Module BIOL3251: HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (L)

Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences

BIOL3251: HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (L)

Prerequisites

• Introduction to Whole Organisms and the Environment (BIOL1082).

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To promote an appreciation of how the environment impacts on the health and humans and other animals and to promote cross-disciplinary thinking and problem solving.
• To conduct a supervised investigation of an area within Biological Sciences where knowledge obtained by laboratory experimentation, field work or literature search is important.

Content

• Course introduction: important infectious diseases, disease ecology.
• Changing disease patterns in time: patterns of health from early hominids to the present day, including a case study of how the risk of malaria in the UK has changed, new and emerging diseases.
• Changing disease patterns in space.
• Environmental change and human health: considering changes due to, climate and weather, water, population changes, plant diseases, pests & famines and transgenic vectors.
• Cases studies in the environmental management of infectious diseases.
• Project - A supervised investigation of an area within Biological Sciences where knowledge obtained by field work, laboratory experimentation or database information retrieval and analysis is important.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module each student should be able to: Demonstrate how many environmental, biological and sociological factors affect human health either directly or indirectly through their effects on disease pathogens.
• Appreciate the changing nature of the interaction between the environment and health, both in time and space.
• Understand that these controlling processes operate at different temporal and spatial scales.

• Acquire, Interpret and critically analyse experimental, clinical and field data and present the results effectively.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Taught Component: Teaching and Learning in this component is primarily through the means of lectures and seminars.
• Additionally the students will be expected to consider an indepth case study.
• Skills will be acquired through searching, retrieval and presentation of data
• Knowledge will be formatively assessed through the use of MCQs and summatively by written examination.
• Recovery and interpretation of data will be assessed by means of a written report from the case study.
• Understanding will be assessed by means of a written exam.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

MCQs to assess knowledge.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University