Duration
10h Mon. WS
Number of credits
| Bachelor in biology | 1 crédit |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course focuses on the practical management and analysis of biological data using Microsoft Excel.
The tutorials progressively cover:
- getting to grips with Excel and importing text and CSV files
- structuring a biological dataset
- using descriptive formulas and functions
- detecting and correcting errors in the data
- visualising distributions, differences between groups and relationships between variables
- interpreting a correlation and a comparison test
A summary session enables students to work independently on a dataset to answer a research question.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- import and correctly organise a dataset
- use descriptive formulas and functions in Excel
- identify, correct and document common errors in a dataset
- select and produce an appropriate graphical representation
- interpret the results in the context of a biological question
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No knowledge of Excel is required.
An understanding of the concepts of mean, standard deviation, correlation and hypothesis testing covered in the statistics modules of the Bachelor's degree.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course comprises five two-hour tutorial sessions:
- an introduction to Excel and data import
- formulas and descriptive statistics
- data cleaning
- visualisation, correlation and comparison of two means
- independent analysis of a biological dataset
The first four sessions are guided. The final session is an integrative activity drawing on all the skills developed.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Attendance and active participation in tutorials are strongly recommended. The skills assessed are based on step-by-step practical exercises, which are difficult to master simply by reading the course materials.
You must have your own computer and install Microsoft Excel 365 in French on it before the course begins. If you use a different version of Excel or another spreadsheet programme, you may encounter differences in the names of functions, menus and available features.
You are encouraged to discuss matters during the tutorials, but everyone must be able to reproduce the various steps independently.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Tutorial materials, datasets and resources for the theoretical introductions are available on eCampus.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam
Further information:
The assessment consists of an individual data analysis exercise carried out on a computer, drawing on all the skills covered.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
You must install the French version of Microsoft Excel 365 on their computers before the course begins. You must also keep the formulas and the various steps of your work in the files provided.
Contacts
Flavien Collart
Bât. B22 Écologie des communautés et des populations végétales
Chemin de la Vallée 1, 4
4000 Liège
E-mail: fcollart@uliege.be