module specification

This module will address reasoning in social sciences and humanities, written communication in English and reasoning in biological and physical sciences. Students will be exposed to advanced use of language and vocabulary, learn grammatical skills along with expression and interpretive skills to enable plausible critical analysis. Students will also study scientific reasoning and data analysis in biology, chemistry and fundamental physics. Students will learn key employability skills and develop focused portfolios to enable them to apply for graduate entry medicine.
The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s, Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This module aims to provide students with the skills to apply for medical school via the GAMSAT route. To develop qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of some personal responsibility. These aspects are intended to enhance both the student experience and pedagogic quality of the provision. The development of study skills together with the ability to critically analyse both socio cultural and personal issues alongside rapid, accurate analysis of scientific information.  Professional issues will also be integrated into the module via PDP. The transferable skills t developed will not only enable students to derive maximum benefit from their chosen courses of study, but to also allow them to consolidate and inculcate these in preparation for employment and employability through their preparation and application to Medical School via GAMSAT

Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences: Understand and critically analyse a text or cartoon. Present a persuasive argument, understand symbolism, analogy and irony. Effective use of information sources: research; appropriate retrieval (interpretation, abstraction and summary of information).  Attribution of source material: citation of published and unpublished (or anecdotal) material. Written communication: (including ‘chat-room’/post-webinar submissions and classical literature) and oral formats: essays; Skills to allow students to make judgements using plausible reasoning. Data: word processing, use of spreadsheets and graphical presentation (scatter plots and display of summary statistics; regression analyses, t-distributions and t-tests).
Biology: Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Organism, Membrane Traffic, Cell Division, Enzymatic Activity, Metabolic Pathways, Cellular Metabolism
Muscular and Skeletal Systems, Digestive Tract, Respiratory and Circulatory System, Systolic/Diastolic Blood Pressure, Immune System
Homeostasis, Endocrine System, Nervous System, Molecular Genetics
Evolution, Mendelian Genetics
Chemistry: Periodic Table (Electronegativity, Atomic Weights, Electron Affinity
Ionisation Energy, Types of Elements, Chemistry of Groups), Reaction Types
(Types of Chemical Reactions, Ionic Equations, Neutralisation Reactions, Applications of Stoichiometry, Titration), Balancing Equations, Bonding (Covalent and Ionic Bonds, Hybridisation, Molecular Orbitals), Intermolecular Forces, Chemical Kinetics (Reaction Mechanisms, Reaction Rates, Reaction Orders, Efficiency of Reactions, Factors Affecting Reaction Rate, Equilibrium
Law of Mass Action, Equilibrium Constant), Phases of Matter (Ideal Gas Law,
Gas Phase, Real Gasses, Ideal Gases, Boyle's Law, Gay Lussac, Avogadro's Principle), Solutions, Acids and Bases (Strong Acids and Bases, Hydrogen Ion Equilibria, Weak Acids and Bases, Applications of Ka and Kb, Amphoteric Species, Buffers, Polyprotic Acids and Bases), Electrochemistry Redox (Oxidation and Reduction, Electrochemical Cells, Electrolytic Cells, Electro Charge Designations, Electromotive Force, Reduction Potentials), Organic Chemistry nomenclature, Alkanes, Alkenes, Alkynes, Alcohols and Ethers, Aromatic Compounds, Aldehydes and Ketones, Stereochemistry (Structural Isomerism, Stereo Isomerism, Geometric Isomers and Chirality, Fisher Projections), Carboxylic Acids, Hydrolysis and Dehydration, Amino Acids and Proteins, Carbohydrates
Physics: Basic Units/Kinematics (Projectile Motion, Motion Equations, Displacement/Time/Acceleration Graphs, Vectors/Trigonometry), Newtonian Mechanics (Force/Mass/Weight, Laws of Motion, Momentum), Force and Inertia (Force Equations, Momentum/Impulse), Thermodynamics (Heat Transfer, Gibbs Free Energy, Hess's Law, Entropy, Enthalpy, Calorimetry), Fluids/Solids (Density and Pressure, Pascal's Principle), Electrostatics (Charges, Colombs Law, Electric Fields, Electric Potential, Equi-Potential Lines, Electric Potential Energy), Magnetism (Magnetic Field, Force on a Moving Charge, Current, Force on a Current Carrying Wire, Sources of a Magnetic Field), Circuits (Direct Current Resistance, Circuit Laws, Capacitors and Dieletrics), Periodic Motion/Waves/Sound (Simple Harmonic Motion, Principles of Superposition and Phase, Characteristics of Sound and Intensity), Light and Optics (Reflection, Mirrors, Refraction), Nuclear Physics, (Atomic Number, Mass Number, Isotope, Nuclear Reactions/Decay)
Plagiarism and Scientific Fraud: definition, implications and penalties. 

Identification of the development of transferable skills for employment. Professional issues: empathy and understanding of others, career opportunities; professional qualifications; production and maintenance of personal profile; curriculum vitae; letters of application.

Learning Outcome LO1 - LO6

The module will be summatively assessed by three x 1hr progress tests and a personal portfolio (2000 words), consisting of a CV, personal statement, letter of application for a job and medical school.  Students’ ability to solve pre-determined GAMSAT style problems will also be assessed.  The mathematical concepts that underpin the discipline of data handling will be integrated into all aspects of the module. Feedback sessions will be used to reiterate key concepts of the curriculum.  Dedicated sessions will be allocated to the production of the PDP (PDP will be delivered through specific tutorials and seminars embedded in the module timetable), where students’ will be encouraged to conduct a detailed analysis of their activities and apply techniques to help them enhance productivity whilst managing multiple tasks.

On successful completion of this module the students will be able to:
1. Apply logical and informed reasoning, interpretation and argument in social sciences and humanities using a wide vocabulary and developed current and classical cultural knowledge.
2. Demonstrate a high level of written communication skills with a deep understanding of socio-cultural issues and a highly developed sense of empathy.
3. Show application of accurate and informed scientific reasoning to scientific data in biological and physical sciences including key areas of biology, general and organic chemistry and fundamental physics.
4. Have developed an understanding of future possible career paths and the opportunities provided through subject study and extra-curricular activities with a particular focus on medical school.
5. Demonstrate personal development in the areas of professional practice, personal development, data analysis and transferable skills.
6. Have developed experience in exam techniques and enabled for entry to medicine (through the GAMSAT route) or other degrees such as Dentistry

The module will be assessed through the combination of a series of progress tests (3 x 1hr) and a Personal Portfolio consisting of a personal statement, CV and application for a job and medical school. To pass the module, students need to achieve a minimum aggregate mark of 40%

Assignment                                                 Learning Outcomes
1. Progress Test 1                                       3,6
2. Progress Test 2                                       3,6
3. Progress Test 3                                       3,6
4. Personal Portfolio                                    1, 2, 4, 5

CORE:
Johnson, S., and Scott, J., (2014), Study and Communication Skills for the Biosciences (2nd edition), OUP.
Anderson, J. and Poole, M., (2001), Assignment and Thesis Writing (4th Edition), Wiley
Peck, J. and Coyle, M., (2005), The Student´s Guide to Writing (2nd Edition), Palgrave Macmillan
Peck, J. and Coyle, M., (2005), Write It Right, (2nd Edition), Palgrave Macmillan
Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences
F Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Sebastian Haffner: Defying Hitler
Matthew Kneale: English Passengers
Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist
Ian Hamilton: The Penguin Book of Twentieth Century Essays
Bill Bryson: A Short History of Nearly Everything
Helen Keller: The story of my life.
AC Grayling: The Meaning of Things
Ben Dupre: 50 Big Ideas
The Guardian/Times/Observer

Websites
http://www.ted.com
https://gamsat.acer.org/prepare/preparation-materials
https://readtheory.org/welcome/register
https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/175725