Postgraduate Course: Planning Applied Interdisciplinary Research in Biodiversity, Wildlife and Ecosystem Health (BIME11179)

Course Outline
School	Deanery of Biomedical Sciences	College	College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course type	Online Distance Learning	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	The purpose of this course is for you to collate and synthesise your postgraduate learning to make and share a plan for an independent applied interdisciplinary research project. Using a problem-based approach you will identify a current real-world issue within the general themes of the Masters programme and generate ideas for how you might approach this problem from an interdisciplinary perspective. You will be expected to draw on your learning in the first two years of study to look in an innovative way at your chosen issue.
Course description	Interdisciplinarity, that is embracing 'holism' over 'reductionism', is considered a crucial factor in the development of successful solutions to current and significant real-world problems related to environmental resilience and sustainability. It is vital that good quality research findings from across academic disciplines are used to support evidence-based actions, to ensure they are both appropriate and impactful. This course will guide you to apply your accrued postgraduate interdisciplinary learning to identify and suggest a solution to a current real-world problem in keeping with the themes of the Masters programme, such as species decline, ecosystem health/resilience or impacts of environmental decline on people. Once identified, you will explore this problem in detail, analysing it in the context of your learning across disciplines and will plan an extended research project to come up with an evidence-based solution. You will be supported by a designated Academic Tutor throughout the course but you are encouraged to also seek feedback from other members of the programme team, your professional colleagues or personal contacts, and also your programme peers.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2023/24, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Block 2 (Sem 1)
Course Start Date	23/10/2023
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Online Activities 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 81 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework 100 %, made up of the following components: Written Concept Note 80% Online Presentation 20%
Feedback	Formative feedback will be provided to students on all pieces of assessed work, collectively through the use of open online discussion fora (where students can seek general guidance on each assignment) and 1:1 in discussion with the designated Academic Tutor. Summative Feedback will be provided electronically on all pieces of assessed work within 15 working days of submission.
No Exam Information

Academic year 2023/24, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Block 3 (Sem 2)
Course Start Date	15/01/2024
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Online Activities 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 81 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework 100 %, made up of the following components: Written Concept Note 80% Online Presentation 20%
Feedback	Formative feedback will be provided to students on all pieces of assessed work, collectively through the use of open online discussion fora (where students can seek general guidance on each assignment) and 1:1 in discussion with the designated Academic Tutor. Summative Feedback will be provided electronically on all pieces of assessed work within 15 working days of submission.
No Exam Information

Academic year 2023/24, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Block 4 (Sem 2)
Course Start Date	26/02/2024
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Online Activities 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 81 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Coursework 100 %, made up of the following components: Written Concept Note 80% Online Presentation 20%
Feedback	Formative feedback will be provided to students on all pieces of assessed work, collectively through the use of open online discussion fora (where students can seek general guidance on each assignment) and 1:1 in discussion with the designated Academic Tutor. Summative Feedback will be provided electronically on all pieces of assessed work within 15 working days of submission.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Independently research and synthesise accrued knowledge to identify and analyse a current, real-world problem. Critically apply your interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to propose a creative response to this problem. Effectively communicate the problem to an appropriate audience.

Reading List
You will plan to conduct independent research based on your specific interests and prior learning, and will thus generate your own, highly individual list of relevant source materials.

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills	You will further develop your skills in research and enquiry by identifying and creatively tackling a real-world problem, drawing from your prior learning and seeking new resources to support your ideas. You will develop personal and intellectual autonomy by choosing your own problem to investigate, one that is of relevance to you in a personal or professional capacity. You will develop your personal effectiveness by setting your own goals and managing your time to make best use of the learning opportunities available to you.
Keywords	Interdisciplinary,ecosystem,environment,sustainability,conservation,application,real-world

Contacts
Course organiser	Mr Andrew Irving Tel: Email: airving2@ed.ac.uk	Course secretary	Mr Andrew Le Tissier Tel: (0131 6)51 4075 Email: Andrew.LeTissier@ed.ac.uk