The activities required to achieve the learning outcomes of this course include theory lectures, problem-solving classes, seminars, and laboratory practicals. In this course, problem-based learning (PBL) and flipped classroom strategies will be used to address specific areas of knowledge.

Theory classes

Theory classes will be expository lectures supported by audiovisual materials, which will be available to students on the course Moodle Virtual Campus.

To reinforce learning, formative activities will be proposed, which can be carried out either in groups or individually. These activities are designed to promote the achievement of specific competences as well as to develop transferable skills.

Formative activities will take place inside and/or outside the classroom and are aimed at problem-solving and/or information retrieval. Activities carried out outside the classroom must be submitted within the established deadline. Some of these activities may be conducted in English.

In seminars, smaller groups will be formed to resolve doubts or to work on more complex concepts or problems.

On the other hand, autonomous work by the student will be required to reinforce knowledge through reading and understanding the recommended reference books, websites, or materials provided for specific topics.

Problem-solving classes

In problem-solving classes, the contents of the theory classes will be developed in a practical manner. Problem sets will be provided before the classes so that students can work on them in advance, thus allowing any doubts that arise to be resolved.

Practical classes

For the laboratory practicals, students will be provided with a lab manual indicating the objectives, the rationale behind the experimental procedure, the expected results, and some relevant questions. It is highly important that, prior to the practical session, students read the manual to understand the experiment they will carry out and to attempt to answer the subsequent questions raised. Each day of practicals, students will spend 4 hours performing laboratory experiments under the guidance of the teaching staff, and 1-2 hours on autonomous work for reading and understanding the lab manual, as well as for writing a report with the results obtained, their discussion, and the most relevant conclusions.

For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively as a study support tool, such as for literature searches or information gathering during autonomous work outside the classroom. In any case, students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity.

Laboratory safety warning: Any student involved in an incident that may have serious safety consequences may be expelled from the laboratory and fail the subject.

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 will be continuous, consisting of two midterm exams, formative activities, and laboratory practicals. The final course grade will be calculated by weighting each of the theory components and the laboratory practicals.

The final grade calculation will be based on the following formula:

FINAL GRADE = 0.8 x GLOBAL THEORY GRADE + 0.2 x GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE

Where:

GLOBAL THEORY GRADE = EXAM GRADE (out of 10) x 1 + FORMATIVE ACTIVITIES GRADE (out of 10) x 0.05

EXAM GRADE = 0.5 x Midterm Exam 1 + 0.5 x Midterm Exam 2

GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE = 0.7 x LABORATORY GRADE + 0.3 x PRACTICAL EXAM GRADE

LABORATORY GRADE = 0.9 x Reports Grade + 0.1 x Attitude Grade

To pass the course, students must obtain a GLOBAL THEORY GRADE of 5 or higher (out of 10 points) and a GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE of 5 or higher (out of 10 points). Failure to meet either of these conditions will result in a maximum final grade of 4.5 (out of 10 points) published in the official records.

If the GLOBAL THEORY GRADE via continuous assessment is below 5 (out of 10 points), students may take a remedial exam for the entire course. For those taking the remedial exam, the formative activities grade will be considered in the same way as in the continuous assessment. In this case, the following formula will be used:

GLOBAL THEORY GRADE = REMEDIAL EXAM GRADE (out of 10) x 1 + FORMATIVE ACTIVITIES GRADE (out of 10) x 0.05

If the practical exam grade is below 5 (out of 10 points), the student cannot pass the course through continuous assessment and must take the practical remedial written exam held on the same day as the final exam. In this case, the GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE will be calculated using the following expression (with no minimum grade restriction on the remedial practical exam):

GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE = 0.7 x LABORATORY GRADE + 0.3 x REMEDIAL PRACTICAL EXAM GRADE

A grade of "NOT EVALUATED" (NO AVALUABLE) will be assigned in the following cases:

• There is no laboratory practicals grade (attendance at practical classes is mandatory).
• The student completes and passes the practicals (there is a grade for the practical coursework), but does not take any partial exam or the make-up exam.

If a student fails the course but passes the practical component, the GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE may only be carried over to the following academic year if it is equal to or greater than 6 (out of 10 points).

Other important considerations:

• Any student involved in an incident that could have serious safety consequences may be expelled from the laboratory and fail the course.
• The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted in any in-class assessment activities, including partial exams and the practical exam. Non-disclosure of AI use in this assessable activity will be considered a breach of academic honesty and may result in a partial or total grade penalty for the activity, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
• Committing any irregularity during an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism, or unauthorized use of AI, unless expressly permitted in the course guide) that could lead to a significant variation in the grade will result in a grade of 0 for that activity. If the course guide establishes that a minimum grade in that specific assessment is an essential requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities occur within the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. Regardless of this, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against the student.

Single assessment: Students who have opted for the single assessment modality must take a final exam covering the entire theoretical and problem-solving syllabus of the course. This exam will take place on the same day that continuous assessment students take their second midterm exam.

The grading will be as follows:

FINAL GRADE = 0.8 x FINAL EXAM GRADE + 0.2 x GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE

To pass the course, students must obtain a FINAL EXAM GRADE of 5 or higher (out of 10 points) and a GLOBAL PRACTICAL GRADE of 5 or higher (out of 10 points). Failure to meet either of these conditions will result in a maximum final grade of 4.5 (out of 10 points) in the official records.

If the final exam grade is below 5 (out of 10 points), students will have another opportunity to pass the course through a remedial exam held on the same date as the remedial exam for continuous assessment students. This test allows recovery of the percentage corresponding to the theory component (80%). The global practical grade remains subject to the same conditions as in the continuous assessment modality.