The course is organized around four main types of learning activities: lectures, problem-solving sessions, laboratory practicals, and Moodle-based activities, each with its own specific teaching methodology.

Lectures: Students acquire the scientific knowledge associated with the course by attending lectures supported by information and communication technologies (ICT). These sessions are complemented by independent study of the topics covered in class. The audiovisual materials used during lectures will be available on the course Moodle site through the Virtual Campus. Lectures are primarily designed as a one-way method of knowledge transfer from the instructor to the students and therefore require students to develop autonomous learning strategies outside the classroom.

Problem-solving sessions: The knowledge acquired during lectures and through independent study is applied to the resolution of practical cases discussed in problem-solving sessions. These classes focus on developing problem-solving skills and on the application of statistical methods for data interpretation.

Laboratory practicals: Some of the practical cases introduced during the course are carried out in small-group laboratory sessions. Students become familiar with laboratory equipment and techniques while generating and analyzing their own experimental data. Laboratory protocols and practical guides will be available through the Virtual Campus. Attendance at laboratory sessions requires students to have successfully completed the biosafety and laboratory safety tests available on the Virtual Campus, as well as to be familiar with and accept the laboratory regulations of the Faculty of Biosciences.

Moodle activities: The Virtual Campus includes quizzes for each topic covering both theoretical concepts and problems addressed in class, as well as additional exercises that students must complete independently to reinforce the course contents.

Considerations on the Use of Artificial Intelligence:

PROHIBITED USE: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted in any of the course assessment activities, including laboratory practical exams, theory and problem-solving examinations, and assessed Moodle activities.

RESTRICTED USE: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for tasks such as literature searches, information retrieval, and as support for independent study activities. Whenever requested, students must clearly indicate whether AI tools have been used, identify which parts of the work were generated with AI, specify the tools employed, and include a critical reflection on how these tools influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity. Failure to disclose the use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in penalties or more severe disciplinary measures in cases of serious misconduct. The teaching staff strongly encourages students to use AI with caution and recommends relying primarily on the bibliography suggested in the course syllabus and the resources available on the Virtual Campus.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment in this course is a continuous process throughout the teaching period and follows the Assessment Regulations of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

Students' achievement of the course learning outcomes will be assessed through the following activities:

1. Theory and problem-solving examinations: These examinations assess the competencies developed during the lectures and problem-solving sessions. Three midterm examinations (25 multiple-choice questions each) will be held throughout the semester. Each examination accounts for 25% of the final course grade.
2. Laboratory practical assessment: Each laboratory practical session will be assessed through a quiz completed at the end of the session. The average mark obtained in these quizzes will account for 15% of the final course grade. Attendance at all laboratory practical sessions is mandatory.
3. Problems and quizzes on the Virtual Campus (Moodle): Students are required to complete the problem sets and quizzes available on the course Moodle site through the Virtual Campus. Both performance and participation will be assessed. This component accounts for 10% of the final course grade.

Additional examination considerations

1. To pass the course, the weighted final grade for each of the three assessment components must be 5.0 or higher.
2. For the three theory and problem-solving midterm examinations to be averaged, students must obtain a minimum grade of 4.0 in each individual midterm. Otherwise, the course will be considered failed, and the student will be required to take the resit examination.
3. The only assessment activities eligible for resit are the written examinations. Students with a weighted final grade below 5.0, or with any individual midterm grade below 4.0, may sit a final resit examination. The mark obtained in the resit examination will replace the average grade of the three midterm examinations.
4. However, to be eligible for the resit examination, students must have previously completed assessment activities accounting for at least two-thirds (67%) of the total course grade. Consequently, students who have completed assessment activities representing less than 67% of the final grade will receive the final classification of "Not Assessed" (No Avaluable).

Single-term End Examination

Students who have opted for the Single-term End Examination modality will take the same final examination as students sitting the resit examination. This examination will account for 85% of the final course grade. The remaining 15% corresponds to the laboratory practical assessment, for which attendance is compulsory.

Students enrolled in the Single Assessment modality who obtain a weighted final grade below 5.0 may take an extraordinary resit examination. The mark obtained in this examination will replace only the grade previously obtained in the final Single Assessment examination.

Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (academic misconduct, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in that activity being graded as 0. If the course syllabus stipulates that obtaining a minimum mark in this assessment is an essential requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student who incurs any of these irregularities.