OPTOM 375A/B : Visual Science 2

Medical and Health Sciences

2020 Semester One (1203) / Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

To provide an understanding of visual information processing in human brain. In particular the cortical processing of shape, motion and colour, and development of the visual cortex will be addressed. A problem-oriented approach will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students will acquire the ability to seek, evaluate and retrieve scientific information on which to base their clinical practice.

Course Overview

The primary aim of the course is to gain an understanding of how the visual system processes visual information from the level of the eye to the visual cortical areas. This course teaches students to critically read research papers, make scientific presentations and write research proposals and gives an introduction to statistics. This course will help students to choose the topic of the final year research project. 

The following topics are taught: 
Topic 1: Perception of form, motion and colour. 
Topic 2: Cortical processing of visual information 
Topic 3: Statistics 
Topic 4: Current research in the field of Vision Science

Course Requirements

Restriction: OPTOM 270 To complete this course students must enrol in OPTOM 375 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
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Optometry

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of human perception of form, motion and colour with a reference to properties of receptive fields of retinal and cortical neurons (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  2. Describe how visual information in cortex is coded, including dorsal and ventral pathways. (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  3. Demonstrate ability to make conclusions from results of statistical analysis of experimental data and differentiate between clinical and statistical significance (Capability 1.1, 2.1 and 3.2)
  4. Apply statistical methods to research related problems (Capability 1.1, 2.1 and 3.2)
  5. Demonstrate ability to present a poster and to deliver an oral presentation on selected topics in vision science (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.2 and 4.2)
  6. Demonstrate ability to present research proposal (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.2 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test on Vision Science and Statistics 35% Individual Test
Presentation of poster 15% Individual Coursework
Presentation at journal club 25% Individual Coursework
Essay (research proposal) 25% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Test on Vision Science and Statistics
Presentation of poster
Presentation at journal club
Essay (research proposal)

The course Canvas page has detailed information on assessment processes and minimum pass rates.

Course Contacts

Misha Vorobyev (m.vorobyev@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.

For this course, you can expect 26 hours of lectures, a 18 hour tutorials, 12 hours of poster presentation 26 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 78 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.

Comments from previous years:

What was most helpful in learning?
journal clubs,
Enjoyed the poster presentation and JC.
Pictures and diagrams that were well explained in lectures.

What improvements would you like to see?
Maybe shift the statistics block of lectures to be earlier so when we are reading papers for our poster presentation we can understand the results analysis better.
Please give more guidance with choosing topics of papers for the poster presentation, and more information into how the presentations will be run.
logistic improvements on due time and dates, More fore thought on dates for posters and groupings etc
A further explanation of what each assessment required.
Less repetition of content

Reflection on comments and proposed changes.

 1. I will give more information on presentations in the beginning of the semester 1 and start teaching statistics earlier. This will equip the students with tools of critical evaluation of papers before they select a paper for presentation.
2. The poster presentations will be grouped in two streams. Each student will need to attend two sessions of poster presentations.
3. I will explain in more details the requirements for each assessment.
Unfortunately, the repetitions are necessary because the concepts, such as the difference between clinical and statistical significance, cannot be grasped by the majority of the class if I do not explain them using different methods. However, some students understand the material after the first explanation and are bored when I explain it again.

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 28/02/2020 01:34 p.m.