BIOSCI 101 : Life! Origins and Mechanisms
Science
2022 Semester Two (1225) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The lectures guide you to learn knowledge and the process for answering assessment questions.The course includes online videos to help with familiarisation and retention, where your background may need updating.Practice activities with feedback and questions are available online in the tutor system MasteringBiology. The knowledge you have gained during the course is assessed in a short test (week 10) and final exam. Laboratories occur six times during the semester (fortnightly) and are also assessed.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify, describe and explain the key concepts and processes of bioenergetics, cell biology and genetics to the level required for progression to stage two biological sciences courses. (Capability 1, 4 and 5)
- Demonstrate proficiency in constructing and interpreting graphical and numerical data. (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
- Demonstrate core competency in basic biological laboratory techniques. (Capability 1)
- Use active learning approaches to become an independent and passionate life-long learner. (Capability 1, 4 and 5)
- Follow self-directed processes to monitor and regulate your learning to develop academic skills and intellectual independence. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
- Work responsibly, safely and ethically, both individually and in peer or team contexts. (Capability 6)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratories | 28% | Individual Coursework |
| Online formative assessment | 12% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 20% | Individual Test |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Laboratories | ||||||||||
| Online formative assessment | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Tuākana
Tutorials are usually held every week at the same times and are led by senior Māori and Pasifika students. The tutors come prepared to answer questions arising from your reading, lectures and laboratories in the previous week and can help also with advice on study and other skills. Tutors seek to provide a friendly and informal atmosphere for you to ask questions about your work and any questions you may have about university life in general.
Key Topics
- Bioenergetics. This topic includes: an introduction to biochemistry, thermodynamics and its relevance to metabolism and life; the chemical components of cells; Glycolysis; The Citric Acid cycle (CAC), the second of Kreb’s cycles; The Electron Transport System, the spark of life; ATP synthesis, the search for the squiggle (~); Glucose, eat it or make it; Blood glucose levels during the fed and fasting states, exercise and diabetes; Photosynthesis - the conversion of light energy to chemical energy; or knowing where French fries really come from?
- Cell and Molecular Biology. This topic includes Cells and organelles; Cell membranes, cell junctions and membrane transport; The structure and composition of proteins; Enzymes and the nature of enzymic catalysis; Structure and function of nucleic acids; Synthesis of mRNA (transcription) and protein synthesis (translation); The genetic code and transcriptional control; Control of gene expression in bacteria - the lac operon.
- Genetics. This topic includes: the genetic basis of inheritance; population genetics; how genes interact with the environment; DNA technology, including the latest DNA sequencing techniques and their ethical implications; biotechnology and gene editing; personalised genomics, with a focus on research applications in New Zealand.
Special Requirements
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect three hours of lectures. There are three hours of labs per fortnight and 1 hour of work on online assignments and lab preparation each week. Additional online material to support learning lecture material is available each week.
For the 12 teaching weeks, this totals 66 hours. Since the course as a whole represents approximately 150 hours of study, that leaves a total of 84 hours across the entire semester for independent study, e.g. reading, reflection, preparing for assessments/exams.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled lab activities to complete assessments that contribute marks to the final grade.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including labs will not be available as recordings.
Attendance on campus is required for the test and exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
A remote version of the course can be made available to students located overseas because of border restrictions, or those with an exemption to study remotely.
Please contact the course coordinator Mandy Harper (a.harper@auckland.ac.nz) to request access to alternative online laboratory activities.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.