GENETICS 4020A - Honours Genetics and Evolution Project Pt 1

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

This course is part of the Honours in Genetics and Evolution degree structure, and the aim is to introduce the student to all aspects of research, including design, experimentation, interpretation and communication of results in both oral and written format. This course comprises a substantial supervised research project selected by the student on a topic acceptable to the Department of Genetics and Evolution. Assessment includes two formative assessments, a seminar and a dossier outlining research progress, and three summative assessments, a literature review, a research seminar, and a thesis and interview.

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Course Details

Course Code	GENETICS 4020A
Course	Honours Genetics and Evolution Project Pt 1
Coordinating Unit	School of Biological Sciences
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Contact	By supervision
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Incompatible	GENETICS 4000A/B
Restrictions	Available only to students admitted to the relevant Honours program
Assessment	Literature review, First Research Seminar, Research Project, Dossier, Thesis and Interview, Laboratory Notebook, Research Seminar

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Jeremy Austin

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1	Develop an hypothesis based on reading of the scientific literature in a field of research as evidenced by writing a literature review and research proposal
2	Design a series of experiments that will test the hypothesis, as evidenced in the dossier discussion
3	Undertake experiments and document these experiments and their outcomes as evidenced in a laboratory notebook
4	Interpret experiments as indicated in dossier, thesis and interviews
5	Communicate results in both oral and written format
6	Integrate results into the broader discipline
7	Understand the ethical, regulatory and accreditation standards required to conduct research in this discipline

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 6, 7
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3, 4, 5, 6
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1, 2, 5, 6, 7
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	5, 6, 7
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Activity 1: Choice of topic, including identifying area and potential supervisor

Activity 2: Preparation of a written literature review and research proposal

Activity 3: Undertake research in close consultation with supervisor, other laboratory members, and members of the School – this is the major daily activity for 6-7 months.

Activity 4: Presenting an introductory seminar – formative feedback from staff

Activity 5: Preparation of a research dossier, and interview with a panel of academics – formative feedback from panel.

Activity 6: Preparation of a thesis, and interview with a panel of academics – summative

Activity 7: Presenting a final research seminar – summative

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in this course should expect to spend, on average, at least 36 hours per week on this 18 unit course. This is primarily conducting experimental research, including wet-lab experiments and / or in silico analyses. Conducting experimental work includes the design of experiments, the conduct of experiments, the interpretation of experiments, and the communication of results.

Learning Activities Summary

1. Literature Review and Research Proposal - 5% (Word limit 3000)
2. First Research Seminar - (formative assessment - 10 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions)
3. Research Dossier and Interview – (formative assessment ; length varies between projects; interview 40 minutes)
4. Research Project Thesis and Interview – 80% (Thesis - 70 pages maximum, including figures and tables but not including references and appendices; interview 40 minutes)
5. Final Research Seminar – 15% (15 minutes plus 5 minutes for questions)

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Type of assessment	Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes	Hurdle Yes/No	Outcomes being assessed / achieved	Approximate Timing of Assessment for both Semester 1 and 2
Literature Review	Formative and Summative	5%	No	1, 2, 5, 6, 7	Week 6
First Research Seminar	Formative		No	1, 5, 7	Week 7
Research dossier and Interview	Formative		No	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7	Weeks 16 & 17
Research Project: Thesis and Interview; Laboratory Notebook	Summative	80%	No	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Weeks 40 & 41
Final Research Seminar	Summative	15%	No	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Week 41

Assessment Detail

Each student will have a panel of assessors, including their primary supervisor, and two members of academic, affiliate or research staff. This panel will assess all written submissions and interviews. Each panel member provides a mark, and the marks are averaged to give the final assessment.

1. The Literature Review, weighted at 5%, comprises a critical review of the literature relevant to the research project (word limit: 2500) and a brief research proposal (word limit: 500).

2. The Research Project Dossier is a formative assessment of a written dossier containing a summary, with evidence, of the research completed by the student by week 16, followed by an interview with the assessment panel.

3. The Research Project Thesis and Interview is weighted at 80%. The thesis includes a literature review, details of materials and methods, result chapters outlining the research completed by the student, and a discussion chapter integrating the findings. The panel will assess the originality of ideas and experimental approaches used, the clarity of presentation, the quality and thoroughness of the experimental work, its analysis and interpretation, the way the student has dealt with technical difficulties, and the student’s overall understanding of the field.

The Seminars are assessed by academic staff, affiliates and research staff whose marks are averaged to give the final assessment.

4. The First Research Seminar is a formative assessment comprising a 10 minute presentation plus 5 minutes of questions. The seminar should contain sufficient background information, but the emphasis should be on the project itself and include the aims and the experimental approaches that are planned.

5. The Final Research Seminar, comprising a 15 minute presentation plus 5 minutes of questions, is weighted at 15%. This seminar should focus on the research results and their interpretation.

Submission

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

NOG (No Grade Associated)
Grade	Description
CN	Continuing

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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