BIOL30030
Source: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=BIOL30030&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026 Parent: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=BGS4&AUDIENCE=
Academic Year 2025/2026
Working with Biological Data (BIOL30030)
Subject: : Biology
College: : Science
School: : Biology & Environment Science
Level: : 3 (Degree)
Credits: : 5
Module Coordinator: : Assoc Professor Jonathan Yearsley
Trimester: : Spring
Mode of Delivery: : Blended
Internship Module: : No
How will I be graded? : Letter grades
Curricular information is subject to change.
This module aims to equip you with the skills to professionally interpret and communicate technical information in the life and environmental sciences. \ \ Topics covered include the data management, data visualisation, statistical modelling, design and analysis of biological and environmental experiments, introduction to linear models and hypothesis testing using R.\ \ Students will require their own laptops.\
About this Module
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What will I learn?
Learning Outcomes:
Learning Outcomes:\ 1. Organise and manipulate data on a computer;\ 2. Design a biological / environmental experiment, taking due account of independence, allocation of replicates and controls; \ 3. Fit and validate a statistical model to biological data;\ 4. Test a null-hypothesis using a fitted statistical model;\ 5. Accurately communicate data using graphs, tables and written text;\ 6. Answer research questions and draw strong defensible conclusions using statistical data analysis. \ \ Skills:\ The module will contribute towards the development of the following skills:\ • Effective presentation and writing of technical information\ • Transparency and collaboration on data analysis projects (open science)\ • Spreadsheet (Excel), R statistical language and general computer skills\
How will I learn?
Student Effort Hours:
| Student Effort Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 5 |
| Practical | 19 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 93 |
| Online Learning | 8 |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 125 |
\
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
A mixture of lectures, practicals and online learning
Am I eligible to take this module?
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Not applicable to this module.
\
Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module. \ \
How will I be assessed?
Assessment Strategy
| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam (Open Book): 2 hour open book exam on data analysis and experimental design. | End of trimester Duration: 2 hr(s) | Graded | No | 50 | No |
| Practical Skills Assessment: Online test on data analysis in R | Week 12 | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 20 | No |
| Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class exercises | Week 2, Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10 | Pass/Fail Grade Scale | No | 30 | No |
\
Carry forward of passed components
Yes
\
What happens if I fail?
| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
|---|---|
| Summer | No |
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. \
Assessment feedback
Feedback Strategy/Strategies
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment\ • Group/class feedback, post-assessment\ • Online automated feedback\
How will my Feedback be Delivered?
Practice online tests give formative feedback prior to the final online tests. Individual feedback on online tests and the final exam is available by contacting the module coordinator.
Reading List
Beckerman, Childs and Petchey (2017) Getting started with R : an introduction for biologists (Oxford University Press, Oxford) [electronic resource] http://library.ucd.ie/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2147070\ \ Crawley (2015) Statistics : an introduction using R (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, London) [electronic resource] http://library.ucd.ie/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2103637\ \ Raykov and Marcoulides (2013) Basic statistics : an introduction with R (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Plymouth). [electronic resource] http://library.ucd.ie/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1961859\ \ Barnard, Gilbert and McGregor (2011) Asking questions in biology: a guide to hypothesis testing, experimental design and presentation in practical work and research projects (Pearson) [electronic resource] http://library.ucd.ie/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1880444\ \ Ruxton and Colegrave (2016) Experimental design for the life sciences (Oxford University Press, Oxford)\ \ Underwood AJ (1997) Experiments in ecology: their logical design and interpretation using analysis of variance. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge).\ \ \ \
Associated Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Dr Paul Brooks | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
| Dr Darrin Hulsey | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
| Dr Adam Kane | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
| Dr Marcin Penk | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
| Chloe Ashley | Tutor |
| Marcela Diaz Rivadeneira | Tutor |
| Jacques Walter Olivier | Tutor |
When is this module offered?
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
| Spring | Workshop | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | Mon 10:00 - 10:50 |
| Spring | Workshop | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 23, 24, 25, 26 | Tues 12:00 - 12:50 |
| Spring | Workshop | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | Tues 12:00 - 13:50 |