Online Biology 2023-2024

The Biology Access Course will cover a wide range of themes in line with the Advanced Higher Biology syllabus. The course encompasses subject areas such as proteins, sexual reproduction and parasitism. However, the course has an emphasis on scientific skill development, provisioning you with a core understanding of scientific method, experimental design, data analysis and presentation, as well as enhancing skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.

You will expand your current knowledge, enhance your scientific skillset and develop your interest in biology, as well as prepare to study independently at university level. Learning outcomes and skills will be embedded in the materials and activities. Teaching and learning will be solely online and involve engaging lectures and practical exercises.

This course is only available to students entering directly into Level 2 or Level 3 of a Biological Sciences degree.

This course will introduce you to the basics of ecology – the relationships between living things and the environment around them.  You’ll look also study the relevance of ecology to current land management and conservation issues.

Lecture recordings, set readings and structured activities will provide you with content and a framework to develop an understanding of the subject area.

Regular online assessments will provide you with feedback on your learning achievements and help you to structure your revision.

Practical assignments will provide you with opportunities to strengthen your skills in manipulating, summarising and presenting quantitative data.

A final summative report will give you the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills you have acquired.

The course will help you develop or consolidate skills in experimental design, sampling, analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data.

Each week, there are one 1-2 recorded introductory lectures to help you prepare for the computer practicals. In two 2-hour sessions per week you will work through a series of computer-based data tasks, using relevant and realistic biological and environmental themes. The course will introduce you to different types of software which can be used to analyse data, including Excel, Minitab, and R studio.

Teaching is informal and friendly. During sessions, staff will chat to you about your progress and provide help where necessary.

Lecture recordings, set readings and structured activities will provide you with content and a framework to develop an understanding of ecological concepts and theory.

Case studies and detailed examples will illustrate the relevance of the ecological theory and concepts across a diversity of terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems, and across scales, from populations to communities to ecosystems.

Regular online assessments will provide you with feedback on your learning achievements and help you to structure your revision.

Structured writing activities will provide you with opportunities to apply your learning and to receive detailed feedback to help you develop essential writing and interpretation skills.

A final exam will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your competence across a range of ecological topics.