NES2300 : Field Identification Skills
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Mark Whittingham
- Lecturer: Dr Mark Shirley, Dr Roy Sanderson, Professor Stephen Rushton
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
- Capacity limit: 50 student places
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To provide a concentrated training in the field and laboratory skills required to identify a variety of species in the British fauna.
Each student will take BOTH the insect and bird courses.
Outline Of Syllabus
Entomology: collection, curation and identification of insects using taxonomic keys;
Ornithology: field identification of birds by sight using field guides, with demonstrations of identification in the wild, from photos and in the hand (captured for ringing); capture, inspection and ringing;
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Non-synchronous introduction to on-line course |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 19:00 | 19:00 | Preparation revision material for birds and insects. Students need to ID birds and insects. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 10 | 8:00 | 80:00 | Each student completes two in person field courses. |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The timing of these weeks between academic years allows for the intensity of work required to train students in taxonomic expertise, whilst the weeks are selected as the best times of year in which to find the target taxa in the field with relative ease and in diverse forms.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 1 | M | 100 | Each taxa assessment comprises a combination of class test, specimen collection and field notebook (not all types are included for each taxa). |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 1 | M | Multiple practice tests (similar format to final assessment) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Students are required to spend some time preparing for the activities each day and for the end of unit test.
Students take two units (Birds and Insects) with each unit being assessed by a combination of the following (a subset of these are used for some units, e.g. no collections of birds) tests, collections and/or field notebooks. The exact composition of the assessment differs between units depending on the subject. The tests will assess knowledge of the identity of common species and the ability to identify others using keys and field guides.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES2300's Timetable