Fowler, Cohen & Jarvis, 1999. Practical Statistics for Field Biology. Wiley.
Barnard, Gilbert & McGregor, 2001. Asking Questions in Biology. Prentice Hall..
Curwin & Slater, 2004. Quantitative Methods. Thompson.

Students themselves, under the guidance of academic tutor, will identify additional (principally) primary literature.

Career and employers literature in the Careers Service library.
Virtual learning materials by the Careers Service via Staffordshire University web server. Set of AGCAS careers videos stored in the Sciences Learning Resource Centre.

Summative
1. Careers Case Study group presentation and peer assessment exercise (25%) - to explain and justify their business plan for the scientific start up company or scientific research grant proposal covered in the case study materials. [4 and 5]

2. Personal Development Portfolio (25%) - to include a reflective commentary on what was learnt about graduate recruitment strategies and techniques for the case study and the implications of that learning for the management of their own future career plans; an outline of their career aspirations and an explanation of how their choice of final year project might support those aspirations; a CV and covering letter targeted to an actual job vacancy to demonstrate their ability to apply their learning. [1 and 2]

3. Project Plan (50%) - 2000 words to introduce and scientifically justify the chosen research project and to include detailed methodology, design and appropriate planning. [3, 4]

General Field assessment criteria apply; in addition specific criteria are highlighted in module handbook.

Formative
Statistical exercises and peer-assessed activities together with more generic formative guidance given on all aspects of the assessments, via discussions in the small-group activities and in the whole-class plenaries.

Computers with WWW access.
VHS video cassette viewing facilities;
Networked PC workstation with access to Blackboard;
Up-to-date and relevant career and employer literature
Access to 'Statistics for the Terrified' computer aided tutorials

The module will be delivered by a combination of plenary and workshop sessions (24 hrs), directed independent problem-solving/tasks, to include distributed learning material (74 hrs), computerised self-study tutorials (20 hrs) and individual tutorials with project tutor (2hrs minimum). The workshops and directed problem-solving will cover the majority of the material including generic project issues, specific project information will occur within the individual tutorials. The remaining Independent Study time (30 hrs) will be used to prepare the assignments

Most staff will be from Applied Sciences but some plenary sessions will be led by Careers Service Advisers and invited external speakers wherever possible.

This module has been designed to provide and/or develop your current skill set in relation to your further professional development and employment.

It will help the development of key (transferable) skills and your awareness and application of these skills to career planning including techniques linked to opportunity awareness, opportunity research, decision making, marketing yourself and action planning. In addition it will enhance your specific scientific research skills and provide the basis for further development of your research practitioner skills.

To help fully explore your development in a professional scientific capacity a number of themes are investigated and discussed; scientific questioning, hypothesis framing, experimental design, project planning and ethics, techniques for information gathering, evaluation and use, the development of numerical data handling and analysis including selection of appropriate statistical treatments, scientific writing and the presentation of data in varied and appropriate formats.

In addition a number of sessions will be specifically devoted to direct preparation for the level 3 independent Research Project, including topic choice, discussion of design with tutor, health & safety considerations and requisitioning of materials. By the end of the module you will have selected, planned and organised an experimental programme of work that will normally form the basis of your Level 3 undergraduate project. Your project will be compatible with your academic and career aspirations and will be developed under the guidance of an assigned academic tutor, substantially within this module.