Overview
This unit prepares students for university study in the environmental, biomedical or life sciences. Students will gain an introductory understanding of the main concepts in modern biology, particularly as they relate to humans. This unit covers a range of topics including cell theory, organ systems, genetics, taxonomy, ecology and environmental science.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Non-award unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluations
More specific details in feedback from markers regarding some points in the essay.
Provide markers with updated feedback guidelines for each assessment.
Feedback from Unit evaluations
Microphone picking up some background noises that are distracting.
Continue communications with Digital Services Directorate to improve the quality of sound recordings.
- Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of the main concepts in modern biology, particularly as they relate to humans
- Locate relevant research on a topic to then prepare an essay following academic writing conventions for scientific essays
- Write short notes to demonstrate your understanding of the meaning of key terms, concepts and processes in biology
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Self Management | |||
| 2 - Communication | |||
| 3 - Information Literacy | |||
| 4 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 5 - Problem Solving | |||
| 6 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 7 - Cross-Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical Practice | |||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | |||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to a computer is recommended
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.b.vaughan@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Module 1. Living things and systems of organisation
Chapter
1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 2. Biological molecules
Chapter
2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 3. The cell - the building block of life
Chapter
3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 4. Homeostasis and your essay on body temperature regulation
Chapter
4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 1 Due: Week 4 Monday (30 November 2020) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 5. Cell membranes
Chapter
5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 6. Genetics: DNA - structure and function
Chapter
6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 7. The cell cycle: Cell division - mitosis and meiosis
Chapter
7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 2 Due: Week 7 Monday (4 January 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 8. Cell differentiation and tissues
Chapter
8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Academic essay Due: Week 8 Monday (11 January 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 9. Organ systems: the skeletal system
Chapter
9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 10. Taxonomy and the diversity of life
Chapter
10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 3 Due: Week 10 Monday (25 January 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 11. Ecology
Chapter
11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 12. Environmental science and sustainability
Chapter
12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 3 Written assessment: answers to questions (open book) Due: Week 12 Monday (8 February 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz 4 Due: Exam Week Monday (15 February 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
The Unit Coordinator for this term is:
David Vaughan, d.b.vaughan@cqu.edu.au, +61 7 4930 9680, Building 32/G.29, Rockhampton North campus.
All modules for this unit are available online on the unit Moodle site.
If you have Apple iBooks, I recommend you download the free eBook E. O. Wilson's Life on Earth.1 Online Quiz(zes)
These quizzes contain multiple choice, matching and short answer questions that cover the content from each weekly module/topic. Each quiz is time limited to 1 hour for completion. Refer to your unit notes while completing the quiz, but do not search the internet for answers.
Quizzes become unavailable after the due date unless an extension has been granted.
4
Other
Quiz 1 by Week 4 Monday (30 November 2020) at 11:45 AEST; Quiz 2 by Week 7 Monday (4 January 2021) at 11:45 pm AEST; Quiz 3 by Week 10 Monday (25 January 2021) at 11:45 pm AEST; Quiz 4 by Exam Week Monday (15 February 2021) at 11:45 pm AEST.
Interim results are provided online immediately after completion and checked manually within 2 weeks.
Marks are given for correct answers.
- Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of the main concepts in modern biology, particularly as they relate to humans
- Write short notes to demonstrate your understanding of the meaning of key terms, concepts and processes in biology
- Self Management
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical Practice
2 Written Assessment
For details, read the Essay Writing Handbook for BIOL40108 in Moodle.
Requirements for your essay
- Use a variety of quality academic resources, including journals, relevant to the topic.
- Write in your own words, i.e., paraphrase/summarise the information from the sources rather than relying excessively on quotes or copying words.
- Use Times New Roman in font size 11 or 12 and 1.5 line spacing.
- Include a title page containing your name, student number, unit name and code, lecturer name, due date and your word count (excluding the title page and reference list).
- Avoid using headings, dot points or numbered lists.
- Write in complete sentences and paragraphs using clear, concise and correct English.
Week 8 Monday (11 January 2021) 11:45 pm AEST.
Three weeks after due date or three weeks after submission if submitted after due date.
The marking matrix (marking criteria) can be downloaded from the unit Moodle site.
- Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of the main concepts in modern biology, particularly as they relate to humans
- Locate relevant research on a topic to then prepare an essay following academic writing conventions for scientific essays
- Self Management
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical Practice
3 Written Assessment
To complete this assessment, you can refer to your unit materials as it is open book, but do not search the internet for answers.
Week 12 Monday (8 February 2021) 11:45 pm AEST.
Two weeks after due date or two weeks after submission if submitted after due date.
Marks are given for correct answers. The essay question will include a component based on communication skills. All written work should be presented using correct grammar and spelling in standard English. Marks will be deducted for answers copied from the internet.
- Demonstrate an introductory level understanding of the main concepts in modern biology, particularly as they relate to humans
- Locate relevant research on a topic to then prepare an essay following academic writing conventions for scientific essays
- Write short notes to demonstrate your understanding of the meaning of key terms, concepts and processes in biology
- Self Management
- Communication
- Information Technology Competence
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Ethical Practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
