OPTOM 752A/B : Special Study

Medical and Health Sciences

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

Course Prescription

No prescription

Course Overview

The overall goal of this course is to give the student exposure to selected research fields in vision science and biomedical sciences at an advanced level with detailed study of a problem in vision related topics.  To this end the student will spend time learning techniques and procedures in research laboratories engaged in vision science and/or biomedical research.  The schedule will be determined by availability of resources within laboratories and discussion between the research groups, the course controller and the Head of School.

Course Requirements

To complete this course students must enrol in OPTOM 752 A and B, or OPTOM 752

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and apply the principles of protocol design, documentation and laboratory record keeping, with particular emphasis on design of methodology to investigate a vision related problem. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to write a short report addressing the methodology employed and discussion of the obtained results. (Capability 2, 3 and 4)
  3. Demonstrate proficiency in data collection and analysis. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  4. Design experiments that address a problem in a vision related subject. (Capability 2 and 3)
  5. Research, analyse and communicate the literature relevant to support the plan of research. (Capability 2 and 3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 20% Individual Coursework
Case Studies 60% Individual Coursework
Presentation 20% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Assignments
Case Studies
Presentation
Assignments -Participation and presentation seminars (20%) 
Students should attend and participate in at least seven seminars to be scheduled during semester 1 and 2. Presentation of a journal article or question by the supervisor will provide the starting point for discussions. Students should be prepared to participate in discussions using information from textbooks and relevant journal articles (informed opinion). Assessment incorporates peer to peer evaluation based on a predefined qualitative criterion. The seminars involve powerpoint assisted presentations of journal articles relevant to the field of study. Each student should present four articles for a total of 20% marks. Presentations will be assessed following a marking rubric. 
 
Case studies- Literature- supported justification of experimental plan (20% x 3) 
 This takes the form of a literature review of 2500-3000 words per submission that address the justification of the experimental plan selected to answer the research question. The review should address the justification for the use of the techniques outlined in the experimental plan including the validity, reliability and replicability of the techniques. The review should be focused on the strength but also the weakness of the experimental approach to answer the research question. A list of references using APA citation format should also be included (this does not count toward your page limit). The assessment will be marked according to a rubric that takes into consideration the content and structure of the report.  It will be assessed in three stages worth 20% each.
Each report should have a word count of no more than 3000 words. It should include a description of the procedure, or steps followed when applying the method. It should include the description of how samples were processed, reagent preparation, and data analysis. Data figures are no included in the word count. 

Presentation- Summary of the research plan (20%) 
The studies should be presented using powerpoint. This is a 30 minute production that should include a short review of the intended experimental plan, including: 
1) a description of the principle behind the techniques to be used  
2) a clear statement of how the experiments can advance knowledge in the field  
3) a description of the proposed experimental design  
The presentation should allow time for answering a couple of questions at the end. You are expected to meet with your supervisor to discuss your presentation prior to the presentation date.   


Learning Resources

Journal articles selected according to the topic of study.

Course Contacts

Course coordinator: Dr Monica Acosta m.acosta@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, there are no lectures, but there is 1 hour of supervised work, 10 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.

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 24/02/2020 08:15 a.m.