| Unit name | Geomicrobiology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC30051 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1B (weeks 7 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Buss |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
All mandatory units in Year 1 of an Environmental Geoscience or Palaeontology and Evolution programme. EASC20043 Geochemistry 1 or equivalent knowledge. Students who have not taken EASC20043 should contact the unit director before registering for this unit. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse forms of life and they inhabit nearly every environment on Earth from the atmosphere to several km into the crust. Microorganisms are integral components of Earth’s elemental cycles; they cause some environmental problems but also can be used as sustainable solutions to environmental and industrial issues.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The 2nd year unit EASC20024 Geobiology covers the co-evolution of Earth and life through geologic time, including microorganisms as well as higher life forms. Following on from that foundation, EASC30051 Geomicrobiology focuses solely on microorganisms and how they shape the world around us now, emphasising the processes by which they create or contribute to Earth processes, characteristics, and environmental problems and solutions.
An overview of content
This unit uses lectures, practicals, and reading to help you learn about the microbial habitats on Earth, the wide variety of microbial metabolisms, how cell surfaces react with their environments, how minerals are formed and destroyed by microorganisms, and the roles of microorganisms in biogeochemical zonation, pollution and remediation of contaminated sites.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will better appreciate and understand the importance and roles of microorganisms in shaping our planet and environment and their utility in environmental and industrial applications.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit you will be able to:
You will learn by investigating scenarios and problems, drawing on knowledge and information obtained from lectures, group formative practical activities, in class discussions, office hours, and reading. This approach will prepare you to synthesise information from a range of sources to interpret data, solve problems, and design strategies in your future study or employment, whether directly related to geomicrobiology or not.
The unit will run for 5 weeks with lectures delivered in short, asynchronous videos and twice weekly, 2-hour, in-person practicals, with a larger proportion of the learning done in the practical sessions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Problem sets, data analysis and interpretation activities in practicals. You will work in small groups and results will be discussed as a class with immediate feedback.
In class quizzes and group challenges.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
2-hour exam (100%)
When assessment does not go to plan
The University’s Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC30051).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
