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skills development
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COURSE AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Discovering Science is a wide-ranging course that introduces important scientific concepts and develops the skills needed to study science successfully. It introduces the disciplines of biology, chemistry, Earth sciences and physics and shows the links between them. Discovering Science is a Level 1 course designed both as a broad foundation for students who intend to study for a science degree, and as a stand-alone course for those who want to discover more about the science of the world around them. On successful completion of the course students will be awarded 60 points which can be counted towards a degree or other qualification.

Discovering Science is unique:

  • in the breadth of its content and in the ability range it caters for. The course brings together important elements of four science disciplines to teach a wide range of scientific topics and skills to students with little or no science background.
  • in the way it uses an interdisciplinary approach to present the coherence of science as a whole.
  • in the range of learning materials and teaching methods that it uses. As well as full colour books, students receive interactive DVD-ROMs, TV programmes, and a practical kit complete with rock specimens and fossil casts. In addition, students are allocated to regional tutors, and they can participate in computer conferences.
  • in the way all of these activities and materials form an integrated teaching package where each component is used for the purpose to which is most suited.
By studying this course, students should:
  • gain an appreciation of the distinctive nature of science - the things that distinguish it from other areas of study. Students will gain this appreciation by studying a range of topics, some of them drawn from single disciplines (biology, chemistry, Earth science and physics) and some which are interdisciplinary.
  • understand some of the key facts and principles that underpin science.
  • develop the skills required to become independent learners.
  • develop the skills that are needed for the effective learning of science.
  • develop or maintain an interest in and enthusiasm for science.
  • appreciate how scientific knowledge develops, and some of the major impacts of science on society.
  • recognize and appreciate the nature of the disciplines of biology, chemistry, Earth sciences and physics.
  • acquire enough knowledge and understanding of these disciplines to make informed decisions leading to successful study at a higher level.