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).

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Residential School Compulsory Residential School
View Unit Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

Term 1 - 2025 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 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 52.94% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 21.25% 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: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT
Feedback
I found the amount of weekly content to be an excellent balance. It helped that I really enjoy the subject matter but the lectures were easy to absorb, especially with the ability to pause, slow down and speed up. The text was a good choice as well.
Recommendation
The amount of unit content and the prescribed text will remain unchanged.
Action Taken
The amount of unit content and the prescribed text is unchanged.
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT
Feedback
The time provided for the final quiz was too minimal given the requirements of the questions.
Recommendation
Unit assessment and weighting will be changed for 2024 in line with a wider unit refresh and update.
Action Taken
The unit assessment was refreshed for 2024, with changes in the number of questions and time allocation for the final assessment.
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT
Feedback
Assignments were clear and engaging.
Recommendation
Assessments to continue to have clear instructions and engaging content.
Action Taken
Details regarding assessments are clear and prescriptive.
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T1, 2024
Feedback
Exceptional engaging subject and residential school.
Recommendation
Continue to develop residential school assessments/activities that are engaging and relevant to students.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T1, 2024
Feedback
Lecture videos should have subtitles.
Recommendation
Ensure students are familiar with the captions and transcripts functionality in Echo.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T1, 2024
Feedback
The size of the residential school attendance was to high, this impacted the ability to see demonstrations.
Recommendation
Residential schools require a higher staff-to-student ratio than is currently provided. Laboratories require more/better placement of audio-visual equipment.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE UNIT COMMENTS REPORT - T1, 2024
Feedback
The lecturers and technical staff are supportive and offered extra assistance when required.
Recommendation
Staff to continue providing extra support when required.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Personal reflection
Feedback
Students are seeking more detailed feedback on assessments, understanding that this contributes significantly to future learning.
Recommendation
Increased marking capacity is needed if students are to receive useful feedback on written assessments.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Personal reflection
Feedback
Increase the clarity of expectations regarding residential school assessments.
Recommendation
Develop more detailed rubrics for residential school assessments.
Action Taken
In Progress
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 • • • •