When you begin to apply for jobs at the end of your degree it can often be it difficult to identify the skills you have and provide examples of how you have developed these. This module which is designed to offer you the opportunity to develop these core skills through interactive lectures, independent learning followed by team-based workshops, as well as personal tutorials. The module does not stand alone, however, but is intended to provide a basic framework of methodologies for you to take into other modules in your second and final year, including projects, field courses and your future careers.
This module covers the basic principles underlying the scientific method and will consider ethical issues focussed on proper research conduct. The nature of the original scientific literature and the basic methods of retrieving information will be introduced. Practice in reading, interpreting and summarising scientific articles, and in using these skills in essay writing and in oral presentation, is also provided.
You will develop your communication skills as you write two types of essay: One is an extended essay that requires you to research the relevant literature on a topic of your choice. The second is an exam-style essay that will give you practice in preparing a topic and writing essays under exam conditions. You will present a summary of your extended essay in an oral presentation to academic staff and your peers.
Your tutorial group will explore science communication in the wider media as you work in a group to create a short video presentation to explain a scientific topic to a lay audience. This will allow you to develop group working and problem solving skills as well as thinking about communicating science to the public.
Lectures, tutorials, group work, peer assessment