Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Copenhagen offers a course in Plant Science, which is part of the Bachelor's program in Natural Resources. The course aims to provide students with experimental and theoretical knowledge of plant science, focusing on plant productivity, resource utilization, quality, and tolerance to unfavorable growth conditions and climate change.

Course Description

The course consists of a theoretical part (20%) and an experimental project (80%). The experimental project is problem-oriented and based on laboratory work and/or analysis of existing data. The course focuses on challenges, problems, and sustainable solutions in current and future national and global plant and food production.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to have the following knowledge, skills, and competencies:

• Knowledge: Describe the importance of plant genetics and physiology in relation to growth, quality, and resource utilization under different combinations of external growth factors. Explain the concept of sustainability. Describe problems related to national and global plant and food production, as well as possible solutions using analysis methods and new technologies.
• Skills: Apply the concept of sustainability to different plant production systems. Evaluate the importance of plant growth factors for quality and resource utilization in different cultivation systems. Evaluate the use of specific analysis methods and experimental results in relation to concrete problems in plant science. Structure, plan, and implement a problem-oriented project process in a group.
• Competencies: Identify and communicate problems related to resource utilization, climate, and environment in plant and food production, as well as select experimental approaches to address the problem. Discuss and reflect on the concept of sustainability in relation to plant production. Reflect on the use of new technology, as well as new production forms and products. Collect and analyze scientific knowledge and integrate it within the framework of problem-based project work.

Course Materials

The course materials include scientific articles and selected book chapters. Further information is available on Absalon.

Recommended Prerequisites

It is recommended that students have taken a course in basic plant biology and plant-environment interactions.

Teaching Methods

The project work is the core of the course and the students' learning. The course begins with the selection of a project, which is based on idea presentations of possible topics and problems prepared by teachers from different academic environments and external actors. This ensures that the laboratory-logical prerequisites are in place, and that the problems become concrete and current, so that the participants in the course get the opportunity to view and understand the academic content of the topic in a larger context.

Workload

The workload for the course is as follows:

• Forelæsninger: 40 hours
• Forberedelse (anslået): 40 hours
• Ekskursioner: 10 hours
• Projektarbejde: 300 hours
• Vejledning: 20 hours
• Eksamen: 2 hours
• Total: 412 hours

Feedback

The course provides feedback in the following forms:

• Mundtlig: Oral feedback
• Individuel: Individual feedback
• Kollektiv: Collective feedback
• Løbende feedback i undervisningsforløbet: Ongoing feedback during the course
• Feedback ved afsluttende eksamen (ud over karakteren): Feedback at the final exam (in addition to the grade)
• Peerfeedback (studerende giver hinanden feedback): Peer feedback (students giving each other feedback)

Examination

The examination consists of a 15 ECTS point oral exam, which includes a group-based project presentation (30 minutes), followed by a review of the project report and presentation according to general formalities and overall academic comments. The exam concludes with an individual examination (15 minutes), which takes its starting point in the project report and the course's overall themes. The oral exam will take approximately 120 minutes per group. The project report is included in the assessment, and it is a combined assessment.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements for the course include:

• Gruppevis aflevering, fremlæggelse og godkendelse af problemanalyse: Group delivery, presentation, and approval of problem analysis
• Deltagelse i gruppebaseret projektarbejde og aflevering af projektrapport: Participation in group-based project work and delivery of project report

Course Information

• Sprog: Dansk (Danish)
• Kursuskode: LPLB10328U
• Point: 15 ECTS
• Niveau: Bachelor
• Varighed: 1 block
• Placering: Block 2
• Skemagruppe: B and C
• Kursuskapacitet: No limit, but there may be fewer places available during the late registration period
• Studienævn: Studienævn for Naturressourcer, Miljø og Husdyr (Study Board for Natural Resources, Environment, and Animal Science)
• Udbydende institutter: Institut for Plante- og Miljøvidenskab (Department of Plant and Environmental Science) and Institut for Fødevare- og Ressourceøkonomi (Department of Food and Resource Economics)
• Udbydende fakultet: Det Natur- og Biovidenskabelige Fakultet (Faculty of Science)
• Kursusansvarlige: Carsten Pedersen
• Undervisere: Conny Bruun Asmussen Lange and Kristian Holst Laursen