Outline

Overview

Our ever-changing world requires knowledge that extends across multiple disciplines. This unit presents the opportunity to bring together the concepts and skills you have learnt in your discipline and apply them to a real-world problem; you will work on an authentic project involving biochemistry and molecular biology. In this unit, you will continue to understand and explore disciplinary knowledge, while also meeting and collaborating with students from across the University through project-based learning; identifying and solving problems, collecting and analysing data and communicating your findings to a diverse audience. All of these skills are highly valued by employers. This unit will foster the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams, and this is essential for both professional and research pathways in future.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	BCMB2XX1/MEDS2003 and BCMB2XX2
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	2000 level biochemistry and molecular biology
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Matthew Clemson, matthew.clemson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Meeting Minutes/Team Work Evaluation Reflection of participation in project	10%	Multiple weeks	200-300 words for each team meeting
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Lab Reports LabArchives reporting of virtual laboratory sessions	20%	Multiple weeks	5 X 300 words (4% each)
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	BCMB Revision BCMB group revision task	0%	Week 04 Due date: 03 Sep 2021 at 14:00	2-3 power point slides
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Project Prospoal Powerpoint (or equivalent), oral presentation plus supporting slides.	10%	Week 05 Due date: 10 Sep 2021 at 14:00 Closing date: 10 Sep 2021	5 min
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Bioinformatics/Literature Report Bioinformatics/Literature Report (Group topic)	10%	Week 07 Due date: 24 Sep 2021 at 23:59	600 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group project Group project - documentation (including enriched presentation)	20%	Week 12 Due date: 02 Nov 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 02 Nov 2021	Equivalent to a 20-30 min presentation
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final Project Presentation Presentation component of final project	10%	Week 12 Due date: 05 Nov 2021 at 14:00 Closing date: 05 Nov 2021	15 min
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Individual report of project Discipline specific, individual project report.	20%	Week 13 Due date: 12 Nov 2021 at 23:59 Closing date: 12 Nov 2021	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

BCMB revision – students will work in groups to revise an aspect of biochemistry and molecular biology and provide a summary for incorporation in a revision resource for the group.
Project Proposal Presentation – students will work in their interdisciplinary group to prepare and present a research proposal topic (for more details see Canvas).
Meeting Minutes/Team Work Evaluation – students will document their role and their peers roles in the group project progress regularly throughout semester.
Group Project – Students will work consistently throughout the semester on their project in mentored groups, and prepare an enriched presentation document for a general audience.
Project Final Presentation – students will work in their interdisciplinary group to prepare and present a presentation of their group project for a general (BCMB and MATH) audience.
Bioinformatics/Literature mining report – students will apply a workflow provided in a workshop to their project area, consider experimental plans and prepare a report.
Lab Reports – students will submit their Lab Archive reports of workshops/virtual laboratory sessions (to be prepared in class).
Individual Report – students will prepare a discipline specific detailed report of an aspect of the group project that they were responsible for.

Assessment criteria

Result Name

Mark Range

Description

High Distinction

85-100%

As for the criteria for ‘Distinction’, however the work also shows a high degree of originality and creativity. There is evidence that the view of teaching and learning in professional, vocational and/or higher education and their application in practice, have contributed to personal learning. There is good evidence of critical reflection on academic practice and identification of strategies for development. There is evidence of the ability to generalise the subject content to areas not covered in formal class session.

Distinction

75-84%

The work shows a good appreciation of the general purpose of the topic. There is good coverage of the topic with relevant and accurate support and a well developed scholarly argument. The work demonstrates a clear view of how the various aspects of the topic integrate to meet the purpose. There is good evidence of application of assignment content to a relevant context.

Credit

65-74%

The work is relevant, accurate and addresses several aspects of the topic. There is demonstration of understanding in relation to a reasonable amount of the content and a scholarly argument has been advanced. There is emerging evidence of an overall integrative view of the topic, and growing awareness of application or integration.

Pass

50-64%

The information in the various aspects of the work is relevant and accurate but is not integrated and only covers core aspects of the topic. There is an attempt at a scholarly argument and the work indicates a limited understanding of the topic.

Fail

0-49%

The information in the work is irrelevant, inaccurate or has missed the point. The work is insufficient; there is a lack of engagement with learning tasks or a failure to submit in the agreed timeframe.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% per day or part thereof up to 50%, thereafter 0 marks

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	UoS Introduction	Seminar (2 hr)
	Communication and networking	Workshop (3 hr)
	Methods design, development and analysis	Science laboratory (18 hr)
	Methods Fundamentals	Lecture and tutorial (5 hr)
	Proposal and Project presentations	Presentation (6 hr)
	Mentored Groups Project Development	Workshop (14 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Minimum 80% attendence at Workshops and Science Laboratories (or virtual labs for RE students) required to pass the course.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Apply disciplinary knowledge to solve problems in an interdisciplinary context
LO2. Find, define and delimit authentic problems in order to address them.
LO3. Create an investigation strategy, explore solutions, discuss approaches and predict outcomes.
LO4. Analyse data using modern information technology and digital skills.
LO5. Demonstrate integrity, confidence, personal resilience and the capacity to manage challenges, both individually and in teams.
LO6. Collaborate with diverse groups and across cultural and disciplinary boundaries to develop solution(s) to the project problems.
LO7. Communicate project outcomes effectively to a broad audience.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In response to feedback, we aim to have students allocated to groups earlier in semester. Academic mentors will work closely with student groups at the start of semester to define the topic and scope for their group projects. Students will be given additional time to complete weekly lab reports.

Additional information

Given the ongoing COVID situation, we will be using Zoom quite a lot and noting attendence and participation in those sessions and splitting into breakoutrooms. Students should use a single sign on-method via the Unversity assoicated with their unikey and use their preferred name/last name on the screen. Where feasible cameras should be on, especially in small groups.

Details of face to face workshops and Zoom sessions will be provided via regular weekly updates on Canvas.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BCMB3888: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Project

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect