STB411 Advanced Topics in Earth, Environmental and Biological Research

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This Honours level unit develops advanced knowledge and skills in an area specific to the individual student’s discipline (either biological, earth or environmental science) and their subject area. The training focus of this unit is relevant to both industry and research environments and will help to prepare students for a job in the real-world, or for further studies. This advanced topic is designed to complement studies in the Honours Research Project.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Develop advanced, in-depth knowledge of one or more topics or techniques in a discipline.
2. Critically evaluate, analyse, review and synthesise complex ideas and information.
3. Apply critical and creative thinking and advanced knowledge in one or more disciplines in solving real-world problems displaying logical and sound judgement.

Content

Learning Approaches

The approaches to teaching and learning will typically be context based, utilising examples from contemporary research and real-world applications relevant to your research topic. You will be expected to meet with teaching staff, both individually and as a group, to assist and direct you towards effective learning. The unit will combine group-based discussion with peers and staff, as well as one-on-one tutorial style learning experiences with your supervisor.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will gain feedback in this unit by participating in weekly discussions during face-to-face workshops and 3-5 special workshops with senior academics from diverse disciplines across the Faculty of Science and your peers. You will also receive written feedback on your seminar presentation for Assessment 1 which will directly relate to and inform your essay (i.e. assessment 2).

Assessment

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Workbook

A compilation of a variety of artefacts that may include problem-solving tasks, presentations/discussions and/or demonstrations, critical analysis and critical reflection. You will select a universal problem that is common to your discipline or research topic and prepare and deliver a seminar style presentation to the class, and facilitate a group discussion, around the topic. You will need to provide a seminal paper to the class one week prior to the seminar. You will also be required to attend weekly presentations and discussions given by your peers and read the papers provided prior to each presentation. After listening to the speaker and asking relevant questions on the weekly topic, you will submit a reflective journal in which your questions and answers are recorded. Your critical reflection piece will also allow you to reflect more broadly on the unit.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Essay

This examination of your work will be a problem solving task where you will write an essay that contextualises and analyses a problem common to your specific, advanced subject area. You must outline the problem to be solved and summarise the schools of thought surrounding currently available solutions for the problem, based on the available literature. You will analyse the advantages and disadvantages of these solutions, determine the superior solution/s and potentially provide evidence for a new solution/approach. You must select an appropriate referencing style for the essay to be used throughout the document.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

If you undertake a project, either individually or in a group, you may in conjunction with your QUT project supervisor, be required to complete and submit a Risk Assessment of your project activities in MAPS (Management and Assessment of Project Safety) for approval. For further information go to Health, safety and environment for research students - QUT Students

Additionally, if you undertake an industry project, either individually or in a group, you must ensure that the QUT project partner agreement is completed, respect confidentiality, be aware of any intellectual property requirements for the project and comply with workplace health and safety requirements, (either at QUT or at worksite). For further information please refer to the Work Integrated Learning - QUT Students webpage.