Frontier Topics in Bioscience Course Descriptor

Course Summary

This course examines modern advances in bioscience and health, such as omics, biomarkers, biologics, big data, personalised medicine and public health strategies. Learners will perform critical analysis, evaluate and discuss the pros and cons of each topic using a range of scholarly articles. The social and ethical contexts are considered alongside the scientific advances. Learners will use reflective practice to evaluate their own position on ethical dilemmas and the advancement of science.

Course Aims

• To explore and evaluate the latest advances in bioscience and health.
• To perform critical and analysis using scholarly articles and research methodology.
• To examine the ethical considerations of scientific advancements.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Professional Skills

Teaching and Learning

This is an e-learning course, taught throughout the year. 

This course can be offered as a standalone short course.

Teaching and learning strategies for this course will include: 

• Online learning
• Online discussion groups
• Online assessment

Course information and supplementary materials will be available on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Learners are required to attend and participate in all the formal and timetabled sessions for this course. Learners are also expected to manage their self-directed learning and independent study in support of the course.

The course learning and teaching hours will be structured as follows:

• Off-the-job learning and teaching (6 days x 7 hours) = 42 hours
• One-the-job learning (12 days x 7 hours) = 84 hours (e.g. 2 days per week for 6 weeks)
• Private study (4 hours per week) = 24 hours

Total = 150 hours

Workplace assignments (see below) will be completed as part of on-the-job learning.

Assessment

Formative

Learners will be formatively assessed during the course by means of set assignments. These will not count towards the final degree but will provide learners with developmental feedback.

Summative

Assessment will be in two forms:

Feedback

Learners will receive formal feedback in a variety of ways: written (via email or VLE correspondence) and indirectly through online discussion groups. Learners will also attend a formal meeting with their Academic Mentor (and for apprentices, including their Line Manager). These bi or tri-partite reviews will monitor and evaluate the learner’s progress.  

Feedback is provided on summatively assessed assignments and through generic internal examiners’ reports, both of which are posted on the VLE.

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to learners; the indicative reading list provided below is used as part of the approval/modification process only.

Books 

• Turnpenny, P. D., Ellard, S., & Cleaver, R. (2021). Emery’s Elements of Medical Genetics and Genomics (Sixteenth edition.). Philadelphia, PA : Elsevier 2021
• McNamara, J., & Leimar, O. (2020). Game theory in biology : concepts and frontiers (First edition.). Oxford, United Kingdom : Oxford University Press 2020
• O’Donnell, J. J. (2020). Drug Discovery and Development. Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group 2020

Journals

Learners are encouraged to read material from relevant journals on frontier topics in bioscience as directed by their course leader, such as:

• Allen, P. G. (2016). New frontiers in bioscience. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 352(6281), 11–11. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaf7711

Electronics Resources

Learners are encouraged to consult relevant websites on frontier topics in bioscience.

Indicative Topics

• Advances in genetics
• Advanced statistical tools and methodologies
• Advances in drug discovery and therapeutics