Overview
BIOL 496 is based on contracted study arrangements between each student and an approved supervisor (AU academic or external). Students improve their skills to choose and define problems; obtain information from studies and experiments; organize facts and ideas; and report ideas and conclusions in written form.
This course is for students who wish to carry out projects in biology or to obtain formal recognition, through this course of biology-related skills and training they have received on the job (e.g., agriculture, forestry, or industry).
This course may involve field, experimental or lab work as agreed to by the student and the supervisor, with approval from the Course Coordinator. A student may complete two three-credit projects, start with BIOL 495 then continue the project (field, experimental or lab work) for BIOL 496. Students are expected to obtain and pay for all materials used in the projects. Before registering, students must submit an acceptable project proposal to the Course Coordinator.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the concepts of major subdivisions within biology and experience a comprehensive range of scientific techniques to critically evaluate primary literature, which will allow you to develop written scientific communication skills or formulate and carry out independent research projects.
- Develop experiments using skills appropriate to subdivisions to test hypotheses, analyze and interpret data, draw conclusions, refine hypotheses based on data, and communicate research findings in a variety of formats to adhere to ethical standards for biology research.
- Demonstrate exposure to comprehensive foundational knowledge of biology by generating and analyzing data and describing the professional fields in which biological science knowledge can be used.
Evaluation
The assessment for these courses is based upon the student's written reports and other work as outlined in his or her Learning Contract. The evaluation is completed by the Course Coordinator and is based on the project supervisor's assessment of the student's work. To receive credit, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least a D (50 percent).
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.