MEDSCI 201 : Human Structure and Function

Medical and Health Sciences

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Presents the structure of biological systems with special reference to human biology, from the levels of histology through to gross anatomy. Specific examples of the correlation between structure and function will be considered. An introduction to current techniques for the visualisation of biological structure will be presented.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: BIOSCI 107, MEDSCI 142

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: University

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a holistic understanding of the complex interdependence of separate organ systems that together ensure reliable functioning of the human body. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  2. Explain how any imbalance can affect health and lead to disease. (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 4)
  3. Describe in-depth the importance of a particular organ system. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
  4. Integrate your practical skills to enhance your learning/understanding of particular organ systems. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
  5. Use and develop your intellectual and cognitive skills to complete any associated 'on-task' activities. (Capability 1, 2, 4 and 5)
  6. Communicate your knowledge and understanding with fellow students, the academic faculty and the community. (Capability 4, 5 and 6)
  7. Plan and evaluate your own progress toward achieving your academic, personal and professional goals. (Capability 5)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Laboratories 30% Group & Individual Coursework
Test 30% Individual Test
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Laboratories
Test
Final Exam

Learning Resources

Self-directed learning is an important aspect of this course. Students are expected to prepare for classes by reading specified sections from the recommended textbook or other sources, and self-manage time so that activities are completed in a timely fashion.

The recommended text is Human Anatomy, by Martini, Tallitsch, and Nath, 9th ed. Earlier versions, or other anatomy textbooks, are also suitable.
ISBN: 9780134424873
Publisher: Pearson Higher Ed USA
The e-Text is available online at http://www.pearsoned.co.nz/9780134424873 for $60.
You can borrow earlier editions of this textbook from the Philson Library (Grafton Campus) or the General Library (City Campus).

Course Contacts

Please contact Angela Tsai in the first instance for any general queries relating to the course.
Miss Angela Tsai
Professional Teaching Fellow, Course Coordinator 
DDI: +64 9 923 1552 
Email: a.tsai@auckland.ac.nz

Dr. Simon O’Carroll
Senior Lecturer (Neuroanatomy), Course Director 
DDI: +64 9 923 9664
Email: s.ocarroll@auckland.ac.nz

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in. Please note that this 150-hour guideline does not consider 

  • diverse student ability/differences in processing and learning speeds;
  • the extent of prior disciplinary knowledge/solidity of foundation pre-knowledge;
  • differences between cognitively passive or active learning approaches;
  • the level of attainment likely to be achieved  with this level of time investment (C- pass vs A-range grades)

For this course, you can expect 35 hours of lectures, 15 hours of labs (6 x 2.5 hours), with the remaining 100 hours (minimum) to be invested in reading and thinking actively about the content, working on assignments and/or test and exam preparations. 

Other Information

MEDSCI 201 (anatomy) labs are different from 202 (microbiology), 203 (pathology) and 205 (physiology) labs. Anatomy labs are an extension of the lectures. Students should not expect to be developing the same skills as in other courses (e.g. experimentally driven, comprehensive written lab reports, or ‘take-home’ worksheets).
The overall workload, however, should be comparable across different courses. Students should be spending as much time and effort on their MEDSCI 201 labs (on integrating and applying knowledge), as they do researching and writing lab reports for other courses. 
Some of the lab-related assessments are due after the semester has officially ended. This is beyond the control of the course since the final lab topic is scheduled in week 12. Students are advised to manage their time accordingly to accommodate these requirements.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

2019 SET evaluations (58.9% of enrolled students responded)

Students found the following aspects of the course helpful for their learning: the course guide; course organisation; recordings; good lecturers; labs (supplemented lectures); lab Teaching Assistants; revision resources; discussions on Piazza; KuraCloud (great for testing knowledge pre- and post-labs); receiving Crowdmark results and other forms of feedback.

Things that will be changing in 2020 as a consequence of students' feedback on what can be improved:
  1. The lecture/topic sequence will be altered so that
    (a) neural & musculoskeletal systems take place earlier in the course, and
    (b) histology sessions will be distributed throughout the course to better integrate with other organ systems
  2. The structure and assessment of the histology lab will be reviewed; making sure that the pre-lab activities are pitched at the appropriate level
  3. Making sure students have an accurate appreciation of the depth of understanding that is expected in the laboratory assessments.
Things that we have considered but will not be changing:
  1. Peer Tutoring (as offered in MEDSCI 205): Anatomy and Physiology are different disciplines and require different ways of thinking. Peer Tutoring is appropriate for a conceptual subject such as Physiology, but less so for Anatomy. Peer Tutoring sessions for MEDSCI 201 are currently not possible owing to resourcing, timetabling and space constraints. We remind future students to maximise their interactions with Lab Demonstrators and lecturers during labs, and that students can set up their own study groups.
  2. Request for more revision resources: students already have a lot of resources available to them. ‘More’ does not mean ‘better’. Learn to value and use meaningfully and maximally what you do have access to, instead of wishing you had ‘more’.
    e.g. realise that every MCQ can be turned into multiple true/false statements. Practise articulating and justifying each statement.
    e.g. challenge yourself to create your own revision resources and having these critiqued by peers / Piazza Tutors.
    e.g. make use of all the past exams available - early.
  3. Some students prefer more online assignments and fewer tests: The post-lab quizzes are open-book and open to collaboration and thus are not necessarily a true reflection of individual students’ knowledge/ability.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 03/02/2020 04:09 p.m.