Microbiology

written assignment and pressntation

Project description
1. SIGNMENT (TOTAL 30% OF UNIT MARK)
The aASssignment will be on a research topic related to an immunological disease, vaccination or other form of immune therapy. You can select your own topic, but please discuss your topic with your tutor during the lab/tute sessions. Topics will need to be chosen and approved by your tutor by Week 4.

The assignment will consist of two parts:
1. a written abstract (10%)- to be submitted in your laboratory session in Week 10
2. a short oral presentation (20%)- student presentations will be scheduled in the laboratory sessions in Weeks 11, 12 and 13.

You may work in pairs on a related topic, as long as each of you prepare a separate written assignment and oral presentation.
For example, a possible topic might be the pros and cons of vaccination, with one student researching the benefits of vaccination, and the other researching the risks involved with vaccination. Or one student may research an immunological disease and while the other researches possible forms of therapy for the same condition.

Written assignment
Your written assignment should be in the form of an abstract or summary of the topic you have selected (ideas for alternative formats may be discussed with your tutor). You should reference at least 3-4 relevant articles or review papers from journals or other reliable sources (i.e. not Wikipedia!). Referencing 3-4 sections of a textbook chapter will not count!

In general, the abstract should a have a standard format i.e.
1. An introduction or overview of the topic (2 marks)
2. A more detailed discussion of the immunological mechanisms of the disease or therapy being discussed, including any clinical implications (if any) (4 marks)
3. A conclusion where you might discuss future therapies or new directions for research in the field (2 marks)
4. Relevant in-text citations and reference list (1 mark)
5. Overall writing style and presentation (1 mark)
If your topic does not fit this format, or you would like to try something different (say a case study of a hypothetical patient), make sure this is approved by your tutor when the assignment topics are discussed in Week 4.

The maximum length of the assignment should be 1,000 words, or around 2 pages single spaced (4 pages double spaced). You may include relevant diagrams or pictures, but remember to acknowledge your sources and to refer to these figures in your text. You will need to submit a hard copy of the assignment in Week 10 during the lab/tute session, with an assignment cover page.

Oral Presentation
Your oral presentation should summarise the important points of the topic, and follow a similar structure to the written review. It should be 8-10 minutes long, with 2 minutes afterwards for questions. Your talks will be scheduled from Weeks 11-13 in your laboratory session. Please submit your slides as a powerpoint file (due in the week of your presentation). These will be posted on Blackboard for the rest of the class to review when revising for this unit. Marks for the presentation will be allocated as follows:
1. Content (4 marks)
2. Relevance to topic (2 marks)
3. Presentation style (2 marks)
4. Answers to questions (2 marks)
5. Powerpoint slides- content, clarity and originality (10%)
1. SIGNMENT (TOTAL 30% OF UNIT MARK)
The aASssignment will be on a research topic related to an immunological disease, vaccination or other form of immune therapy. You can select your own topic, but please discuss your topic with your tutor during the lab/tute sessions. Topics will need to be chosen and approved by your tutor by Week 4.

The assignment will consist of two parts:
1. a written abstract (10%)- to be submitted in your laboratory session in Week 10
2. a short oral presentation (20%)- student presentations will be scheduled in the laboratory sessions in Weeks 11, 12 and 13.

You may work in pairs on a related topic, as long as each of you prepare a separate written assignment and oral presentation.
For example, a possible topic might be the pros and cons of vaccination, with one student researching the benefits of vaccination, and the other researching the risks involved with vaccination. Or one student may research an immunological disease and while the other researches possible forms of therapy for the same condition.

Written assignment
Your written assignment should be in the form of an abstract or summary of the topic you have selected (ideas for alternative formats may be discussed with your tutor). You should reference at least 3-4 relevant articles or review papers from journals or other reliable sources (i.e. not Wikipedia!). Referencing 3-4 sections of a textbook chapter will not count!

In general, the abstract should a have a standard format i.e.
1. An introduction or overview of the topic (2 marks)
2. A more detailed discussion of the immunological mechanisms of the disease or therapy being discussed, including any clinical implications (if any) (4 marks)
3. A conclusion where you might discuss future therapies or new directions for research in the field (2 marks)
4. Relevant in-text citations and reference list (1 mark)
5. Overall writing style and presentation (1 mark)
If your topic does not fit this format, or you would like to try something different (say a case study of a hypothetical patient), make sure this is approved by your tutor when the assignment topics are discussed in Week 4.

The maximum length of the assignment should be 1,000 words, or around 2 pages single spaced (4 pages double spaced). You may include relevant diagrams or pictures, but remember to acknowledge your sources and to refer to these figures in your text. You will need to submit a hard copy of the assignment in Week 10 during the lab/tute session, with an assignment cover page.

Oral Presentation
Your oral presentation should summarise the important points of the topic, and follow a similar structure to the written review. It should be 8-10 minutes long, with 2 minutes afterwards for questions. Your talks will be scheduled from Weeks 11-13 in your laboratory session. Please submit your slides as a powerpoint file (due in the week of your presentation). These will be posted on Blackboard for the rest of the class to review when revising for this unit. Marks for the presentation will be allocated as follows:
1. Content (4 marks)
2. Relevance to topic (2 marks)
3. Presentation style (2 marks)
4. Answers to questions (2 marks)
5. Powerpoint slides- content, clarity and originality (10%)

Grade scale:merit.
This is for an Access to HE diploma