principles


• Neuroendocrine system


• Gastrointestinal system


• Cardiovascular & pulmonary system


• Renal & hepatic systems


• Skeletomuscular, the immune system and the special senses

Chemistry components

• Atomic structure and notation


• Electron orbitals and bonding


• Amount of substance, moles and molarity


• Acid alkali balance, buffers and indicators


• Bonds and spectrophotometry


• Rate equations and equilibria            


• Periodicity                                          


• Oxidation, reduction and redox


• Organic chemistry (alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, aromatic compounds)     


• Polymers        


• Analytical Techniques

Core transferable skills

• Professionalism, team working


• Reflection, ePortfolio work


• Engagement in feedback


• How to make notes, understanding academic integrity, referencing


• How to perform effective literature searches


• What is the scientific method?           


• How to read a science article


• How to write academically


• Presentation skills; how to communicate clearly (written and oral)


• Arithmetic and numerical computation


• Digital literacy


• Data presentation, analysis and interpretation (including statistics)

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessments for the practical write-ups: guided reading around the relevant theory will be provided along with indicative data for analysis and write-up for summative assessment.

Assessment Strategy

A range of formative and summative assessments will be set throughout the programme.

The module will be assessed using synoptic methods to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate learning across the subjects taught over the two semesters. 

The students will complete a reflective ePortfolio based around specially designed learning events that are developed over the 2 semesters and will demonstrate the imbedding of key experimental and analytical skills. All aspects of the ePortfolio must be completed, to include activities such as:-

experimental design; scientific report writing; abstract/poster presentation; plagiarism task; essay planning; numeracy.

Thus, the summative assessments for this module consists of:

• 10%, Practical series 1 write-up in semester 1 (LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12)

• 10%, Practical series 2 write-up in semester 2 including scientific abstract (LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12)


• 20%, ePortfolio content (LO1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13)


• 20%, Semester 1 multiple choice and short answer question exam -comprising two papers of 90 minutes each- to assess integration and application of subject knowledge to problem solving (LO 1, 5)


• 20%, 3000 word research essay with poster presentation (LO 5, 6, 7, 14)


• 20% Semester 2 multiple choice and short answer question exam -comprising two papers of 90 minutes each- to assess integration and application of subject knowledge to problem solving (LO 1, 5)

Formative assessment

Opportunities for formative assessments will be integrated throughout the programme to support the development of knowledge and understanding, intellectual and cognitive skills and practical skills.  There will be formative assessment with feedback prior to  each piece of summatively assessed course work (feed-forward).

Feedback

Continuous feedback strategies are built into the module to capture the students experiences and development of their:

• Peer and tutor facilitated


• Ability to articulate reflective practice through their writing


• Reflect and discuss learning


• Develop their interpersonal skills


• Encourage engagement and communication skills

Module aims

• Educate in the core biological, chemical, and physiological concepts and core scientific skills such that students are comprehensively prepared to progress on to a biosciences degree programme
• Develop key and transferable skills that will help in the assimilation of knowledge and develop autonomy in learning
• Develop cognitive skills that allow for critical thinking, problem solving and analysis of data and information

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Enhance a student’s learning experience


• Encourage active student engagement


• Integrate innovative approaches to learning and teaching


• Offer high quality educational delivery


• Develop a student’s ability to study independently

During the course a number of learning and teaching methods will be used, including:

• Lectures and interactive seminars


• Flipped learning


• Discussion groups and problem solving classes


• Revision and feedback tutorials


• Independent study and self-directed learning


• Guided group/team work


• Wet laboratory practical sessions (including pre-practical tutorials)


• Dry laboratory practical sessions (including immersive virtual reality and online tasks)


• Experiential learning


• Blended learning


• Reflective learning


• ePortfolio building


• Peer evaluation

18 hours of contact time will be delivered per week during teaching weeks 1-12 per semester (432 total)

An indicative week might involve 6 hours of lectures, 8 hours of active learning (including computer labs), 3 hours practical, and a 1 hour small group tutorial

Both practical series comprise nine 2-3 hour sessions structured around the central themes of 1. biological buffers and enzymes, and 2. whole body physiological systems.  Additional sessions of virtual reality immersive and/or online dry-laboratory tasks are provided.

24 hours per week of independent study across weeks 1-15 per semester (720 total)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS0005

Other information

Additional Costs

Description:         Laboratory safety pack (Laboratory coat,  glasses, book, pen & padlock)

Amount:               £20.00

Included in fees? No

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.