PLANT SC 7226WT - Molecular Plant Breeding
Waite Campus - Semester 1 - 2018
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code PLANT SC 7226WT Course Molecular Plant Breeding Coordinating Unit School of Agriculture, Food and Wine Term Semester 1 Level Postgraduate Coursework Location/s Waite Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 12 hours per week for 6 weeks Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Assumed Knowledge PLANT SC 7225WT Restrictions Available to Biotechnology (Plant Biotechnology) students only Assessment Final exam, tutorials, assignments, reports Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Diane Mather
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Understand and explain scientific principles behind plant cell and tissue culture, plant transformation, molecular markers and genome mapping. 2 Analyse information from plant molecular biology research and recognize its potential applications in crop improvement. 3 Synthesize information from plant molecular biology and plant breeding to design plant molecular breeding strategies. 4 Evaluate the relative merits of plant transformation, marker-assisted breeding and conventional phenotypic selection for particular situations. 5 Demonstrate skills in collaborative group learning processes, emergent technologies and the ability to apply these principles to a specified project. University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1,2,3,4 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
2,3,4 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
5 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
4,5 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Lab coats and closed-in shoes are required for laboratory work.
Prior to the course, students should read
- Tester, M & Langridge P 2010 ‘Breeding technologies to increase crop production in a changing world’ Science 327: 818-822. This article provides a short introduction to a range of molecular breeding technologies.
Recommended Resources
For additional background on molecular markers and marker-assisted selection, students may wish to read sections 20.1-20.5, 20.11 and 20.12 and Chapter 22 of the following book:
- Acquaah, G. 2012, Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding, 2nd edition, Blackwell Publishing, Malden.
- Xu, Y. 2010 'Gene transfer and genetically modified plants' Pp 458-500 In Xu, Y. (Ed.) Molecular Plant Breeding, CABI.
Online Learning
Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website. MyUni will be used extensively by academic staff and students . -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course includes a series of lectures, complemented by practical sessions and problem-based group learning sessions.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
A full-time student in a 3-unit course should expect to spend a total of 156 hours on their studies. This includes both the formal contact time required in the course (e.g. lectures, group work, practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g. reading, writing and revision).Learning Activities Summary
This course comprises of lecture, practicals and group work. It is delivered in intensive mode across six weeks, starting in the second half of the semester.Small Group Discovery Experience
The group problem-based learning project is a small group discovery experience. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome Group learning project Summative TBA 30% LO2-LO5 Active participation (mark to be assigned by course coordinator based on active participation in group work and other aspects of the course, taking into account the results of a peer assessment process for the group project) Summative TBA 5% LO2-LO5 Short assignments (0n-line questions posted on MyUni) Summative TBA 30% LO1 Final examination Summatvie TBA 35% LO1-LO4 Assessment Detail
Short assignments (30%)
During the course, students will be expected to answer short questions related to the course content. Questions and due dates will be posted on MyUni. One purpose of these assignments is to encourage students to keep up with the reading and lecture materials.
Group project (30%)
Students are assigned to work in groups, as consultants advising a client on the application of biotechnology to achieve a specific objective in plant breeding. Each group will prepare a report (up to 3000 words). Each report should include:
1. An executive summary
2. A brief introduction to the breeding objective
3. An introduction to the approach
4. A realistic plan for how the approach could be applied to this problem
5. A discussion of the advantages, disadvantages and risks associated with the approach
6. A list of recommendations that will be helpful to your client.
7. A list of references cited in the report
The group report will be assessed based on
* The extent to which it demonstrates a thorough understanding of the problem and the approach
* The scientific validity and feasibility of the recommended plan
* Professional presentation and clarity of the report )
* Whether the recommendations are logical and consistent with the information presented
* Whether the report uses references appropriately and thoroughly
Active participation (5%)
A mark will be assigned by course coordinator based on active participation in group work and other aspects of the course, taking into account the results of a peer assessment process for the group project.
Final examination (35%)
The final examination will be a three-hour written examination, with questions designed to assess students' understanding of the concepts covered in the course.
Submission
All written work is to be submitted via MyUni.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
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Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
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- Academic Support with writing and study skills
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- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
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Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
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- Intellectual Property Policy
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- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
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