Course Coordinator:Georgia Kafer (gkafer@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Biomedicine
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This course will deepen your understanding of how organisms develop and how the nervous system forms and functions. You'll explore the fascinating processes behind embryonic patterning, organ formation, neuronal differentiation, and what happens when development goes wrong. By linking molecular and cellular mechanisms to real-world biomedical contexts, you'll learn how to analyse research, design experiments, and interpret complex biological systems.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Online asynchronous recorded eModules, delivered weekly. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online synchronous interactive workshop (lectorial), delivered weekly | 1hr | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 2 – In person interactive and collaborative workshops, delivered weekly. | 3hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
300 Level (Graduate)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Explain key concepts in developmental biology and neurobiology. | Knowledgeable |
| 2 | Integrate molecular, genetic and cellular mechanisms in explaining development and neurobiology. |
Knowledgeable Problem solving |
| 3 | Critically evaluate research literature and draw on mechanistic pathway knowledge to reflect on the design and interpretation of experiments in development and neurobiology. |
Creative and critical thinker Information literacy |
| 4 | Work collaboratively to design hypothetical experiments using appropriate models. |
Creative and critical thinker Applying technologies |
| 5 | Communicate complex scientific ideas clearly and effectively. |
Engaged Communication |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
BIM204 and BIM205 and enrolled in program SC355
BIM205 and enrolled in program SC357 or SC385
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Early feedback provided in Weeks 2 and 4 through formative quizzes (Canvas) and on student reflections (Task 1A, Weeks 1 and 3).
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1a | Portfolio | Individual | 10% | Between 100-300 words per entry |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 1b | Quiz/zes | Individual | 30% | 20 minutes per quiz |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | In Class |
| All | 2 | Oral and Written Piece | Individual | 25% | 5 minute recorded oral presentation |
Week 7 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 3 | Written Piece | Group | 35% | 3000 words |
Refer to Format | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1a:Reflective portfolio | |||||||
| Goal: | Weekly online reflective journal |
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| Product: | Portfolio | ||||||
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| Format: | Short journal reflections will be submitted via Canvas weekly |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 1b:Quizzes | |||||||
| Goal: | In class quizzes |
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| Product: | Quiz/zes | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | Quizzes will be delivered in class during workshops 6 and 12 |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Organisation |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Development in the news | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | You will critically review a recent news article related to a developmental biology topic covered in Topics 1 to 5, presenting your findings in a 'fact check' style oral presentation. |
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| Product: | Oral and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
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| Format: | Presentations will be submitted via Canvas. Students will participate in peer review of other students presentations, worth 5% of marks. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Experiment proposal | |||||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Students will work in groups to develop a hypothetical experiment in response to a research grant call for proposals. Your experiment may address a knowledge gap, aetiology, or potential therapy relevant to developmental biology or neurobiology or associated disease. |
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| Product: | Written Piece | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Format: | You will work in groups to develop your experimental plan, including use of model organisms and/or experimental systems, formulation of hypotheses, and impact of the experiment. Proposals will be submitted via Canvas in Week 12. Following submission, students will participate in peer review of other student proposals, worth 5% of mark. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Applying technologies |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Not applicable
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
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