OPTOM 216A/B : Introduction to Optometry

Medical and Health Sciences

2020 Semester One (1203) / Semester Two (1205) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A clinically-focused course introducing students to optometric practice and addressing, at an introductory level, the ethical, cultural, theoretical and clinical aspects of the optometric examination. Topics covered include: preliminary tests from the eye examination, communication skills and clinical problem solving. The course will emphasise assessment utilising advanced equipment and the production of clinically relevant outcomes and diagnosis-supportive hypotheses.

Course Overview

The OPTOM216 course content is a introduction to common optometric concepts, clinical techniques, and ophthalmic imaging modalities. This content is updated each year in order to keep in touch with the scientific advances. Lectures are often multi-part, covering the background, implementation, and clinical implimentation. In addition to lectures, students are provided with educational videos of the technological background and application of each technique. 

Most of the clinical optometry techniques taught in lectures are immediately followed by hands-on learning in the pre-clinical laboratory. These include techniques such as slit lamp biomicroscopy, direct ophthalmoscopy, visual acuity, binocular vision, assessment of accommodation, visual fields, retinoscopy and autorefraction. 

In order to prepare students for the lab component of the course, a comprehensive laboratory manual is provided. The lab manual covers the basics of each technique and provides links to publicly available digital tools that assist students to learn more about these techniques and virtually practice them if needed.

Course Requirements

To complete this course students must enrol in OPTOM 216 A and B

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: Bachelor of Optometry

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe the optical principles used in methods designed to collect clinically-relevant data on the structure and function of the eye. (Capability 1.2)
  2. Describe and demonstrate appropriate techniques for assessing sensory visual function including vision and visual acuity, visual fields, colour vision, contrast sensitivity. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.2 and 4.1)
  3. Describe the principles of and perform an objective refractive examination on an adult patient using appropriate techniques to an accuracy within ±1.0D for sphere and cylinder power and ±20° for cylinder axis. (Capability 1.2, 2.2, 3.1 and 4.1)
  4. Perform a satisfactory case history assessment to form a differential diagnosis, utilising patient-clinician communication principles. (Capability 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  5. Recognise , measure, and record abnormalities of oculomotor and binocular function (Capability 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1 and 6.1)
  6. Understand the principal mechanisms of clinically relevant image acquisition modalities, the potentials and limitations of each method, and the importance of multi-modal imaging. (Capability 1.2, 2.1 and 3.1)
  7. Engage appropriately with different cultures in an optometric setting and identify differing levels of background knowledge in patients to ensure effective patient management. (Capability 4.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  8. Describe the ethical and cultural considerations, and legislative framework governing the registered health profession of Optometry in NZ and Australia. (Capability 4.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  9. Describe the future directions of technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality in the Optometry profession (Capability 1.3, 2.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Test 20% Individual Test
Laboratories 20% Individual Coursework
Presentation 10% Group Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Final Exam
Test
Laboratories
Presentation
Must pass laboratory component in addition to obtaining an overall passing grade. 

Course Contacts

Course Directors and Coordinators:
  • Dr Philip Turnbull p.turnbull@auckland.ac.nz
  • Dr Ehsan Vaghefi e.vaghefi@auckland.ac.nz 

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 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 50 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorials, 40 hours in laboratories,  100 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 65 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

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.

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 19/12/2019 04:26 p.m.