BIOL11102 - Life Science Laboratory

General Information

Unit Synopsis

Understanding the evolution, anatomy and identification of plants and animals is critical in tackling the scientific study or management of organisms, ecosystems and animal or plant production. In Life Science Laboratory, you will study evolution and phylogeny, and the anatomy of the most common vertebrate and invertebrate animals, plants, algae and fungi, to support the development of your practical skills, which include specimen collection, preparation and curation; microscopic and macroscopic identification; and animal and plant dissection. This unit includes field work where you will use the knowledge and skills developed to study organisms in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. On conclusion of this unit, you will understand the important role that biology plays in research and innovation in the fields of science, environmental science and agriculture.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Anti-requisite BIOL11099 Living Systems

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School Compulsory Residential School
View Unit Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2023

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Mixed Mode
Rockhampton

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Practical Assessment 30%
3. Laboratory/Practical 0%
4. Online Quiz(zes) 50%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 84.21% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 23.46% response rate.

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.

Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation
Feedback
Very little information received prior to residential school. This needs to be fleshed out a bit more.
Recommendation
More information should be provided to students regarding the scheduling and laboratory activities at least two weeks prior to the Residential Schools.
Action Taken
Information regarding laboratory practicals and assessments were provided in Week 6 for Residential Schools held in Week 9 and 10. A live Q&A session is held in Week 8 that focuses on the residential school and student questions.
Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation
Feedback
The lectures were well presented. The presentation maintained interest. All the lecture materials were accessible.
Recommendation
The unit should continue to use a diverse range of teaching and learning sources to support student learning and understanding.
Action Taken
The unit continues to employ a range resources and strategies to underpin student learning, engagement and community.
Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation
Feedback
The lecturer explains things well. The unit layout and instructions for assessment were easy to follow. I learnt a lot. The subject was enjoyable and well presented.
Recommendation
Continue to provide instructions and information around assessment to support student learning and achievement of the unit learning objectives.
Action Taken
Assessment requirements are explicit and stated clearly and in detail. Live Q&A session are delivered each week, these provide a detailed break down of assessments and address any remaining questions.
Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation
Feedback
The residential school was a great way to learn the practical side to the unit.
Recommendation
The residential school is seen as an integral part of the unit with the primary focus on contextualization of classroom theory/concepts and building practical skill-sets. The residential school should continue.
Action Taken
The residential school remains an integral component of the unit with a focus on building applied skill sets.
Source: STUE Student Comments
Feedback
Residential school was a really motivating component of this course, I really enjoyed putting theoretical learning to real world, first hand experiences.
Recommendation
The residential school to remain a core component of the unit and continue to connect theory with real world content and experiences.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: STUE Student Comments
Feedback
Learning videos are great, can they be made slightly shorter to make it more encouraging to sit through and watch.
Recommendation
Learning videos could be sequenced into shorter sections to increase student engagement and learner attention.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: STUE Student Comments
Feedback
The residential school should be condensed into 4 days.
Recommendation
Residential school duration is suitable given the amount of material that needs to be covered.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Distinguish between major taxa of plants and animals using morphological features
  2. Discuss evolution and the Hierarchy of Classification in relation to the diversity of living organisms
  3. Safely perform laboratory activities, including the use of microscopes and aseptic techniques, and the dissection of plants and animals
  4. Collect and curate plant specimens
  5. Use dichotomous keys to identify flowering plants and insects.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • •
3 - Laboratory/Practical • • •
4 - Online Quiz(zes) • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • •
2 - Problem Solving • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
4 - Information Literacy • • •
5 - Team Work •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • • •
4 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • •
3 - Laboratory/Practical • • • •