OPTOM 416A/B : Clinical Optometry
Medical and Health Sciences
2025 Semester One (1253) / Semester Two (1255) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
Course Requirements
Course Contacts
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| 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 |
Learning Outcomes
- Interpret and sequence the eye and vision examination procedures introduced during OPTOM 316 into an efficient and accurate clinical routine within a comprehensive eye examination (Capability 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate the principles of case analysis in the context of the management of refractive anomalies and pathology of the eye (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate clinical reasoning and reflective learning skills to work independently through a feedback /action cycle (Capability 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
- Demonstrate and apply effective communication skills and exhibit personal and professional integrity (Capability 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
- Discuss the importance of cultural competency in healthcare and demonstrate cultural safety in practice (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
- Recognise family violence in practice and identify sources for referral and support for those who have/are experiencing family violence (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
- Explain the use of root cause analysis as a tool to analyse adverse events and improve safety and quality in healthcare (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
- Identify and use a variety of advanced investigative techniques used in optometry and interpret their findings (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
- Verify, prescribe, fabricate and dispense optical appliances in theory and in practice and appropriately handover patients to the dispensing team (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
- Identify and discuss the principles underlying the design of the visual environment and the external factors that affect the comfort, safety and performance of people working at everyday tasks (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Practical | Individual Coursework | |
| Workshops | Individual Coursework | |
| Test | 20% | Individual Test |
| Presentation | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Portfolio | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 6 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Practical | ||||||||||
| Workshops | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
| Portfolio | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a double semester 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 2-4 hours of lectures, 4-8 hours of labs /clinic, 1 hour of reading and thinking about the content and 1 hour of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs/tutorials/clinics to complete & receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials/labs will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the test/exam.
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.
CLOSING THE LOOP
Actions taken in response to feedback through SET course evaluations:
59.3% of students in the class responded to the set evaluations. Overall, 75% were satisfied with the course.
Below is a list of activities that were most popular amongst the group:
- Clinic sessions
- Case Analyses
- Practical assessments
- Staff engagement, availability and approachability
- Lectures
- Clinical patient exams
Below is a list of challenges that students faced amongst the group:
- Lack of clinic exposures/unequal clinic exposures due to cancellations/no show appointments:
Although the clinic support team work hard to fill clinic timeslots and confirm/remind patients there are still cancellations/no show appointments. Students are carefully timetabled to have an equal number of clinic exposures, but this does not consider sickness/unavoidable absences. Students will continue be encouraged to check the bookings the day before they are in clinic and book a friend/family member if needed. Vouchers for friends/family will be available.
- Not enough practice time for Semester 1 hurdles:
Additional practice sessions were incorporated into the preclinical teaching schedule and will continue in 2025. Hurdles may be combined to provide more practice time in 2025 and more choice over what techniques are practiced.
- Variation in feedback and expectations from different supervisors:
Supervisors were informed of expectations for clinical patient exams however they will be reiterated in 2025.
- Dispensing clinics were not productive:
We will review and modify giving set tasks to be accomplished during dispensing clinics.
- Case analysis was more difficult for those who presented first and timing for presentation/writing was not enforced:
The timing of the distribution of cases for on-the-spot case analysis and their delivery will be reviewed to enable fairer grading between students.
- Lack of support or guidelines for students working with the LGBTQIA+ community:
We will review education on diversity and inclusion, particularly in an optometric setting.
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.
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.