Short course
Botanical Connections: Plant Relationships with Other Life Forms
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
21/01/2027 - 25/03/202710:30 - 12:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
What does it take for a plant to survive in its changing environment? As plants do not move around, they need to adapt in order to respond to other organisms around them. How do they know which organisms are beneficial or harmful? How do they form part of an interconnected web of life on this planet?
Students will understand the still nature of plant life and the types of interactions they encounter. We will explore how certain interactions with bacteria, fungi and animals are essential and beneficial for plant life. We will grasp mechanisms by which plants interact with other plants that allow them to co-exist as a community. Students will also study the concept of plant carnivory and the adaptations that enable this. We will examine how plants are affected by bacterial and fungal pathogens and how these microbes can end plant life. The effect of human life on plants will also be evaluated. The course will end with a visit to Oxford Botanical Gardens where we will explore different plants and some of the topics we have covered in the course.
The course will be important to those who have a curiosity for plants and the ecological niche they fit in.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Courses starts 21 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 10.30am-12.30pm.
Week 1: Still nature of plant life
Week 2: Beneficial bacteria
Week 3: Friendly fungi
Week 4: Interaction with other plants
Week 5: Flora and fauna
Week 6: Carnivory
Week 7: Plant pathogenic bacteria
Week 8: Plant pathogenic fungi
Week 9: Plants interacting with humans
Week 10: Visit to Oxford Botanical Gardens – Students will need to pay an entrance fee to enter the botanical gardens.
Please note: students will have to arrange their own transport for the field trip, and cover the cost of any entry fees.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to develop an understanding of interactions between plants and other living organisms influence plant survival, adaptation and ecological success.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- explore the still nature of plant life and consider the ways in which plants depend on interactions with other organisms
- to develop an understanding of beneficial and antagonistic plant biotic interactions
- examine how the diversity and behaviour of other living organisms can influence plant survival and growth
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- Appreciate the challenges of stationary plant life
- Understand how plants recognise and build relationships with different organisms
- Grasp that plant life can sometimes succumb to smaller, yet stronger organisms
- Evaluate the impact of humans on plant life
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
The course will consist of lectures followed by discussions, quizzes, or videos. The environment will be informal, allowing students to ask questions throughout the lectures. The course also includes a field trip to the Oxford Botanical Gardens (Students will need to pay an entrance fee to enter the gardens).
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Radhika Desikan
Dr Desikan is a plant scientist who has taught plant science for several years and researched and published on the behaviour of plants facing various abiotic and biotic stresses.
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- Inanimate life / George Briggs
- Plant-biotic interactions / Varma, Tripathi, Prasad
Module code: O26P417BIW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
