Convenors: Dr Cris Brack * (Fenner School) &
Drs Rod Lamberts and Cathy Frazer (CPAS)

* Winner of VC Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2007

Students will explore ways in which experiments and other investigations can be made 'robust' - collecting and critically examining information about wildlife, plants and humans and the environments in which they occur. Analysis will involve graphical exploration, development of statistical methodology to facilitate good scientific decision making and effective presentation of results to technical and lay audiences.

Lectures lead students into the theory and practice of quantitative and qualitative analysis essential in research (2 x 1-hour lectures per week).

Practical / workshop sessions allow students to collect and analyse their own data on fauna, flora and humans. Field-based learning has been nominated as one of the strengths in this course (1 x 3-hour session per week; repeated for timetabling ease).

Proposed Assessment: continuous; including quizzes, write-up of a scientific experiment, analysis of literature, effective communication exercise. (No final exam).

Text Book: None prescribed. WebCT is used extensively to provide material to support the lectures and practicals, and links to other resources.

Prerequisites: None.

Further information see StudyAt: SRES1003