Students

BIOL2910 – Advanced Science (Biology) 2

2020 – Full year 1, Infrequent attendance, North Ryde

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ian Wright
ian.wright@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above and admission to BAdvSc and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Biology) degree program. Designed for high-achieving students with energy and curiosity to spare, this Program enriches the standard undergraduate curriculum. In this second-year level unit, students will acquire research experience and insight into what it means to be a researcher, by undertaking an independent research project under academic supervision within a research group within the Department of Biological Sciences. The research topic is flexible, but in most cases, it will be aligned with the objectives of an academic staff member involved in research. All assessments are graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory, and successful completion of the unit requires a Satisfactory grade for each assessment.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Develop a testable biological hypothesis by reviewing and synthesizing previous research in the scientific literature
  • ULO2: Plan a research project to address this hypothesis using appropriate methods for data collection and analysis
  • ULO3: Implement a research project while adhering to the highest standards of ethics and health and safety
  • ULO4: Effectively communicate research findings to a scientific audience in the form of a standard scientific paper
  • ULO5: Effectively communicate all aspects of the research in the form of an oral presentation

Assessment Tasks

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Assessment Information

General information

BIOL2910 is a ten credit point unit running across the full academic year and requiring a workload commitment of 150 hours. We expect that this time will be divided into:

  • 75 hours of laboratory experience
  • 10 hours of WHS, lab and equipment inductions, training etc
  • 65 hours for assessments (Project proposal; Written Report; Seminar)

Assessment details

Details of assessments will be provided via iLearn and in class.

Assignment submission

Written assignments will be digitally submitted through the appropriate Turnitin submission link on iLearn.

Academic honesty

All assessments need to be written in the student's own words. The penalties imposed by the University for plagiarism are serious and may include expulsion from the University. Any evidence of plagiarism will be dealt with following University policy.

Special consideration

All requests for extensions must go via ask.mq as per the university's Special Considerations procedure: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration . Please note that extensions are not available directly via the unit Convenor. All requests must be made via ask.mq as detailed above.

Delivery and Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.

Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

As described in more detail under “Unit Schedule”, several scheduled meetings will be held throughout the year – to which attendance by all students is expected.

Students are required to have access to a computer and the internet to access the iLearn site for this unit and for submitting written assessments.

Unit Schedule

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

Attendance by all students is expected at several meetings scheduled throughout the year. Further details on dates and locations will be made via iLearn.

Discussion 1 (week of 24th February). In this class we'll explain unit requirements for students and supervisors for BIOL2910.

Discussion 2 (week of 9th March). Discussion of emerging projects.

Discussion 3 (week of 17th August). In this class we'll discuss what's expected for Written Reports (to be written in the format of a scientific paper).

Discussion 4 (week of 5th October). In this class we'll discuss what is expected for student seminars.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
09/02/2020 Staff updated