The methodology used in this subject to achieve the learning process is based on encouraging students to actively work with the information made available to them. The role of the instructor is to provide the necessary information or indicate where to find it and to support students so that the learning process can be carried out effectively. Within the framework of the course, Service Learning (SL) may be developed, through which students are trained by participating in a project aimed at addressing a real need within a community, thereby improving people's living conditions or the quality of the environment.

To achieve this objective, the course is based on the following activities:

Lectures:

Through these theoretical sessions, students acquire the basic scientific and technical knowledge of the course, which they are expected to complement with personal study of the explained topics.

Seminars:

Seminars focus on deepening and consolidating the scientific and technical knowledge presented in the lectures. Seminars are characterized by active student participation, developing various analytical activities related to animal resources and pest management, including the resolution and presentation of practical case studies. The aim of the seminars is to promote analytical and synthesis skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

Laboratory and Field Practices:

The objective of the practical sessions is to complete and reinforce the knowledge acquired in lectures and seminars. During these sessions, students will develop empirical skills such as observation, analysis, and the ability to identify issues related to the management of animal resources and pests.

In the managament of animal resource practices, students will study a fish population under exploitation. The final product of the practice will be a technical report, following the standards of a professional report in the field of environmental biology, including study results and proposed management measures. To complement this block, students will visit a research center specializing in aquatic resources.

In the pest management practices, students will conduct a case study of a specific pest. In field sessions (on or off-campus), students must identify and recognize one of the proposed pests, carry out an inspection to locate individuals and/or collect evidence, establish mechanisms to assess population density, analyze the origin of the pest, evaluate its impacts (damage caused), and design an integrated management strategy. Laboratory sessions will serve for the identification and diagnosis of the collected material. These practicals have a professionalizing focus, as students will work directly with real-life cases, alongside companies and professionals in the pest control sector.

Tutorials:

The purpose of these sessions is to resolve doubts, review key concepts, and provide guidance on the sources consulted by the students. These tutorials also help guide students in the development of their case study projects. The tutorial schedule will be arranged with the teacher.

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.

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The assessment of this course takes place throughout the academic term, and no single activity accounts for more than 50% of the final grade.

ATTENTION: Attendance at practices and seminars is mandatory. Failure to attend practices and seminars without justification will imply that students can NOT pass the subject.

1. Evaluation of exams:

This item evaluates, on an individual basis, the knowledge acquired by the student in the course, as well as their analytical, synthetic, and critical thinking skills. The exams will consist of a multiple-choice section and another section with conceptual questions, diagrams, etc. There will be two eliminatory midterm exams: the first (Animal Resource Management) will account for 15% of the final grade, and the second (Pest Management) for 30%.

The minimum grade for each exam must be greater than of equal to 5.0, for the two midterm theoretical exams to average.

Final exam: Students who do not pass one of the two midterm exams will have the opportunity to retake the failed exam during the final exam. Students who wish to improve their score on either partial exam may also retake it in the final exam, but the previously earned grade will be forfeited. To calculate the average with the rest of the course assessments, it is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 4.0 in each final exam.

2. Seminar and activities assessment:

This includes individual and group assignments completed during seminar sessions or through the virtual campus. Attendance at seminars is mandatory. This activity is not recoverable. The seminar grade contributes 5% to the final grade.

3. Practices assessment:

- Management of animal resources: Students,working in pairs, will produce a technical report demonstrating the knowledge acquired in the fisheries management block (theory, practices, and seminars). The report will be assessed according to pre-established rubric criteria. This evaluation of the report preparation accounts for 20% of the final grade and is not recoverable due to its practical nature.

- Pest management: Students will prepare a technical report on a specific case study and defend it orally during a seminar session. The report will include field and laboratory components integrating theoretical concepts. Both the written report and oral presentation will be assessed. This evaluation of the report preparation represents 30% of the final grade and is not recoverable.

To calculate the average with the rest of the course assessments, it is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 4.0 in each practical report. Attendance at practical sessions is mandatory. Students will receive a “Not Assessable” grade if their absences exceed 20% of the scheduled sessions.

4. Final considerations:

• The minimum overall grade required to pass the course is 5 out of 10.
• Student observation guide during practicals (an added or reduced value of 0.5 to the final grade): given the practical nature of the course, an ideal environment is created to develop the transversal competencies mentioned previously. During various activities (field trips, external visits, seminars, debates, etc.), the teacher will observe whether students are acquiring the necessary aptitudes, attitudes, and skills. A negative adjustment may be applied if the student displays a passive attitude or negatively affects the course environment.
• To be eligible for the retake exam, students must have been assessed in a set of activities accounting for at least two-thirds (67%) of the final grade. Therefore, students will receive a “Not Assessable” grade iftheir completed assessments represent less than 67% of the total.
• Restricted use of AI: For this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed exclusively in the support tasks in the use of R, and the bibliographic search in the preparation of technical reports. The student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in cases of severity.
• Students who are unable to attend an individual assessment for a justified reason and provide official documentation will be entitled to take the exam on an alternative date.

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

The single assessment consists of one synthesis exam covering all theoretical course content, accounting for 45% of the final grade. This exam will be held on the same date scheduled for the last continuous assessment exam, and the same retake rules will apply.

Students opting for the single assessment must attend and pass the practical field and laboratory sessions in person. Seminar sessions are also mandatory. The assessment of these components (PLAB, PCAM, SEM, and VTEX) will follow the same procedure as in continuous assessment.