2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY1300 Coastal and Upland Habitats Field Course

10 creditsClass Size: 200

Module manager: Dr Cassandra Raby
Email: C.Raby@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This field course provides an opportunity for those students registered for biological science degrees to undertake field-based studies. Students will attend a residential field course in a UK location, and will develop skills suitable for field-based careers. The emphasis within the different sub-modules varies, but all include elements of biological identification, hypothesis testing, data collection and interpretation and the written presentation of results.

Objectives

The aim of this module is to develop field-based research skills in a coastal or upland habitat.
The objectives are to:
Develop ecological field skills; experience a range of field data collection methods; apply data analysis skills to real world data; learn to interpret results from analyses; understand the ecological context of these findings.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Evaluate, sample and monitor field populations using the appropriate techniques
2. Identify a range of organisms within their natural ecosystem to an appropriate taxonomic level.
3. Analyse and interpret data to test a hypothesis.

Skills Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
4. Critically plan and execute field-based data collection

Syllabus

The core conceptual material will include:

Methods of surveying populations and communities in the field; upland or coastal habitat interpretation; biodiversity sampling methods; visualising or recording the abiotic and biotic factors shaping biodiversity; research design; hypothesis testing in the field.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Fieldwork	6	8.00	48.00
Lecture	1	1.00	1.00
Private study hours			51.00
Total Contact hours			49.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Daily attendance at, and active participation in, classes and practical field work session will be monitored.

Students will also have the opportunity to complete a formative assessment in order to obtain feedback for the summative assessment. The formative assessment will be a group report, and will provide feedback on the presentation of scientific information, as applicable to the field course design (i.e. at Castle Head there will be more focus on the interpretation of landscapes, and at Millport there will be more focus on the ability to write scientifically and interpret data correctly).

Additionally, staff are present throughout the field course and able to provide formative assessment as the students prepare their summative assessment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Report	Individual Field report	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Field reports are to be written individually by students, using data that they have gathered as a group in the field. Data collection may be designed by the groups (or instructions are provided by lecturers), then any data analysis and presentation, writing, and interpretation, are all presented individually.

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:11:53

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