This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)
Module MATH40415: Communicating Science
Department: Mathematical Sciences
MATH40415: Communicating Science
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 4 | 15 | Not available in 2015/2016 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To further students' abilities in oral and written scientific communication
Content
- Students will undertake a literature review on a topic of biophysical science and communicate the results of their research in oral and poster forms. Projects are deliberately varied in topic and in approach required. All allow opportunity for independence and initiative. Successful completion requires good organisation and management, which is the responsibility of the student, in regular consultation with the supervisor. A short oral presentation of the work and scientific poster presentation is given. The presentations (oral and poster) are judged on content, structure and effectiveness of communication.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- At the end of this course the student will demonstrate an understanding of a specialised area of biophysical science.
- Show mastery of a coherent body of knowledge not directly related to their first degree speciality.
Subject-specific Skills
- At the end of this module the student will be able to search primary scientific literature and gather relevant information from it. Have developed the ability to communicate scientific ideas and arguments orally and in poster form.
Key Skills
- At the end of this module the student will have enhanced self-organisation and self-discipline.
- Be able to prepare and deliver a presentation.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Students will independently research the literature in an area of biophysical science agreed with their supervisors. Teaching will primarily be by tutorials. These will provide the means to support the self-guided study and to give personalised, focussed guidance on the development of presentation skills. Student performance will be assessed summatively through the oral presentation and scientific poster, giving a means to measure how well students communicate the results of their investigations.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorials | 10 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |
| Self study | 140 | ||||
| Total | 150 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation skills | 100% | Poster presentation | 120 | 60% | Yes |
| Oral presentation | 20 | 40% | Yes |
Formative Assessment
Feedback will be provided in tutorials.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.