Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Drew Allen
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above including (((STAT1170 or STAT170(P)) or (STAT1250 or STAT150) or (STAT1371 or STAT171) or FOSE1015) and (10cp(P) in BBE or BIOL units))
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Biological organisms are inherently variable, which means that practicing biologists need a solid grasp of how to design and implement experiments, perform statistical analyses on the resulting data, and correctly interpret the results of statistical tests. This unit provides a foundation in the principles of experimental design and data analysis for biology. The unit is taught by biology staff and draws on research carried out in the Department of Biological Sciences. Students also learn the overall process of asking and answering questions in biology. Students learn a range of common data analysis techniques, and how to interpret the outcomes of these analyses. There is a strong emphasis on critically evaluating biological studies and identifying sound conclusions and not-so-sound conclusions. This unit is strongly recommended for students planning a career in biology or environmental science. |
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
General Faculty Policy on assessment submission deadlines and late submissions:
Online quizzes, in-class activities, or scheduled tests and exams must be undertaken at the time indicated in the unit guide. Should these activities be missed due to illness or misadventure, students may apply for Special Consideration.
All other assessments must be submitted by 5:00 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration.
Assessments not submitted by the due date will receive a mark of zero, except the Experiment Report, which can be submitted late. The penalty for late submissions will be applied as follows:
A 12-hour grace period will be given after which the following deductions will be applied to the awarded assessment mark: 12 to 24 hours late = 10% deduction; for each day thereafter, an additional 10% per day or part thereof will be applied until five days beyond the due date. After this time, a mark of zero (0) will be given. For example, an assessment worth 20% is due 5 pm on 1 January. Student A submits the assessment at 1 pm, 3 January. The assessment received a mark of 15/20. A 20% deduction is then applied to the mark of 15, resulting in the loss of three (3) marks. Student A is then awarded a final mark of 12/20.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Experiment Report | 20% | No | Friday May 27, 5pm |
Exam of Basic Stats Knowledge | 5% | No | Week 3 |
Weekly Quiz | 15% | No | Weekly starting in Week 1 |
Weekly Practical | 0% | Yes | Weekly starting in Week 1 |
Final Exam | 45% | No | Exam Period |
Mid-semester Exam | 15% | No | Week 8 |
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Friday May 27, 5pm
Weighting: 20%
You will design, conduct and analyse data for an experiment of your own. You will be given a range of alternative experimental questions to choose from. You will need to pick a question, design and carry out an experiment addressing that question, then write up the results in the form of the methods and results sections of a scientific paper.
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Week 3
Weighting: 5%
You will be tested on your knowledge of basic statistical concepts and skills taught in the statistics prerequisite for this unit. The test will be delivered as an online quiz through iLearn.
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: Weekly starting in Week 1
Weighting: 15%
Every week there will be an online quiz with example problems to complete. These problems will be based on lectures and practicals. They will allow you to practice interpreting the results of statistical analyses, and applying the concepts and methods you have learned. It is strongly recommended that you make a serious effort to complete these quizzes.
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Weekly starting in Week 1
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
In practicals, you will learning how carry out a variety of statistical analyses to address biological hypotheses, and how to interpret the results of statistical analyses in light of these hypotheses.
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 45%
The final exam will be held during the Semester 1 Exam Period and will be 2 hr (plus 10 min reading time). Please consult the University Handbook to determine the commencement and finishing dates of the compulsory exam period. Skills you will be tested on include identifying the appropriate statistical test given a dataset and hypothesis, correctly interpreting statistical output produced by R, and critically evaluating the experimental designs and statistics of previous studies.
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 15%
You will be tested on your knowledge of lecture material for weeks 1 to 6 in Week 8 (following semester break). This test will be delivered as an online assignment accessible through iLearn. Skills you will be tested on include identifying the appropriate statistical test given a dataset and hypothesis, correctly interpreting statistical output produced by R, and critically evaluating the experimental designs and statistics of previous studies.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
TO PASS THIS UNIT YOU MUST:
Lectures
There are two one-hour recorded lectures per week. You are expected to listen to all of the lectures.
Practicals
Practicals last 2 hours each and are conducted online. You are expected to attend and participate in practical sessions, as they are a hurdle requirement of the unit. Failure to attend and complete at least 8 of the practicals will result in a fail grade.
iLearn
The primary means of communication for this unit is via iLearn, which can be accessed by most web browsers from inside or outside the University. You are expected to use iLearn for:
Logging in to iLearn
Missed Practicals
If you know you will miss a practical, or if you have already missed one, please email the convenor at biol2610@mq.edu.au. There may be alternative practical slots, including the internal sessions, available for you to catch up.
Overall grades
The University grading is: fail (F <50%), pass (P 50%-64%), credit (CR 65%-74%), distinction (D 75%-84%) and high distinction (HD 85%-100%).
Exam Special Consideration
If you apply for Special Consideration for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the alternative examination period. If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date.
Assignment submission, Turnitin and Plagiarism
This is a paperless unit, so no paper submission will be required for your written report, which will be submitted through iLearn via a Turnitin link. Your written assignment will be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Do not under any circumstances lend your work to another student. If that student plagiarises your work, you too may be liable. The penalties imposed by the University for plagiarism are serious and may include expulsion from the University. A full outline of the Universities policy on plagiarism is found at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/doc s/academic_honesty/policy.html.
RESOURCES and SUPPORT
How to find the answers
1. Please read the unit outline.
2. Consult iLearn - often your question has already been asked and answered by another student.
3. If the answer to a question will benefit others, please post it on iLearn.
4. Unexpected adjustments made during the unit will announced via announcements, so make sure you check iLearn regularly.
EMAIL PROTOCOL
1. Always submit questions to biol2610@mq.edu.au.
2. Please be courteous and patient - we will endeavour to reply to your email within 24 hours. Responses will be delayed during weekends.
Text Book
There are no required textbooks for the unit, but Steve McKillup's book "Statistics Explained : An Introductory Guide for Life Scientists" is highly recommended. Copies of the book are available online and on reserve in the Macquarie University library.
OTHER HELP
The Numeracy Centre offers drop-in sessions to students with statistical questions. It is located at 14 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Avenue, Room 188. For questions and scheduling, please visit the iLearn page.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
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
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
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.
Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook