Unit rationale, description and aim
The ability to reason numerically is fundamental to the practice of science. All science involves some or all of measurement, mathematical manipulation and analysis of measurements, interpretation and presentation of numerical data, and drawing conclusions from numerical data.
The focus of the unit is heavily towards the conceptual understanding and practical use of mathematical tools rather than as a study of these as an end in themselves. The approach is therefore one of applied mathematics, with a particular emphasis on spreadsheet-based numerical techniques. Students will engage with authentic problems in biomedical science and learn to identify and use appropriate mathematical tools to solve them. Effective communication of the techniques used, the results obtained, and conclusions reached, are also fundamental to this unit of study.
This aim of this unit is to provide students with the skills and knowledge to understand and make informed choices about the foundational tools of mathematics broadly encountered in the practice of biomedical science.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Use algebraic and graphical reasoning to describe ...
Learning Outcome 01
Use techniques and concepts from algebra, probabil...
Learning Outcome 02
Describe and discuss the appropriate tools that ma...
Learning Outcome 03
Use a spreadsheet as a computational tool to imple...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Measurements and errors
- Mathematical expressions
- Functions and graphs
- Linear & polynomial
- Exponential & logarithmic
- Sinusoidal
- Number techniques for differentiation and integration
- Probability
- Descriptive statistics
- Data modelling
Assessment strategy and rationale
While Year 12 maths or equivalent is a requirement for course entry, students bring with them varying levels of confidence and comfort with respect to this area of study. Some students have previously undertaken calculus-based courses while others have completed maths methods-type courses. This presents a particular challenge for this unit of study which aims to bring all students to a level where they can understand and implement - at a basic level - the concepts and techniques commonly used in science.
The unit is designed to provide enough time for students with less background to master the more difficult concepts while simultaneously providing enough challenge and extension for students with a more sophisticated maths background.
The problem-based learning utilised in workshops contains a number of graded and open-ended problems that require solution. Students investigate and solve these in small groups, but as individuals write a short report that includes an outline of the issues, the methods used to solve the problems, the results and conclusions reached and any meta-thinking regarding the problem-solving process.
Some of the problems presented in workshops are designated “Core”, and these require foundational skills that must be completed by all students in order to achieve a Pass. Each workshop topic also contains “Extension” problems, which require deeper investigation. Students are given a choice of whether and which of these to undertake. This means the pathway to a passing achievement is clear to all students, while allowing some students to choose to pursue more sophisticated lines of enquiry and/or multiple approaches to solutions. Four of these reports are submitted for formative and summative feedback. The first of these submissions has a lower weight than the others to support students by having a lower-stakes early assessment task.
In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve a final grade of 50% or more to demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes.
Overview of assessments
Report 1: Students are required to communicate sa...
Report 1: Students are required to communicate satisfactory mastery of foundational skills involved in problem solving. They have the choice to also demonstrate higher-level skills by the investigative solutions of more difficult problems and communicate their results in more integrated and sophisticated ways.
10%
Report 2: Students are required to communicate sa...
Report 2: Students are required to communicate satisfactory mastery of foundational skills involved in problem solving. They have the choice to also demonstrate higher-level skills by the investigative solutions of more difficult problems and communicate their results in more integrated and sophisticated ways.
30%
Report 3: Students are required to communicate sa...
Report 3: Students are required to communicate satisfactory mastery of foundational skills involved in problem solving. They have the choice to also demonstrate higher-level skills by the investigative solutions of more difficult problems and communicate their results in more integrated and sophisticated ways.
30%
Report 4: Students are required to communicate sa...
Report 4: Students are required to communicate satisfactory mastery of foundational skills involved in problem solving. They have the choice to also demonstrate higher-level skills by the investigative solutions of more difficult problems and communicate their results in more integrated and sophisticated ways.
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit of study is centred around a problem-based approach to learning. Each week, students in small groups within a 3-hour workshop investigate a set of science problems around an authentic theme or scenario. As a group, and facilitated by a tutor, they engage with these problems and use an investigative and often experimental approach to find solutions. The problems are structured in such a way to allow an easy entry into solutions, while often also allowing multiple mathematical techniques and pathways to those solutions. Furthermore, the problems in each workshop are graded, containing certain "Core" elements that are required by all students and "Extension" elements thatgive students the choice to develop and demonstrate more sophisticated thinking.
Online material available before the workshops will include a problem-setting scenario giving the context and rationale for the week.
Help on the relevant mathematical tools will also be available online. The teaching and learning in this format is therefore not structured around mathematical themes or topics, but rather authentic issues faced by biomedical scientists.