https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/MEDSCI/743/1253

MEDSCI 743 : Design and Analysis in Biomedical Research

Medical and Health Sciences

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An in-depth exploration of the principles of experimental design and data analysis in biomedical contexts. A focus on critical appraisal of choice of statistical tests to address experimental questions and appropriateness and limitations of analysis and interpretation of results will be undertaken. Practical and computer statistical packages are used.

Course Overview

The course uses lectures and associated practical to emphasize the importance of experimental design in the research environment. The one hour lecture on various experimental and statistical paradigms is aligned with a 2 hour practical session using the SPSS statistical software to assess experimental models and  derived data. The practical sessions will be assessed in five assignments handed in electronically throughout the duration of the course.

Course Requirements

Restriction: MEDSCI 725

Course Contacts

  • Course Director: Associate Professor Rohit Ramchandra (r.ramchandra@auckland.ac.nz; ext 85183)
Course Coordinator: Dr Raj Selvaratnam (r.subramaniam@auckland.ac.nz; ext 86955)

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Biomedical Science

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand fundamental concepts in experimental design. (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  2. Apply knowledge gained to decide whether to carry out a parametric or non-parametric test (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
  3. Critically evaluate statistical analysis paradigms in published manuscripts (Capability 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 7.2)
  4. Explain how and why power analysis needs to be done (Capability 2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 8.1 and 8.2)
  5. Analyse a statistical hypothesis using a statistical test and arrive at an inference (Capability 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 7.2)
  6. Explain the pros and cons of using a p-value for hypothesis testing (Capability 7.1, 7.2 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 40% Individual Coursework
Test 1 30% Individual Test
Test 2 30% Individual Test
3 types 100%
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Assignments
Test 1
Test 2

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.

For this course, you can expect 10 hours of lectures, a 20 hour practicals,  20 of reading and thinking about the content and 60 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including practicals, tutorials and lectures to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials and practicals will not be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events including group discussions or tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the tests.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning 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.

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.

We have been modifying this course based on student feedback for a number of years and are also responsive to  concerns during the year. We will continue to monitor feedback throughout the course. 
Based on feedback from previous years, we will be providing additional resources for self-directed learning. We are also going to change the format of the material handed out; this was a concern from the previous SETs.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Medsci 743 includes practical work in assessing data and experimental design. The analysis, data presentation, and written components of the related assessments must be completed independently by each student, and adhere to the academic integrity standards set by the University of Auckland Student Academic Conduct Statute.

GenAI
We do not allow the use of AI in creating any written assessment because:
1. All our written assessments are intended to upskill you in academic writing (in addition to understanding the topic), which will be hindered with the use of AI.
2. It does not demonstrate your ability to communicate scientific ideas clearly, logically, and concisely within the field of experimental design, and claiming it as your own is academically dishonest.
If you choose to use GenAI to assist you during the semester, please ensure that it is limited to the planning or information gathering stages of your assessments. It is your responsibility to verify any information (and their sources) to ensure they are accurate. Any writing submitted for assessment must be written independently by you, in your own words.
Paraphrasing tools
Improving your academic writing is one of the learning outcomes of this course. Paraphrasing tools such as Grammarly can be a useful resource for learning about writing, though it may not always align with scientific writing styles. If you choose to use such a tool, ensure you are:
1. Still creating your own thoughts and writing
2. Thinking critically about any suggested changes
3. Learning from any suggestions made by the tool so you can improve your writing skills, rather than simply using the suggestions in your assessments.
4. Not using it to re-write full paragraphs of text and claiming it as your own writing.

If your assessment appears to use GenAI platforms in its final product, you will be asked to have a meeting with teaching staff, and a formal academic misconduct process may be initiated.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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 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.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

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.