Plant Biology (BIOL2203)

Course overview

Plants are integral to life on our planet. They provide oxygen, habitat, food, energy and materials. The focus on plants and their roles in the future bioeconomy is intensifying as countries are transitioning to become carbon neutral. Course participants will dive deep into the current knowledge of plant biology - spanning from evolution, ecology, conservation, agriculture to biotechnology. Topics include plant biodiversity and function, adaptation to environments, interactions with beneficial and pathogenic organisms, and improvement for human uses. The wide-ranging roles and uses of plants are explored with view of food and a sustainable future. Participants experience hands-on activities, from interactive lectures and discussions, to workshops, practicals and networking with world-class plant biologists.

Our planet is largely driven by biological processes and plants have shaped Earth for over 400 million years. Plant biologists find solutions to current challenges: restore habitat and protect

biodiversity,ﾠadapt to and reverse climate change, produce more food more sustainably, and exploring a botanical treasure trove of over 350,000 species.

Plant Biology knowledge is foundational if you are training for a career in ecology and conservation, environmental sciences, agriculture or biotechnology. The teaching team are experts in their specialisations and combine interactive lectures with inquiry-based and student-focused learning and hands-on skills. BIOL2203 uses UQ Edge with online material for self-evaluation. Weekly pracs explore plant evolution, biodiversity and biogeography, anatomy and plant identification,ﾠresponse to changing environments,ﾠsterile and molecular laboratory technique, plant pathogens and biotechnology. You willﾠdesign and carry out experiments,ﾠanalyseﾠandﾠcommunicate your research. Pracs make up 60%ﾠof courseﾠmarks, exams 40%.ﾠ

STUDENT FEEDBACK

Peter Brennan (Bachelor of Science) -ﾠMy favourite course at UQ so far! A great introduction to all aspects of plant science and fungal biology. The pracs were very hands-on and lots of fun!

Ryan Zujic (Bachelor of Science)ﾠ -ﾠBIOL2203 is an engaging introduction to the hugely diverse world of plant biology. Great content, lecturers and fair assessments made a highly rewarding course, given you put in the work and got involved. ..to better understand and appreciate the weird and wonderful biology of plant ...to addressing global challenges.

Timothy Clark (Bachelor of Environmental Science) - the course was quite different to what I had expected. I had imagined it would be rather dreary, but instead, it was lively and entertaining. In the lab, we could design our own experiment, choosing the variables and following low it all the way through to collecting results. We were expertly guided by the course team of dedicated teachers and tutors,ﾠwho, it has to be said, are some of the most easily approachable and enthusiastic ones that I have come across at UQ. On the whole, a thoroughly enjoyable subject that made me really appreciate just how important plants are. Upon reflection, it easily ranks as my favourite subject of the year.ﾠ

Kirsty Howard (Bachelor of Marine Studies) -ﾠI had not expected to be doing much plant biology, as I did not realise how important it was for understanding marine processes and ecosystems. I enjoyed BIOL2203 and found it exciting and challenging. The course uses real-world experiments and lecturers who encourage thinking. I am now doing a third-year plant subject. It has made me realise that a good knowledge of plant biology is a vital tool for problem-solving environmental issues.

Course requirements

Assumed background

First year biology courses

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1020

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

BIOL1030 + BIOL1040

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

BIOL2903 (advanced version)

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

The course aims to provide participants with

• Knowledge of plant biology in the context of evolution, biodiversity, ecology, agriculture and biotechnology
• Understanding of plants that spans from building plans and adaptation to biomes, to molecular and physiological function 
• An ability to collate, interpret and communicate plant biology
• Hands-on experience and skills in designing, executing, analysing and communicating original research

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Sequential Assessment Laboratory skills

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

12% This is part of a practical sequential activity, worth 60%

Due date

29/07/2024

14/10/2024

21/10/2024

29 July, 14 and 21 Oct pracs, on the day submission

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

Legal Declaration By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

The pracs run on the day and are not repeated.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Sequential Assessment Plant Biodiversity

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

12% This is part of a practical sequential activity, worth 60%

Due date

19/08/2024 5:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01

Task description

Submission guidelines

The online assessment is completed within Blackboard under the appropriate assessment title on your course Blackboard site. 

Legal Declaration:  

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.  

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). See 6.1 Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines for links to the University Guidelines and Applications for Extensions.  

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, or equivalent penalty if an alternative grading approach is used, will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

Sequential Assessment Plant-Environment Interactions

• Team or group-based

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Presentation

Weight

12% This is part of a practical sequential activity, worth 60%

Due date

30/09/2024 5:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

You upload your team name and YouTube link to google sheet for peer evaluation.
Legal Declaration By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). See 6.1 Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines for links to the University Guidelines and Applications for Extensions.  

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, or equivalent penalty if an alternative grading approach is used, will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

Sequential Assessment Plant Disease

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

12% This is part of a practical sequential activity, worth 60%

Due date

8/10/2024 5:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). See 6.1 Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines for links to the University Guidelines and Applications for Extensions.  

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, or equivalent penalty if an alternative grading approach is used, will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

Sequential Assessment Plant growth and development report

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

12% This is part of a practical sequential activity, worth 60%

Due date

2/09/2024 5:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.
Legal Declaration By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Policy (http://ppl.app.uq.edu.au/content/3.60.04-student-integrity-and-misconduct) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL). See 6.1 Assessment Related Policies & Guidelines for links to the University Guidelines and Applications for Extensions.  

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item, or one grade per day if graded on the basis of 1-7, or equivalent penalty if an alternative grading approach is used, will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point any submission will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is recorded from the time the submission is due.  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

In Semester exam

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

15%

Due date

4/09/2024

In Class In Semester Exam

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

End of semester exam

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

25%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students must obtain a passing mark inﾠthe combined available marks for the in-semester and end of semester exams in order to pass this course. If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-off for a 4 or higher on the cumulative results for all assessment items and the student does NOT score a passing mark for the end of semester exam, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.

ﾠ

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

TurnItIn Assignments

Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site. If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.
ﾠ

Results

Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved, every attempt will be made to have the results for progressive assessment tasks available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will be available before the day of your end of semester examination in the course, unless otherwise indicated by the Course Coordinator. Results and feedback availability for progressive assessment will be announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ

Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility

Before applying for a remark, students should consider the following:

• You have consulted the course coordinator for feedback
• Your academic grounds for remark have been discussed and are valid
• Wanting a higher grade is not grounds for a remark. A remark can decrease your grade.

Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your course Co-ordinator.ﾠ

ﾠ

Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred Mid-Semester Examinations)

Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on the my.UQ website

• Apply for a deferred examination
• Information on supplementary assessment

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory Guideline