60121 Medical Biotechnology Thesis 2
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 24 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
The Honours subject offers an exciting opportunity for advanced training in research. It is designed to enhance skills and knowledge, and equip students for research in life and environmental sciences. The principal activity is a research project, conducted over two consecutive 24cp sessions (Autumn start: Autumn and Spring; or Spring start: Spring and Autumn). In close collaboration with an academic supervisor, each student plans and undertakes research in an area of interest. Students learn to define hypotheses, objectives and aims, work to available time and resources, use appropriate research methods, critically assess information, and develop complex arguments in detail. With guidance from their supervisor, students are required to analyse and interpret the scientific data generated during the research project. Students develop their science communication skills by presenting their work in written and oral form. The research project and outcomes are presented in a thesis, which comprises the main assessment component.
Communication is done via Canvas. A combined site has been created in order to reach all students and their supervisors, i.e., 91104 Honours (Life Science) 2, and 60121 Medical Biotechnology Thesis 2. It is requested that all students turn on their notifications for the announcements in Canvas settings in order to receive the information in a timely manner. Students should also consult the combined site regularly.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Work independently on a research project to investigate a medical, biomedical, environmental or biotechnology related problem or question in their chosen discipline area |
|---|---|
| 2. | Devise a research plan and design suitable experiments to test a scientific hypothesis |
| 3. | Critically review the literature in their chosen discipline area and identify gaps in knowledge |
| 4. | Generate new disciplinary knowledge or professional science processes |
| 5. | Communicate research in oral and written formats to peer and expert audiences |
| 6. | Work effectively and collaboratively as part of a research group or team |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Critically appraise and apply advanced knowledge and technical skills to independently conduct a substantial project to inform professional practice in science and medical biotechnology. (1.1)
- Assess, argue for, and conduct appropriate approaches to independent research and solving complex problems by independently developing and applying a research methodology to address a research need in a relevant professional context. (2.1)
- Develop, prepare, and engage, at times collaboratively, in safe, ethical, organised work and research practices that mitigate risk and contribute to solving global health problems in the context of science and medical biotechnology. (3.1)
- Reflectively discover, create, and evaluate processes used to determine the value, integrity, and relevance of multiple sources of information to derive and independently implement, and critically evaluate innovative solutions to complex science and medical biotechnology problems. (4.1)
- Present and communicate complex ideas and justifications using appropriate communication approaches from a variety of methods (oral, written, visual) to communicate with discipline experts, scientists, industry, and the general public. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
1. Disciplinary knowledge
Students will apply the disciplinary knowledge and practical skills they have developed throughout their undergraduate studies to an unfamiliar research question in order to develop new knowledge or scientific methodologies, which will help reinforce and extend their existing knowledge of their chosen discipline area. To successfully complete their Honours research project, students will continually build a much deeper understanding of their discipline area or topic throughout the year by critiquing and/or using existing scientific literature to complete aspects of their project such as data analysis, experimental design, and/or interpretation of results.
2. Research, inquiry an critical thinking
Students will learn how to structure and investigate a research problem or question from the design stage to the final report (thesis), making use of suitable scientific methods. At the commencement of their project, students will formulate scientific hypotheses and learn how to design appropriate experiments to test and evaluate these hypotheses with input from their supervisors. Students will also continue to develop and refine their problem-solving skills by applying existing knowledge or literature to solve unknown or unfamiliar ‘real world’ problems.
3. Professional, Ethical and Social Responsibility
Students will continually advance and refine their professional skills through independent research, participating in research group meetings, working with other researchers and students in the laboratory, and managing the day-to-day aspects of their project. Students will have an opportunity to cultivate key professional attributes such as time management, researching and critiquing scientific literature, problem solving and personal organisation required for a successful career. As part of the initial stages of their projects, students will learn other professional skills such as laboratory risk assessment and management, conducting ethical research, maintaining thorough laboratory notes, critically analysing data from experimentation, producing a technical scientific thesis and preparing and delivering
scientific presentations. Honours research projects are designed to address an unresolved question, limitation or need in medical, biomedical, biotechnology and environmental science practice designed to bring about new knowledge and improvements in human health, immunity and the environment. Each of these aspects is crucial for society's need for effective and innovative health and environmental management to ensure community health and longevity. As students investigate their project, they will build an awareness of the current limitations and issues within their chosen discipline, and aid in the development of solutions to these limitations. This may involve the development of new methodologies or new interpretations of existing data frameworks.
4. Reflection, Innovation and Creativity
Honours consists of a year of independent research that provides the environment and support for students to build on the independent learning skills developed during their undergraduate studies. During the Honours year, students will be mentored to become competent scientists with the ability to research new practices or literature, assess the quality and validity of new methods, and adapt to, or learn, new techniques. Students will be trained on, and gain expertise with, state-of-the-art instruments, software and processes used in biological sciences research (medical, biomedical, biotechnology and environmental sciences) and in industry, equipping them with the ability to apply their technical skills to new workplace or research scenarios. Students will also develop their ability to learn collaboratively with other scientists, an attribute necessary for continued career development in modern science, through participation in research group meetings, discussions of common problems in the laboratory, and sharing laboratory skills.
In order to generate new disciplinary knowledge or industry practice, Honours students will be mentored by their supervisors and senior research students to develop their ability to produce innovative methods or practices to address current limitations in the biological sciences (medical, biomedical, biotechnology and environmental science). As students gain research independence in their project, they will learn to independently seek and test solutions to unfamiliar problems they encounter during their project, as well as their project hypotheses, using literature or practical research.
5. Communication
The communication of a student's project findings are an essential part of the Honours year. Students will continue to develop and refine their written scientific communication skills by writing a technical scientific thesis and project proposal with concise literature review. Both written works require students to critically analyse and distill information from a variety of literature and data sources in a coherent body of work. Depending on their project, some students may also have the opportunity to collaborate on the drafting of a journal article. Students will also refine and advance their oral communication skills through the preparation and presentation of two project-related seminars.
Teaching and learning strategies
Guided learning and mentorship
Teaching and learning in the Honours course occurs on an individual level and is linked to the student's research project. Students will master crucial laboratory skills in formal training sessions with academics, professional research technical officers and/or senior postgraduate students. With assistance from their supervisors, students will learn other practices required in a research environment, such as preparing risk management plans, project plans, designing experiments, and research ethics. Supervisors will provide guidance and personalised feedback on assessments to help students learn academic writing, literature critique and presentation skills. Students may also request one-on-one meetings with their supervisors to discuss specific problems or progress. More detailed information on student feedback modes is presented in the Assessment Feedback section. As the student develops subject matter expertise, they are expected to develop more independence in their learning and responsibility for their project.
Independent learning
As students develop into independent researchers, they will be responsible for further developing their professional attributes and knowledge. Students will be responsible for providing draft work for critique in a timely manner, and providing regular updates to their supervisors. Students will also learn to use online resources such as scientific literature, webinars or tutorials to find solutions to project problems, develop a deeper understanding of their research topic and results, or select appropriate data analysis methods. Online support materials provided on CANVAS, and in the detailed Honours Program and Manual document available through CANVAS, are designed to complement the supervisors' guidance on literature review writing, presentation skills and general research practices.
Research group meetings and collaborative learning
All Honours students are an active part of their research group and are expected to show 'good citizenship' within their respective groups. Each research group has a different meeting calendar (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) and students should contact their supervisors for the schedule. Research group meetings are your main channel for receiving regular feedback and guidance from your supervisors and other research students. This includes attending and giving updates at group meetings and participating in other activities such as journal clubs or practice seminars, which will help you learn and refine critical review, scientific and presentation skills. Students will have the opportunity to learn from other students in their research group and assist others by providing or receiving project suggestions, assistance or feedback from each other. Students are encouraged to assist each other with day-to-day problems in the laboratory and to learn from senior research students in the laboratory.
Content (topics)
The content of each research project will be determined by the supervisory panel in consultation with the student. The initial project background and aims are published in the Honours project proposal booklet. Students are expected to work with their supervisors to prepare a project plan in the initial weeks of semester. Laboratory inductions and the risk management plan should be completed during the orientation period wherever possible as these processes are essential for gaining security access.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Proposal Seminar
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 2, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 5% |
| Criteria: | Students will be assessed on their ability to:
Details of the assessment criteria are available in the Honours Program Manual and available on CANVAS |
Assessment task 2: Project Proposal
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Literature review |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Criteria: | This first written assessment is designed to provide students the opportunity to receive formative feedback on their writing style from their supervisory panel and assessors, and refine their academic literacy skills prior to thesis preparation and submission. The project proposal will later form the basis for the first chapter of the thesis.
Details of the assessment criteria are available in the Honours Program Manual and available on CANVAS. |
Assessment task 3: Thesis
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Thesis |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 70% |
| Criteria: | Students will be assessed on your ability to:
Details of the assessment criteria are available in the Honours Program Manual and available on CANVAS. |
Assessment task 4: Final Seminar
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 2.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Criteria: | Students will be assessed on their ability to:
Details of the assessment criteria are available in the Honours Program Manual and available on CANVAS. |