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Course Outlines

https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/BIOSCI/108/1253

BIOSCI 108 : Biodiversity: Patterns of Life

Science
2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription
Knowledge of biodiversity is fundamental to understanding our world. Students will become familiar with
biological diversity and whakapapa beginning with viruses and leading through to microbes, plants, fungi and
animals. Dening characteristics of major organismal groupings will be highlighted to provide students with an
overview of the diversity of life on Earth, and the critical role that kaitiakitanga and maintaining biodiversity has
for the future.

Course Overview
The focus of this course is to give the students an introduction to organism biodiversity via lecture content,
topical New Zealand case studies, and a eld trip to a unique urban restoration project. Course components
are designed to develop group work, critical thinking, and scientific communication skills.

BIOSCI 108 must be taken by all students in the Biological Sciences major alongside its sister courses BIOSCI 109
Ecology and Evolution: The Continuum of Life and BIOSCI 101 Life! Origins and mechanisms.

Course Requirements
No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration

Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Science

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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain how structure relates to function in organisms. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
2. Describe and explain how to interpret the morphological and physiological diversity of a group of
organisms in a phylogenetic framework. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
3. Demonstrate scientific quantitative skills, such as the ability to evaluate experimental design, read graphs,
and understand and use information from scientific papers. (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
4. Execute scientific research under supervision and analyse, interpret and communicate data generated.
(Capability 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7)

Assessments
Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Laboratories 40% Group & Individual Coursework
Test 20% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 40% Individual Coursework
3 types 100%

Assessment Type Learning Outcome

Addressed
1 2 3 4
Laboratories    

Test  

Final Exam  
Students must pass the practical (laboratories) and the theory (test and nal exam) independently to pass the
course overall.

Special Requirements
Field trip
There is a one off field trip during a single weekend to reserves in Auckland.
There are no extra costs associated with these eld trips; however, you will need to make your own way to
the reserves. Public transport details for getting to the reserves will be available in Canvas.
Attending a field trip is essential to being able to write the reports for assessment.
You can chose one of four time slots to attend the eld trip (there are two slots per day): Students can
attend on either a Saturday or Sunday, either in the morning or afternoon.
Fieldwork involves approximately 3 hours of outdoor research conducting vegetation surveys in grassland
and bush. At the two potential sites access paths exist, but the survey work will have to be done o-track.
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Fairly minimal walking is required (< 1km) but the ground is uneven and could be slippery. Please discuss
any accessibility issues with the course coordinators; we are able to adjust for student needs.
Students must bring their snacks and adequate water (at least one litre). There is a small cafe at
Takaparawhau (Bastion Point), and a bakery opposite the Pourewa (Kepa Bush) site.
You will also need to bring appropriate clothing (sunhat, raincoat, warm layers) and comfortable covered
footwear (laced shoes e.g. trainers, boots, or gum boots; NO jandals or sandals) that you don't mind
getting wet or dirty. Some gear can be borrowed from the department (e.g. raincoats and gumboots) and
accompanying persons and service/guide dogs may be able to attend – please contact course coordinator
for more information about these or to discuss other access requirements.
Toilets are only available at Takaparawhau (Bastion Point); Pourewa (Kepa Bush) has no facilities on site
(the nearest facilities are in a shopping mall several hundred meters away in the Eastridge Shopping Mall).
There are no gender neutral toilets available.

Laboratories
Students are required to supply and wear a lab coat while in the teaching lab.

Tuākana
The Tuākana learning community oers a space within the institution for Māori and Pasika students. We try to
connect talent with opportunity and maybe have a kai as well. Check the BIOSCI108 CANVAS page for details.

Workload Expectations
Following University workload guidelines, a standard 15 point course represents approximately 150 hours of
study.
Over the semester the teaching time will be 3 hours of lectures per week, 3 hours of labs per fortnight and a 3
hour eld trip. For the 12 teaching weeks, this totals to 51 hours. Since the course as a whole represents
approximately 150 hours of study, that leaves a total of 99 hours across the entire semester for independent
study, e.g. reading, reflection, preparing for assessments/exams.

Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
As students must pass the practical (worth 40%) and the theory (worth 60%) independently to pass the course
overall, attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs and eld trips to complete components of
the course.

Lectures will be taught on campus and available as recordings. Other learning activities including labs and eld
trips will not be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

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Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes
reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

The Course Guide (combined Lecture and Laboratory Guide) can be purchased from Ubiq the university
bookstore, and will also be available as a PDF in Canvas.
Text book: Campbell Biology, Australian and New Zealand Version, 12th edition.

Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the sta responsible for the course
and staff-student consultative committees.

At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool
called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.

Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.

Sta welcome feedback on the course throughout the semester, including the SET evaluations. Please contact
your course coordinator or student representative at any time with your feedback.

Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in
coursework as a serious academic oence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's
own work, reecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged
and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be
reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection
mechanisms.

Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the
wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to
raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may
have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under
license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto
any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course
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content to another person.

Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written
form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible
and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the
Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is aected by illness or other personal circumstances outside
of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances signicantly aect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible
written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-
exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and
learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has
contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not
compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your
course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about
how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through
Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process
and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The
University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other
students and sta so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit
Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-
and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

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Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for
enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the
right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or
other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements
may be used. The nal decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation
arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the
assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

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