EXPLORING BIOSCIENCES - SKILLS FOR SUCCESS - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module aims to begin the students on a journey to facilitate the communication and passion for their subject, enabling them to develop and refine communication skills for further study.
The students are guided through the development of key employability skills such as literature querying, critical reading and referencing, towards the discovery of a range of highly of high profile topic for their own research. Working in groups, students choose a topic which constitute the focus of their assessment, and learn to leverage on team work and personal resilience. Through the production of a group presentation and an individual summary, students develop important competences in the science communication field which strengthen their employability and academic proficiency.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

LYMPANY Penny (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: - develop students confidence and competence in working with others, leadership, employability, professionalism and communication skills - encourage the students to share and discuss their opinions and research they have prepared, as well as listen to and discuss other's views - teach students how to perform a literature search and identify reliable sources and assess them critically - introduce the concept of employability and transferable skills

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Short essay and Online test will remain - but dates could be flexible according to circumstances. Group presentation - this will be recorded by the students. Alternatively if a student is unable to attend, then an additional short essay to outline the presentation will be substituted. 

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate: Understanding of the principles of academic integrity; Accurate and engaging reporting of a bioscience subject in the form of a scientific abstract suitable for peers with basic science background; Accuracy and creativity in the communication of topical issues in bioscience in the form of a seminar presentation or short documentary; Understanding of the importance of using and citing sources that provide reliable peer-reviewed information to be assessed within the individual summary and group presentation assessments; Contribution to group-work.The summative assessment consists of an online test, a group presentation and an individual summary. Online test is a timed test (1 hour) aimed at verifying the understanding of the facets of academic integrity, and the proficiency in using the relevant tools to identify potential breaches (Learning outcome 2).Individual summary consists of an essay written in the format of a scientific paper abstract, which summarizes the presentation prepared in the group work. The summary is correlated with relevant and correct citations, which are also evaluated alongside the writing skills and content. The summary provides an opportunity to improve synthesis proficiency and precision in scientific language, which are valuable in a range of employability situations, including interviews (Learning outcomes 1 & 3). Group presentation is delivered as a pre-recorded 10 minutes video which can be in the form a classical scientific presentation or a documentary-type video. The presentation is the culmination of several weeks of teamwork and individual efforts, and builds on the skills communicated and practice during the lectures and workshops, and the resilience built during the module. The work is evaluated on its content, format and delivery combining the assessment of knowledge, analytical capabilities, professional and transferable skills. (learning outcomes 1,2,3, 4 and 5). This assessment provides the opportunity of experiencing a real-life team work situation, where individual capabilities work in synergy and leadership, personal responsibility and independence are developed. Peer feedback may be incorporated into the evaluation where the professional norm is not upheld. Informal formative assessment and feedback is conducted throughout the module during tutorial and Q&A where students have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities and to receive both peer and tutor feedback, with the aim of allowing students to assess their progress week by week. Formative assessment online and live test opportunities are also available throughout the module.

Module aims

• Investigate a range of cutting-edge developments in bioscience subjects
• Provide practical tools and skills to perform literature searches and critical reading of peer-reviewed scientific publications
• Develop a broad range of scientific communication skills - both written and oral
• Discuss and present specific developments in bioscience on a scientific level including, where appropriate, ethical, global and socio-economic implications
• Develop transferable skills such as teamwork and resilience through the engagement with group work

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to introduce students to the scientific literature which inspires the new article headlines (and click-baits) that they are exposed to in their everyday life. Through a combination of individual and group work, guided and independent learning, this module provides a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the contemporary science that has not yet been assimilated into textbooks.
Lectures deliver essential content aimed at introducing key academic and employability ¿hard¿ and soft skills. Lectures include active learning activities, invited speakers with real-life expertise on the subjects (sci-comm, employability) and game-based learning.

Workshops: in these practical sessions, students are invited to apply the tools and skills discussed in the lectures, with a particular focus on digital skills, such as the use of reference manager programs

Academic writing workshops: students will help how to structure their written work accordingly and become more familiar with how we mark your answers and provides opportunities for formative feedback. Students engage and provide peer feedback to model answers, building resourcefulness and resilience, and receiving formative feedback to devise strategies for improvement.

Small group tutorials: work groups are invited to meet with the tutor regularly to assess progress of the presentation and discuss issues; feedback is available on request from the tutor and through peer-to-peer discussion

Guided learning: during groups tutorials, the tutor is available and engages on demand, providing the students the opportunity to drive their learning and build independence while having guidance on request

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: BMS1065

Other information

The School of Biosciences and Medicine is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: Resourcefulness & resilience: The students spend one week working on their resilience, through workshops, exercises and student-lead learning. The module provides specific tools and exercises that the students are encouraged to apply to improve their resilience levels. Small group work is integral part of the module, and provides peer support, and opportunity for engagement. The module includes regular small group tutorials and drop-ins, where students have the chance to ask questions, but also get formative feedback on their ongoing work. Global & cultural capabilities: Students will choose a topic of interest to research and present. Many of these topics will explore global issues. Students are encouraged to work in small groups, and value different abilities, perspectives and cultures in their group work. Sustainability: The students will explore the UN sustainable development goals (SDG), and their interconnection with biosciences. They will also consider the impact of their research area on biodiversity and sustainability. Digital capabilities: Students are introduced to the use of specific search engines to find scientific material and how to cite using citation manager software. The poster produced is typically produced in PowerPoint and presented digitally. Students are also encouraged to digitally produce their own figures using appropriate tools such as PowerPoint or software such as Biorender. Employability: This module is designed to give students insight into the diverse and spiralling areas of their programmes including Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Science, and Microbiology. Employability is further explored by the active involvement of the Employability and Careers Team, who deliver a lecture reviewing the expectations of employers and the typical interview questions asked during interviews, and explain how this module helps fulfil both.

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 2026/7 academic year.