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UCSCIBIO017.5 ECTSEnglishBachelor

That's Life: Biology Today

Faculteit—
NiveauBachelor
Studiejaar2026-2027

Beschrijving

Course goals

After completing this course students are able to:
  1. Read critically and separate pseudoscience from reliable information
  2. Explain the basic principles of biology to non-biologists (DNA, inheritance, cell functioning and replication, basics of functioning of the human body, evolution, biodiversity, basics of ecology, major threats to the environment such as climate change)
  3. Give examples of how biology plays a role in our daily life and contemporary social issues
  4. Formulate an educated opinion on current societal issues from biological perspective (e.g. climate change, use of GMO)

Relationship between assessment and learning goals:

Written assignment is related to objective 1
Science fair assignment is related to objectives 2 and 3
Exams* are related to objective 3 and 4
Debate assignment is related to objective 2 and 4
*[Students who plan to follow the biology track by enrolling to level 1 biology courses (i.e. UCSCIBIO11 and UCSCIBIO13) must get a minimum of C- average from the two exams in this course as well as complete the course at C- or above.]

 

Content

This course is primarily designed for students in the Humanities or Social Sciences with no previous education in Biology. It may also serve as a remedial course for students with a high school Biology background insufficient for entering a regular level 1 Biology course.
The course centers around five major themes:
  • Fundamentals of life
  • Genes and evolution
  • Biotechnology
  • Essential body functions
  • Environmental and societal issues related to biology
Studying these topics allows students to gain knowledge and understanding of a wide variety of fundamental biological principles and concepts.

Format
This course does not have a coursebook.  Students are expected to study  material curated by the course instructor and posted online via Brightspace in preparation for the class sessions. This material can consist of a mixture of videos, podcasts, popular science texts, academic texts, and other media that support a fundamental understanding of the subject at hand. In-class learning is facilitated by workshops, review and problem solving, oral presentations, discussions, and debate. Student learning is assessed via two exams, an essay, a science fair style presentation, and a debate on the use of recent biotechnological developments in tackling global issues.
 

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