UCL - Field work

[BIO1312]

[ + 75h] 4 credits

This course is taught in the 2d semester.

Teacher(s): André Lejeune, Daniel Tyteca

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This training takes place after the few days of discovery of a professional activity organized during the first year of bachelor studies in biology in the frame of BIO1181 - Project in biology and before the practical training that will take place during the graduate (master) studies. Its objective is different from that of these two other practical trainings : it consists in the careful observation and the creation of a correct perception of the professional activities of a biologist and aims at developing the qualities of personal contact, the initiative, the ability to adapt to diverse situations, to observe and to organize one-self. It should awake the curiosity for the forthcoming teachings and develop the motivation for the studies and the profession. It can contribute to the choice by the student of the appropriate option in his master degree studies.

Main themes

The topics studied deal with biology in the broad sense and differ from one student to the other. Similarly to the finalities of the master degree studies accessible after the bachelor degree in biology, the practical training can be carried out in the field of research (public or private research institute, another university, research center belonging to a zoo, a NGO, a company, etc.), in a professional area (services, production or development in a company, a NGO, a ministry, etc.) or in the pedagogic field or more broadly the field of scientific popularization and communication (high school education, journalism, publishing company, coaching of nature discovery training, society active in the field of scientific communication, etc.).

Content and teaching methods

The practical training takes place in Belgium or abroad at the earliest during the summer holiday that follows the second year of bachelor studies in biology and at the latest at the end of the third year of bachelor studies. It takes place outside the periods where other teaching activities are organized. Its duration is of two weeks (a minimum of ten days of effective presence).
The practical training is under the academic responsibility of one or more "training directors" members of the Biology Department. On the location of the practical training, the student is coached by a "training coach".
An information session is organized at the beginning of the second year of bachelor studies and the students receive a "trainee guidebook" with all the practical informations about the practical training and its evaluation.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

The evaluation is realized by one or more training directors. A training director ascertains that the practical training has taken place according to the guidelines. The evaluation deals with a series of themes communicated to the students in the trainee guidebook. The final mark encompasses the realization of the training as well as the report written by the student and is taken into account at the deliberation of the third year of bachelor studies.