Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit focuses on the development of your skills and knowledge relevant to research in physiology and other biomedical fields. This unit is designed to foster your development of a range of skills including: critical thinking, team work, planning, writing, time-management, problem-solving and organisation skills. This unit will help you to interpret scientific literature and to understand how the use of statistical methods relates to research. The unit will cover a range of advanced topics in physiology using a more integrative and applied approach than previously encountered. It introduces some issues currently under debate and at the forefront of physiology research. This unit will help you to develop your ability to discuss important scientific issues and to understand human and animal ethical issues and how they apply to research. It will provide you with a basis for future studies in an Honours program, for further research work in biomedical fields or for the critical thinking skills that you would require in graduate courses such as medicine.

Aims

The aim of this subject is to cover applied topics in physiology with a critical focus, including up to date advances in the field and an introduction to integrative and environmental physiology. The lectures and practicals, presented by researchers in various fields of physiology, are designed to prepare you for the workplace, an honours course, a research career or for you to develop skills required for further studies in clinical physiology or medical studies.

Objectives

Through the completion of this unit, you will:

1. Develop a broad understanding of integrative and environmental physiology, develop the ability to search the scientific literature and to be able to discuss the literature and current issues in physiology.
2. Acquire and demonstrate the ability to investigate problems in a practical manner, develop skills in scientific writing, experimental design, good laboratory book practice, data presentation and interpretation, and discussion skills.
3. Develop critical thinking, time-management skills and the ability to be able to work independently and in teams.

Content

The content in this unit is current, covering topical issues in applied and integrative physiology including:
- Research ethics, plagiarism and research design
- Environmental and integrative physiology, including the physiology of spaceflight and free diving
- The abuse of hormones in sport

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit consists of 2 hours of interactive lectures/tutorials and a 3 hour laboratory session per week. Practicals and lectures are designed to develop your ability to search, read, understand, critique and write scientific literature, and to develop discussion, critical thinking and team-work skills. Many lectures will be structured as tutorials covering primary research articles. This subject is taught by a team of lecturers drawing on their research specialisations and experience. There is considerable overlap between practical and lecture material in this subject and some background pertinent to the practicals and the written assignments will be covered in the lecture periods. Practicals are aimed at increasing your ability to investigate physiological concepts using project-style research. You will have the opportunity to design aspects of your practical experiments under the guidance of your teachers. In small groups, you will work together to plan and perform experiments investigating a topic, which span over several weeks. You will analyse the data from and a manuscript in journal format for each of the practical blocks. There will be an emphasis on the application of professional and ethical practice, academic integrity and good laboratory book practice. Based on student feedback, this subject will be assessed continuously throughout the semester.

Assessment

All assessment contributes to your grade.Your feedback is valued and student feedback has played a major role in the development of this unit. You will have opportunities for feedback throughout the semester. The online discussion forum will be available for you through the subject web site where you can make suggestions or raise any concerns at any time during the semester and these may be anonymous is you wish. The teaching staff will be available for discussions throughout the practical sessions and can be contacted by email. In addition you will be given the opportunity to give formal feedback through a unit-specific learning and assessment survey at the end of semester and through QUT's formal feedback mechanisms.

Assessment name: Project (Research)
Description: Project proposals and laboratory book reports. Formative and summative criterion-referenced assessment. For each of the practical blocks your research group will design your experiment and submit a brief project proposal using a form. You will be required to submit your weekly laboratory reports which will be written according to the guidelines and criteria specified. These will be returned to you before or during the next week's practicals in order to guide your experimental direction and to provide timely feedback and formative assessment. This assessment will also provide guidance for the development of the final written manuscript.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 and 3.
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Weekly

Assessment name: Research Paper
Description: Research paper manuscripts. Formative and summative criterion-referenced assessment. For each of the practical blocks you will write a final report in the form of a research paper.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 and 3.
Weight: 35%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Weekly

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: (Formative and/or summative) - Written tests and weekly worksheets involving the interpretation and critical evaluation of data presented in research paper format in the lectures and using scientific evidence to support an argument.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 and 3.
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Texts:

There is no set textbook for this unit.
Laboratory book:

You will be required to purchase a Good Laboratory Practice notebook (green cover) from the QUT bookshop.

Other Material:

Journal articles and specialist books will be recommended by the individual lecturers. Some background information for this subject will be available through Blackboard.

Risk assessment statement

This unit includes a laboratory component. In order that you become proficient in necessary practical skills, you will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and specimens normally associated with this discipline. You are required to complete an online health and safety quiz prior to entry to the laboratory. A passing score of 9/10 is required and will be checked prior to entry to the first laboratory. You may resit the quiz until this score is achieved. You are referred to the university's health and safety web site http://www.hrd.qut.edu.au/healthsafety/index.jsp for further information.

If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the lecturer in charge of the unit, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 26-Oct-2012