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Analytical Thinking for Biomedical Sciences Research

Module description

Implementation of biomedical technologies and interventions in healthcare requires careful consideration from a variety of perspectives. In this module, you will engage with experts and participate in collaborative group learning to examine global healthcare challenges. You will critically assess technological solutions through biomedical, clinical, economic, ethical, legal, sustainable and social perspectives, including their alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through the analysis of primary literature, you will refine your scientific writing and critical appraisal skills, while collaborative group learning will enhance your communication, leadership, and teamwork abilities. The knowledge and competencies acquired in this module will support your final year project research and contribute to your professional development, whether within or beyond the field of biomedical science.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will critically examine real-world case studies on integrating biomedical technologies into healthcare practice. From a scientific perspective, it aims to deepen your understanding of key biomedical technologies, including their design, adaptation, and evaluation in addressing significant healthcare challenges.

Equally, the module is designed to support your personal and professional development. Through collaborative group learning with peers and experts, you will be encouraged to ask questions, engage in discussions, and enhance your teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. You will also be guided in developing self-directed learning strategies and critically engaging with peer-reviewed literature, strengthening your ability to work independently, think critically, and adapt to complex problems—essential skills for both academic and professional success. Assessment will be in the form of written assessments on that enable you to demonstrate your understanding of how biomedical technologies have been designed and implemented to address significant healthcare challenges.  

Graduate attributes: as part of this module, you will develop the key employability skills of leadership, collaborative work skills and professional attitudes.

 By critically assessing technological solutions through biomedical, clinical, economic, ethical, sustainable and social perspectives the module seeks to address the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): SDG 3 – (Good Health and Wellbeing) – ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages accurate knowledge into physiology and healthy lives along with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Identify and discuss specific healthcare challenges and their impact
• 2. Explain how specific biomedical technologies and interventions have been designed to effectively solve healthcare challenges?
• 3. Collaboratively consider various perspectives when evaluating the effectiveness of biomedical technologies and interventions??

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Independently identify and analyse appropriate sources of primary literature, and appraise and evaluate the adequacy of methods, data and their interpretation?
• 5. Integrate information and write a scientific piece incorporating new findings into previous understanding of different topics?

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Develop leadership, collaborative work skills and professional attitudes
• 7. Practice skills of managing time, workload, ambiguity and change effectively?
• 8. Reflect on the skills and knowledge obtained

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:

You will explore and critically discuss evidence-based solutions to a variety of healthcare challenges and their impact. You will collaboratively consider fundamental and clinical science, economic, ethical, legal, social and sustainable perspectives to promote healthcare advances. There will be an emphasis on developing key employability skills such as scientific and reflective writing, critical thinking, leadership, collaborative work and professional attitudes.

Indicative topic areas: Technology/AI use in healthcare, Whole genome sequencing, Epigenomics Gene therapy and Cytomics/metabolomics.

Accessibility Statement:

As part of this module, you will be required to undertake group work in class and actively participate in discussions towards your summative assessment. A clear commitment to in-class discussions is expected.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons that are approved by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. If deferred, the format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). The mark given for a deferred assessment will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral - if you have failed the module (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) and the module cannot be condoned, you will be required to complete a re-assessment for each of the failed components on the module. The format and timing of the re-assessment for each of the summative assessments is detailed in the table above ('Details of re-assessment'). If you pass the module following re-assessment, your module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• The recommended texts for the course are posted on ELE. Students are also expected to read and appraise critically contemporary landmark original research articles.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Module ELE page containing formative quizzes and access to on-line learning resources

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• Resources for each two week topic will be available on ELE.

Key words search

Biomedical Science, Biomedical Technologies, Diseases, Diagnosis