LASER Access Core Biology Modules: Rationale and Overview of Syllabuses
Bio A: Biology for Science core module
This Science core module is designed to provide a solid foundation in key biological
knowledge and principles, to best prepare learners for progression to science
undergraduate degree courses. Within this remit, the core module is kept as compact
as possible (5x3 credits), in order to allow Biology to be taken as a second or third
subject with in an Access Diploma. If the main progression aim is a Life Science
undergraduate degree, then the core module should be extended with optional
biology units. These will be designed to complement and extend the core provision. It
is also feasible to combine Bio A with any of the final three units BIO 080, BIO 090 or
BIO 100 from the Bio B Healthcare Professions in order to get physiology content.
Bio B: Biology for Healthcare Professions core module
This Healthcare Professions core module is designed to first provide a solid
foundation of biological knowledge and principles as far as they contribute to
understanding human physiology. This basis is then used by learners to build
knowledge of the main human body systems based on deep understanding of
mechanisms, structure/function relationships and homeostasis. The entire core
module (7x3 credits) is required to prepare learners adequately for progression to
healthcare undergraduate degree courses. The core module may be extended by
optional units (e.g. medical imaging, human prenatal development), which could be
designed to facilitate progression to specialist health care undergraduate courses
(e.g. radiography, midwifery).
Bio A versus B: Science versus Healthcare Professions core modules
Access provision needs to match students’ requirements as closely as possible to
maximise their learning, achievement, development and progression. This is also in
the interest of other stakeholders such as universities, employers, taxpayers and
society at large. The needs of students taking Access Biology are distinctly different
depending on whether the intended career progression is to be a scientist and
researcher on one hand, or a healthcare professional on the other. Providing the two
distinct Biology core modules will allow us to match the needs of both groups. This is
illustrated by the following two examples:
 Example 1: Bio A will give room in BIO 030 LO1 to defining characteristics of
cells (overlapping with those of life) and to the differences / similarities
between plant and animal cells, and in BIO 030 LO2 cover both
photosynthesis and cellular respiration in equal measure. Bio B will in BIO
060 LO1 place less emphasis on the fundamental concept of the cell, be
restricted to human cells, and also not include photosynthesis when covering
energy metabolism.
 Example 2: Bio B will include a pathogens/microbiology element within the
core provision in BIO 070 LO2. Moreover, the same core unit will also cover
defence against pathogens including the immune system in BIO 070 LO3,
and explain examples of human mutations persistent in the gene pool as
adaptations to prevalent pathogens in BIO 070 LO4 (e.g. sickle cell versus
malaria), promoting a celebration of genetic diversity in patients. It therefore
makes sense to link mechanisms and structure/function relationships in
Mendelian genetics with this unit and cover it just prior in BIO 070 LO1,
restricted to monohybrid inheritance. In contrast, for the core Bio A provision
pathogens are not absolutely required and therefore made optional, whilst in
the core provision having a dedicated ‘Genes’ unit that gives more room to
1
Mendelian genetics including dihybrid inheritance in BIO 040 LO1, as well as
mutations, gene regulation and genetic engineering in BIO 040 LO2/3/4.
The first two units are shared between the core modules Bio A and Bio B, owing to
human life being based on the same principles as all other life on this planet. Thus
BIO 010 (Chemistry for Biology) and BIO 020 (Biomolecules) will be taken by all
Access students on either Biology module.
Both core modules can be extended by new optional units, which will be provided.
Also, the Bio B core units BIO 080, BIO 090 and BIO100 covering human body
systems can be used as optional units to complement and extend a Bio A core
module provision. Moreover, combination of the first four units from Bio A (BIO 010,
BIO 020, BIO 030 and BIO 040) with the final three from Bio B (BIO 080, BIO 090,
BIO 100) and a ‘Pathogens & Immunity’ unit ought to provide a valid 24 credit
alternative healthcare progression route to the standard 21 credit Bio B core module.
Bio A and B: Guiding Principles
The principles guiding syllabus design for both Bio A and Bio B are these: The
wording for unit titles should be such that they capture the essence of the unit and
have meaning to the non-specialist, thus enhancing appeal to prospective students
or managers at prospective Access centres, with concomitant positive effects on
promotion and growth. Also, teachers on other modules will relate to the Biology
syllabuses better, which will foster co-ordination and collaboration between subjects
throughout the Access year. Moreover, university admissions departments will be
able to advise Access graduates more effectively if their units are appropriately titled.
With the units thus reflecting fairly tangible entities such as ‘Biomolecules’, ‘Genes’ or
‘Digestion and Excretion’, the aim is then to fill them with Learning Outcomes such
that both Bio A and Bio B modules function as spiral syllabuses. This means that
concepts should be introduced early on in the course, and that these concepts
should then be revisited and extended time and time again as the module
progresses. For example, the concept of covalent versus ionic bonding introduced in
BIO 010 LO1 [matter] provides a platform for learners to grasp the concept of
hydrogen bridging in BIO 010 LO4 [polarity]. Hydrogen bridging is then revisited
several times in BIO 020, for example in BIO 020 LO3 [nucleic acids] and BIO 020
LO4 [transcription, translation], where learners use and extend it to explain specific
base pairing in DNA and RNA. This concept is then revisited and extended in BIO
030 LO3 or BIO 060 LO2 [mitosis] by investigating the DNA replication fork. This
newly extended concept is then again used as a basis to understand point mutations
later on in BIO 040 LO2 or BIO 070 LO4, respectively. Once learners have in this
way systematically built a meaning of mutation, they are well-equipped to make
sense of genetic and epigenetic factors in human physiology or other areas of
biology, be it in later taught units, in their independent projects, in their
undergraduate studies or in their professional careers. They will also have the
confidence that they can always refresh and extend their knowledge from first
principles, should this become necessary in the future.
2
Bio A and B: Experiences on the ground
A syllabus very similar to Bio B was designed when my Chichester College line
manager Sam Cooke and I teamed up to reform our Access (Health) course for
2013/2014. At the time, we looked at all existing biology and chemistry units in the
LASER universe from the perspective of best preparing students for progression to
healthcare undergraduate degree courses. This revealed that our vision of a
coherent ‘science for healthcare’ syllabus was extremely difficult to realise with
existing units. For that reason, we resorted to writing new units from scratch,
specifically designed to implement a syllabus progressing from just the necessary
chemistry to human body systems in a spiral fashion. While we fully expected an
improvement over previous years, the effects on the ground have far exceeded our
expectations. Year after year, learners experience an enormous boost in confidence
early on by conquering the chemical foundations. From that solid basis they then
progress by systematically building their knowledge and understanding. They feel
secure in the awareness that concepts once acquired will recur and will be useful
throughout the module, and that all activities serve the purpose of allowing them to
grow into the strongest possible health care student and practitioner. In 2014/15, we
have completed the second year of the reformed Access (Health) course with a
syllabus very similar to Bio B, and both retention and achievement have been 100%
(30/30). Importantly, while most students agree that this module is very hard work,
feedback from alumni after progression to healthcare undergraduate degree courses
is universally positive. In unsolicited comments, they report that the module was
exactly what was needed to ensure their success at university, with some asking for
an expansion of the module. We believe that this evidence makes a strong case for
universally recommending the 21 credit Bio B module as the minimum science
component on all Access Diplomas where the intended progression is to become a
healthcare professional (e.g. nurse, midwife, paramedic etc.).
Over the past years, I have taught Access Biology modules where the aim was a
science rather than healthcare progression, with several different Access providers
and including AVAs other than LASER. As far as the core biology content of such
modules is concerned, there appears to be some consensus and this has made its
way into the learning outcomes of the proposed Bio A module. The structure of this
module has emerged from my teaching experience on the ground. At the same time
when learners on our Chichester Access (Health) made great progress with
concomitant positive feedback, I found achievement on generic Access Biology
modules elsewhere subjectively inferior with the emphasis on memorising rather than
deep learning and with student feedback ratings on lessons objectively lower. In
combination, my experiences suggest that students are held back by syllabuses not
allowing them to anchor biology in the necessary chemistry foundations, and by not
progressing in a logical order to allow revisiting and extending concepts in a spiral
fashion. The proposed Bio A core module will marry the proven principles of Bio B
with the different content requirements of intended science progression.
3
Acknowledgements
A number of people must be thanked for their contributions to this project, roughly in
chronological order. Firstly, I am grateful to Sam Cooke, who as my line manager
encouraged me to write a suite of new Human Physiology units for the 2013/2014
Chichester College Access (Allied Health Professions) diploma. She also served as
initial reviewer for these seven units of three credits each, ensuring that they formed
a coherent syllabus that was fit for purpose on our reformed, healthcare-focussed
Access course. Moreover, in her drive for evidence-based and outcome-oriented
innovation Sam then ensured as Head of Access that the new units were
implemented as designed, thus providing field-tested prototypes from which the
present Bio B core syllabus could evolve. The second person I need to thank is
Shelagh Legrave, who as Chichester College Principal and CEO facilitated my taking
up part-time employment at several other Access centres in a deliberate drive to gain
as much Access-specific yet varied experience as possible. As a result of Shelagh’s
support with this strategy, I now have extensive Access science module teaching
experience (six centres, three AVAs), which has been instrumental in drafting the
present Bio A core syllabus. Thirdly, I am greatly indebted to LASER Access Quality
Manager Ken Duckett for sharing the vision of dual core biology syllabuses Bio A and
Bio B from the very beginning. Ken’s unwavering support has allowed me to develop
these syllabuses further through several rounds of rigorous independent review by
two biology educators of the highest calibre: Professor Robert Walker is an expert in
physiology, whose research is widely published in peer-reviewed journals. Robert
has over four decades of teaching experience at the University of Southampton,
where he has served as Head of School of Biochemical and Physiological Sciences,
as Head of Physiology & Pharmacology in the School of Biological Sciences and as
Head of the Honours School of Biochemistry & Physiology. He has played a major
role in the development of the biomedical sciences curriculum, including a Level 3
Biology Foundation Degree course. Professor Ian Wright is an expert in biochemistry
and cell biology, whose publications include undergraduate biochemistry teaching
media. During his forty years of teaching at the University of Brighton, Ian has served
as Head of Biology in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and was
involved in the course leadership and validation of a large number of degree courses.
He has also been External Moderator for Level 3 courses at various institutions. It is
Ian and Robert who deserve the biggest thank-you of all. Through three consecutive
rounds of review, they have made over seventy comments and suggestions for
improvement, practically all of which have been implemented. It is fair to say that
without Ian’s and Robert’s dedication to the project, the final product would not be
half the quality. By unspoken agreement we all refrained from pushing our own subdisciplines (Ian: Biochemistry & Cell Biology; Robert: Physiology & Neurobiology;
Tom: Molecular Genetics & Development), and on the contrary looked out for areas
that were not our individual specialties. Collectively, we are therefore convinced that
each of our core syllabuses strikes the best possible balance of volume and content
for its specific purpose.
July 2016
Tom Papenbrock
4
Overview of Syllabus for Bio A:
Biology for Science core module (15 credits)
BIO 010 Chemistry for Biology
LO1 Understand matter and chemical reactions
LO2 Understand the mole and concentration
LO3 Understand pH, buffers and electrolytes
LO4 Understand polarity
WJF671 (GD 2,3,5,7) or WJF681 (Ungraded)
BIO 020 Biomolecules
LO1 Understand lipids, carbohydrates and proteins
LO2 Understand enzymes
LO3 Understand nucleic acids
LO4 Understand the flow of genetic information
WJF672 (GD 2,3,5,7) or WJF682 (Ungraded)
BIO 030 Cells
LO1 Understand the concept of cells
LO2 Understand cell metabolism
LO3 Understand mitosis and programmed cell death
LO4 Understand tissues, organs and organ systems
WJF673 (GD 1,2,5,7) or WJF683 (Ungraded)
BIO 040 Genes
LO1 Understand meiosis and Mendelian inheritance
LO2 Understand mutations
LO3 Understand gene regulation
LO4 Understand genetic engineering
WJF674 (GD 1,2,4,7) or WJF684 (Ungraded)
BIO 050 Evolution and Ecology
LO1 Understand how organisms are adapted
LO2 Understand evolution
LO3 Understand ecosystems
LO4 Understand how human activity changes ecosystems
WJF675 (GD 1,2,3,7) or WJF685 (Ungraded)
5
Overview of Syllabus for Bio B:
Biology for Healthcare Professions core module (21 credits)
BIO 010 Chemistry for Biology
LO1 Understand matter and chemical reactions
LO2 Understand the mole and concentration
LO3 Understand pH, buffers and electrolytes
LO4 Understand polarity
WJF671 (GD 2,3,5,7) or WJF681 (Ungraded)
BIO 020 Biomolecules
LO1 Understand lipids, carbohydrates and proteins
LO2 Understand enzymes
LO3 Understand nucleic acids
LO4 Understand the flow of genetic information
WJF672 (GD 2,3,5,7) or WJF682 (Ungraded)
BIO 060 The Human Body
LO1 Understand human cells and metabolism
LO2 Understand mitosis and programmed cell death
LO3 Understand levels of structure in the human body
LO4 Understand principles of regulation in the human body
WJF676 (GD 1,2,5,7) or WJF686 (Ungraded)
BIO 070 Genetics, Pathogens and Immunity
LO1 Understand meiosis and Mendelian genetics
LO2 Understand pathogens and defensive barriers
LO3 Understand the immune system in the fight against pathogens
LO4 Understand human inherited conditions
WJF677 (GD 1,2,3,7) or WJF687 (Ungraded)
BIO 080 Body Movement
LO1 Understand the human musculoskeletal system
LO2 Understand the ventilatory system
LO3 Understand the cardiovascular system
WJF678 (GD 1,2,5,7) or WJF688 (Ungraded)
BIO 090 Digestion and Excretion
LO1 Understand the human digestive system
LO2 Understand the liver and its central role in metabolism
LO3 Understand the kidneys and their role in excretion and fluid balance
WJF679 (GD 1,2,4,7) or WJF689 (Ungraded)
BIO 100 Body System Co-ordination
LO1 Understand the human nervous system
LO2 Understand the endocrine system
LO3 Understand feedback regulation in the human body
LO4 Understand the human reproductive system
WJF680 (GD 1,2,4,7) or WJF690 (Ungraded)
6