NES1200 : Academic and Professional Skills
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Helen Gray
- Lecturer: Dr Andrew Beard, Professor Andrew Benniston, Mr Ryan Woodward, Dr Ankush Prashar, Dr Helen Adamson, Miss Laura Messenger
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aim of this module is to:
• Enable students to develop the fundamental academic, statistical and professional skills required to be
successful in their university studies.
• Provide students with opportunities to develop and practice these skills in the context of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and within the context of the accompanying modules NES1201
Introduction to Sustainability and NES1100 Sustainability in Practice.
• Provide the opportunity for students to develop team working and researching skills.
Outline Of Syllabus
The syllabus will include topics such as:
• Scientific methods and experimental hypothesis design
• Basic data manipulation, interpretation, data analysis and presentation
• Digital and information literacies: finding and evaluation information for research tasks
• Academic writing, referencing and essay structures
• Scientific communication techniques
• Use and generation of constructive feedback
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Preparation for MCQ assessment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | MCQ assessment completion |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Presentation Preparation (group work) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Practical sessions to include MS Office Skills and sourcing and referencing information |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 30 | 2:00 | 60:00 | Review of online materials and engagement with worked examples |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 7 | 1:00 | 7:00 | Tutorials, including delivery of formative and summative presentation assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 74:00 | 74:00 | Independent study |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
In semester 1 students will work in groups (SO2) to present a PowerPoint on a relevant topic (KO1). They will receive lectures and practical sessions to develop their MS Office skills (SO5), and to learn about sourcing and referencing information (SO1). In tutorials they will critically assess their skills and former work against assessment criteria.
Core and supplementary material for this module (e.g. lecture slides, practicals, datasets and videos) will offer students the required resources to 1) gain an understanding on what statistical techniques can be used to understand and solve research questions and 2) learn how to use key statistical techniques in data analysis.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | A | 60 | MCQs (statistical analysis) |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | 40 | 5 minute group presentation |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | Presentation updates |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The presentation assesses students on their group working skills as well as on synthesis and presentation of information.
The formative assessment provides groups with the opportunity to receive feedback on their presentation prior to submission.
The exam will test students' knowledge of statistical tests (KO3) as well as testing their knowledge on when to use them and their interpretation (KO3, KO4, KO5).
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES1200's Timetable