SCIE11023 - Scientific Research Fundamentals

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will explore, synthesise and apply the fundamentals of the scientific method. You will develop skills in scientific communication beyond reading and writing - through a series of seminars, lectures and self-guided tasks students will learn appropriate manipulation of mathematical and statistical data as well as data presentation. You will enhance your knowledge and understanding of a range of fundamental scientific concepts and consider issues relating to ethics, experimentation and professional practice. Finally, through conducting your own research activity, you will learn how to develop a research framework and apply critical thinking to solve complex problems.

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 There are no pre-requisites for the 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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2023

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Bundaberg
Emerald
Online
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 15%
2. Presentation 35%
3. Portfolio 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 94.44% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 26.47% 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
Feedback
Students continue to enjoy the flexibility they are given in choosing their own topics for assessment pieces.
Recommendation
Lecturers should continue to allow flexibility in assessment topics for students.
Action Taken
The choice of practical assessment remained in the hands of the students in 2022, with helpful advice and suggestions from teaching staff.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
One student requested further assessment discussion at lectures and tutorials.
Recommendation
Lecturers should ensure that assessment requirements are discussed throughout term, with increased opportunity for student lead discussion.
Action Taken
Weekly tutorials included a review of upcoming assessment items, including a review of expectations and examples of work that is of passing vs fail quality.
Source: In-person feedback
Feedback
Students generally appreciated the linked nature of their assessments, whereby feedback from a preceding assessment helps inform and improve a latter piece. Some students noted they would like further opportunity to discuss their feedback with markers.
Recommendation
Consider adding in additional live voluntary Zoom sessions that are dedicated to discussing student feedback after assessments have been returned.
Action Taken
Live Zoom sessions were included throughout term, typically on a weekly basis, but sometimes twice per week closer to assessment deadlines.
Source: SUTE feedback
Feedback
Student feedback pointed out the value of feedback from the teaching staff for helping them analyse and improve their practical experiment.
Recommendation
Continue to provide comprehensive and detailed feedback to students, ultimately facilitating their best possible performance in the unit.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE feedback & email correspondence
Feedback
Several students appreciated the step-by-step walk through of the mathematical elements of the unit, including the relevant examples provided.
Recommendation
Continue to provide clear and step-by-step explanations of the mathematical learning outcomes in the unit.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: Email correspondence & in-person
Feedback
Some students expressed a desire for faster assessment turn-around/marking time, to help them prepare for later assessments.
Recommendation
Staff to try and improve the marking time without compromising on assessment feedback quality. The ability to do this often depends on class size, with larger classes needing more time to mark.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Explain and apply information and numerical literacy skills to communicate scientific knowledge and ideas clearly and coherently to a variety of audiences
  2. Formulate a research hypothesis and research questions that include relevant ethical considerations
  3. Conduct and manage a small research project using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research methodologies
  4. Analyse, interpret and explain scientific data, resulting in the production of a research report appropriate for an e-portfolio.


Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Presentation • • •
3 - Portfolio • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • •
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 - Presentation • • • • • •
3 - Portfolio • • • • • •