Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
A/Prof. Darrell Kemp
Contact via Please email biol1310@mq.edu.au for routine queries.
14 Eastern Road, room 275.
NA
Practical super-tutor
Dr. Ryan Nevatte
Contact via Please email biol1310@mq.edu.au for routine queries.
NA
NA
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to the essential concepts in current biology. BIOX1310 forms the first step for students pursuing a career in the biological sciences, and provides a basis for students in other disciplines who wish to maintain an interest in this dynamic field. The theme of this unit is evolution. The first part of the unit is concerned with the origin of life and discusses current theories on how life may have arisen on a previously lifeless planet. We discuss evolutionary theory in detail, including some of the genetic principles that underlie evolution. In the second part we introduce the major groups of organisms, examining their diversity and how they function. In the final part we discuss the ecological interactions between organisms from the small scale to global patterns. Throughout the unit, these core concepts are illustrated with examples from current research. BIOX1310 is designed as a companion unit to BIOX1110 in Session 2 and requires attendance at an on-campus session. Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Life Below Water, Life on Land |
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:
1. Requirements to Pass this Unit
To pass this unit you must achieve an overall assessment mark equal to or greater than 50%
2. Late Assessment Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment task is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of zero (0) will be awarded even if the assessment task is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessment tasks is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, including scheduled exams, performance assessments/ presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special consideration.
Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted: Assessment 2: Research report (35%) – standard late penalty applies.
Macquarie University’s special consideration policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment.
Practice-based work: You will need to demonstrate ongoing development of skills and application of knowledge across the scheduled practical classes (see Delivery and Resources below for the schedule of these classes for OUA students). Participation in the on-campus practical sessions is essential to the learning experience and attendance is therefore compulsory. If you are likely to miss a class (or session day) due to a serious, unavoidable and significant disruption, contact the unit’s tutorial convenor ASAP (via email: biol1310@mq.edu.au) who will arrange for you to attend another class if possible.
3. Assessment activities and other information
You will submit your assignment and lab book via a link provided on the BIOL/BIOX1310 iLearn site. Assessment outcomes and feedback will be provided to you via the "gradebook" function of the site.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Lab book | 15% | No | 25/04/2025 |
Research Report | 35% | No | 16/05/2025 |
Final exam | 50% | No | TBA |
Assessment Type 1: Lab book
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: 25/04/2025
Weighting: 15%
In each practical, you will undertake a range of activities and record your progress in a lab book. This lab book must be submitted after the last practical and will be assessed for completeness
Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 16/05/2025
Weighting: 35%
You will write a short research report on an experiment conducted during the practicals. The report will be in the style of a scientific paper, but somewhat shorter. It will contain a title, introduction, methods, results (with figures and/or tables), discussion and reference list.
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 50%
The final exam will be held during the Formal Examination Period, and may consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short-length answer questions. The exam will cover all readings, lecture and practical material covered in the unit. The University will announce the examination date and we will relay that date via an announcement in Lectures and via iLearn.
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
1. Methods of communication Unit staff will communicate with you via email to your university domain address or via announcements on iLearn. It is therefore critical that you regularly check your university email inbox. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board, or emailed to biol1310@mq.edu.au from your university email address.
2. Lectures Two 1-hour lectures will be available for you to stream and/or download prior to scheduled lecture times in each week of the teaching session. These will be accessed via the Echo360 platform accessible through the unit’s iLearn site. It is important to follow the lectures closely throughout the session because the material is closely linked to the practical classes and associated assessment tasks.
3. Practical classes are run over three separate “intensive” sessions, scheduled as below:
On-campus sessions will generally run from 10am to 5pm (including breaks), and are held in three adjoining teaching laboratories at 6 Wally's Walk rooms 106, 110 and 112.
LECTURE SCHEDULE:
Lecture 1: Unit introduction/outline
Lecture 2: Diversiry of life
Lecture 3: Origin of life
Lecture 4: Evolutionary transitions
Lecture 5: Cells: prokaryotic and eukaryotic
Lecture 6: Energetics: making a living
Lecture 7: Darwinian evolution
Lecture 8: Basic genetic principles
Lecture 9: Mechanisms of evolution I
Lecture 10: Mechanisms of evolution II
Lecture 11: Species and speciation
Lecture 12: Phylogenies
Lecture 13: Symbioses: relationships among organisms
Lecture 14: Fungal diversity and biology
Lecture 15: Plant evolution, diversity and biology I
Lecture 16: Plant evolution, diversity and biology II
Lecture 17: Animal evolution, diversity and biology I
Lecture 18: Animal evolution, diversity and biology II
Lecture 19: Organism development and life history
Lecture 20: Reproduction
Lecture 21: Animal behaviour and behavioural ecology
Lecture 22: Plant-animal interactions
Lecture 23: Biogeography
Lecture 24: Ecology I - population ecology
Lecture 25: Ecology II - community ecology
Lecture 26: Ecology III - ecosystems ecology
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 connect.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/
Academic Success 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 the Service Connect Portal, 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.
Macquarie University educators value the feedback obtained from students and draw upon it to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page. Students in previous offerings of BIOL/BIOX1310 have overall reported very positive experiences, with praise for the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support given by teaching staff.
The 2025 offering of BIOL/BIOX1310 has been modified for compliance with new assessment principles which mandate that units have no more than three (3) different assessment tasks spread out reasonably across the teaching session. Interested students can consult the unit convenor for further details relating to this variation.
Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook