Overview
In this unit, your study will focus on the role of the genome in adaptive change in living organisms, particularly animals. This will help you bring together recent advances in our understanding of the genome and the impact of these on the traditional areas of zoology, particularly those involving evolutionary processes. This unit will provide you with a link between molecular biology and other areas of biology including genetics, evolution, taxonomy, embryology and behaviour. In the latter part of the unit, you will focus on various aspects of human evolution.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisites Any one of the following: BIOH11005 Introductory Anatomy and Physiology BIOL11102 Life Science Laboratory BMSC11002 Human Body Systems 2 BMSC11008 Medical Anatomy and Physiology 2 BMSC11011 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluations
The students commented that the material was broken down into succinct topics and that the unit was very well organised and interesting.
Excellent feedback was received on the unit's reorganisation. Improvement and communication practices will continue in the following years.
Feedback from Student evaluations
The students recommended adding more learning material activities to better prepare students for the final quiz.
The suggested activities are incorporated into lectures, but will be expanded and upgraded in the future.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Students commented that they appreciated updated lectures, which help to keep the content current and applicable to current advances in genetics.
The unit will continue to present new and exciting developments in the area of genetics and review the most interesting and controversial manuscripts published in recent years, such as the side effects of probiotics and the genomic effects of artificial sweeteners, which were presented last year.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Students asked for an explanation of the final quiz structure.
The video on the final quiz was available last year in the Assessment block. The video was additionally posted on the forum a few days before the exam to remind the students of this information. The video footage presented an overview of the quiz structure and strategy for achieving the best marks. In the video, the lecturer opened one quiz attempt and took the students through random sample questions, then continued to "mock-mark" previous years' quiz attempts, with student names removed, to demonstrate where marks could be lost and how to use the time available strategically. The overall cohort mark in this quiz was 87.2%, indicating that the students were more than well-prepared. However, efforts will be made to emphasise the availability of these resources on the Moodle page and further expand this information.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Students emphasised that they enjoyed open communication with the unit coordinator and feedback provided on the essay writing.
The feedback and communication will continue in future unit offerings.
- Use correct terminology to describe genetics, genomes and evolution
- Discuss the concepts of heritability, mutation, development, Mendelian genetics, extranuclear and multi-allelic inheritance, the Hardy-Weinberg Law and related topics in quantitative genetics
- Explain the mechanisms of change in the genome including the concepts of genetic disorders adaptation and speciation
- Discuss behavioral and population genetics, socio-biology and ethics.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 30% | ||||
| 2 - Online discussion forum - 20% | ||||
| 3 - Oral Examination - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
Additional Textbook Information
Some of the lectures in this unit follow the chapters from the book Concepts of Genetics by William Klug. All materials needed to pass this unit are available on the unit's Moodle page.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.stanley@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to cells, organelles and genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mutation, DNA repair and transposition
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mendelian genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 1 Opens
Module/Topic
Non-Mendelian genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 1 Closes
Module/Topic
Chromosome mapping, sequencing methodologies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 2 Opens
Module/Topic
Extranuclear inheritance
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 2 Closes
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Microbiota, metagenomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 3 Opens
Module/Topic
Genetics of behaviour; population and sociobiology
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 3 Closes
Module/Topic
Genes meet social science - ethics and genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 4 Opens
Module/Topic
Evolutionary and conservation genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 Discussion Forum 4 Closes
Assessment 1 due Week 10, 11 or 12. Time and date options available on the Moodle site.
Module/Topic
Genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Current research in genetics
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 3 Due this week. Information and booking slots will be available on Moodle.
1 Presentation
Prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation on the topic related to the material presented in week 8 - Genetics of Behaviour.
This is a brief PowerPoint presentation on the topic of genetics and behaviour. You will be booked for 30-minute time slots and present to a three-member panel over Zoom or Teams. Following the presentation, the panel would ask simple questions related only to the presented material, including the choice of literature.
We are in the middle of a technological revolution, and future university graduates will be expected to possess a set of different skills compared to their academic predecessors. Online presentations during meetings are now a common occurrence in all academic fields and industries. University graduates need to learn how to present for multiple reasons, primarily to learn the principles of effective communication and to practice confidence and professionalism. Details for timeslot booking will be provided on Moodle.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 3: You may use Al to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any Al-generated content you use.
AI-assisted editing: No new content can be generated using AI. AI can be used for searching literature and for brainstorming when selecting relevant literature, as well as to enhance presentation structure. AI can be used to improve clarity and quality of writing and presentation structure.
You can use AI to make graphical illustrations for PowerPoint slides. Please use the CQUniversity PowerPoint template. Your last two slides should contain a list of references followed by an acknowledgements slide where you can acknowledge the help you had in making your presentation, including AI use.
Other Comments
- You will not be interrupted during your talk.
- You can have notes and an open book.
- Being slightly over time will not be marked down.
- You will have the opportunity to give a test presentation and receive detailed feedback from the unit coordinator.
- You will get your mark on the day of the presentation.
The 72 hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Days and time slots for presentation available during weeks 10, 11 and 12 will be published on Moodle page.
You will get your mark on the day of the presentation.
Assessment Criteria:
A rubric and detailed video will be provided on Moodle, outlining all relevant details. The criteria will include:
- Quality of the literature discussed (40%)
- Complexity of the content (20%)
- Presentation (20%)
- Clarity of expression (10%)
- Referencing (10%)
- Use correct terminology to describe genetics, genomes and evolution
- Discuss the concepts of heritability, mutation, development, Mendelian genetics, extranuclear and multi-allelic inheritance, the Hardy-Weinberg Law and related topics in quantitative genetics
- Explain the mechanisms of change in the genome including the concepts of genetic disorders adaptation and speciation
- Discuss behavioral and population genetics, socio-biology and ethics.
2 Online discussion forum
Discussion forums will be open at the end of each major topic covered in lectures.
- Forum 1 will be open after week 2 and will cover Cells and Organelles and Introduction to Genomics.
- Forum 2 will be open after week 4 and will cover Mendelian and non-Mendelian Inheritance.
- Forum 3 will be open after week 6 and will focus on Chromosomes and Extranuclear Inheritance.
- Forum 4 will be open after week 8 and will cover Multiomics and Genetics of Behaviour.
Each forum will open during a specified week and remain open for 2 weeks, ensuring no forum overlap. You are encouraged to discuss any scientific topics related to the lecture material, share manuscripts or newspaper articles associated with the weekly topic.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
This is a discussion forum, where you are invited to share your opinions and respectfully argue your points with other students in the unit. Using AI would defeat the purpose of this assessment. This assignment is to be completed without any use of AI.
The 72 hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
The 4 forums will be open from week 2 to week 10 in order specified above.
Students will receive their feedback by the end of the exam week.
Note: Each assessment criterion will be marked on a scale from 0 to 20, giving a total of 100
marks across all five criteria:
1. Quality of contributions - in terms of their relevance to the discussion.
2. Scholarly contributions - based on evidence of the use of information and literature search.
3. The breadth of contributions - based on the number of relevant postings within the forum. You do not need to post more than five quality posts for maximum marks.
4. The interactivity - based on contributions, comments, and engaging in discussion with other students' posts.
5. Critical thinking - Demonstrating high-level understanding of the topic
Posting Tips:
- Quality over Quantity: Focus on the quality and depth of discussion rather than the number of short posts and comments.
- Clear and to the point: Use the forum to practice being sharp and using precise, straightforward language.
- Be respectful: Use academic and professional etiquette by treating others with courtesy, maintaining academic professionalism and behaviour and using proper language.
More help for this assessment is available on Moodle.
- Use correct terminology to describe genetics, genomes and evolution
- Discuss the concepts of heritability, mutation, development, Mendelian genetics, extranuclear and multi-allelic inheritance, the Hardy-Weinberg Law and related topics in quantitative genetics
- Explain the mechanisms of change in the genome including the concepts of genetic disorders adaptation and speciation
- Discuss behavioral and population genetics, socio-biology and ethics.
3 Oral Examination
The oral exam will be organised during the exam week, with the available time slots published on Moodle. The exam slots will be 60 minutes per student to allow students time to prepare. Information on booking timeslots will be provided on Moodle.
The list of all possible questions will be published on Moodle and available to students.
A Moodle quiz will be used to randomly select five questions from the question list. Students will be given 15 minutes to look at their written notes (open book, no online search). Each of the five questions will award a maximum of 20 marks, with a total possible score of 100. Questions will be broad, allowing the student more material to discuss and showcase their knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
This assignment will be completed face-to-face without any use of AI.
The 72 hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Students will receive their mark on the same day.
Exam Week Friday (20 Feb 2026)
Students will receive their mark on the same day.
Each question will be marked on the following criteria:
Relevance and Accuracy (50%): Your answer must directly address the question and demonstrate university student-level knowledge.
Depth and Detail (20%): Answers demonstrate a deep understanding of the topic and attention to detail.
Critical Thinking (20%): Students will need to demonstrate the ability to discuss and analyse the topic.
Applied Knowledge (10%): The student can discuss the possible applications of the question topic relative to modern genetics.
No submission method provided.
- Use correct terminology to describe genetics, genomes and evolution
- Discuss the concepts of heritability, mutation, development, Mendelian genetics, extranuclear and multi-allelic inheritance, the Hardy-Weinberg Law and related topics in quantitative genetics
- Explain the mechanisms of change in the genome including the concepts of genetic disorders adaptation and speciation
- Discuss behavioral and population genetics, socio-biology and ethics.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
