Course content
Blended course. This course is optimised for in-person delivery for all sessions for this course.
Attendance on-campus and in-person is required for:
Module 1 (Statistics) - both statistics workshops
Module 2 (Bioethics) - the overview session and the poster training workshop.
If you are unable to attend an in-person component due to exceptional circumstances, you should contact the course coordinator, Dr Diane Ormsby on diane.ormsby@vuw.ac.nz at the first opportunity, explaining your circumstances. Alternative scheduling or alternative assignments may be possible. Medical certificates or other forms of suporting evidence will be requested for extensions or missing assessments.
This course is in modular format. Each student must complete all THREE compulsory modules. Modules are delivered with in-person on-campus meetings.
Module 1: BioStatistics (Using "R")
Module 2: BioEthics
Module 3: mRNA vaccine development
All students complete all three modules.
In this course you gain tools to examine and communicate concepts within currently developing areas of major importance to biomedical science.
In line with the University Academic Integrity Policy the reuse of a student's own work (i.e., work that has previously been submitted for another assessment task in the same or different course) will be prohibited for this course.
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course will be able to:
Provide detailed descriptions of current biomedical developments in selected subject areas.
Obtain material pertinent to a given topic from primary and secondary literature sources.
Assess and analyze information/results pertinent to the selected topics.
Synthesize information from diverse, and sometimes contradictory, sources into a reasoned discussion.
Formulate hypotheses from evidence in the topics studied.
Communicate scientific information using a variety of media to different audiences.
Apply the skills and knowledge obtained to a range of new situations.
Available offerings
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Offering CRN 19799
This course outline is provisional and subject to change until the course commences.
Duration
10 July 2023 - 5 November 2023
Starts
Trimester 2
Campus
Kelburn
Lecture start times
Wednesday - 15:10, 15:10
People
Lecturers
Lecturers
Dr Lisa Connor
- lisa.connor@vuw.ac.nz
- AM 310 Alan Macdiarmid Building, Gate 7, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn
Dr Lisa Woods
- lisa.woods@vuw.ac.nz
- CO 532 Cotton Building (All Blocks), Gate 7, Kelburn Parade, Kelburn
Administrators
Schedule
Teaching plan
In-person course. This course is optimised for in-person delivery and requires attendance at all sessions for all modules.
If you are unable to attend an in-person component due to exceptional circumstances, you should contact the course coordinator at the first opportunity, explaining your circumstances. Alternative scheduling or alternative assignments may be possible.
This course is in modular format. Each student must complete all THREE compulsory modules. Modules are delivered with in-person on-campus meetings.
Module 1: BioStatistics (Using "R")
Module 2: BioEthics
Module 3:mRNA vaccine development
All students complete all three modules.
Week 0
Lecture
Science & Ethics (Module 2) during 2nd week of mid-trimester break
Email Diane to set up a 1-hour poster feedback session either in-person on campus or on the course zoom.Science & Ethics (Module 2) during 2nd week of mid-trimester break
Email Diane to set up a 1-hour poster feedback session either in-person on campus or on the course zoom.Diane Ormsby
Assessment
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - short review article due during assessment period (20%) Wed 25th October
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - short review article due during assessment period (20%) Wed 25th October
Wayne Patrick
Dr Lisa Connot
Wednesday 25th October (20%)
Week 1
Lecture
Introduction to the course &
Study Design and Statistics - MeetingWednesday 12th July in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Woods
Dr Diane Ormsby
Week 2
Lecture
Study Design & Statistics - Meeting
Wednesday 19th July in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Woods
Week 3
Lecture
Study Design & Statistics - Meeting
Wednesday 26th July in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Woods
Assessment
Study Design & Statistics - Hand in Statistics Assignment 1 (15%) Due Wednesday 26th July 5pm
Study Design & Statistics - Hand in Statistics Assignment 1 (15%) Due Wednesday 26th July 5pm
Lisa Woods
Wednesday 26th July 5pm (15%)
Week 4
Lecture
Study Design & Statistics - Meeting
Wednesday 2nd August in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Woods
Assessment
Study Design & Statistics - Hand in Statistics Assignment 2 (20%)
Study Design & Statistics - Hand in Statistics Assignment 2 (20%) Due Wednesday 9th August 5pm 2023
Lisa Woods
Wednesday 9th August 5pm (20%)
Week 5
Lecture
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Overview and Topic allocation
& Pecha Kucha trainingWednesday 9th August in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Diane Ormsby
Week 6
Lecture
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Poster training
Wednesday 16th August in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Diane Ormsby
Week 7
Lecture
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Poster feedback session
NOTE: If you wish to have additional poster feedback sesssion prior ot submission of your poster, email diane.ormsby@vuw.ac.nzWednesday 6th September in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Assessment
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Poster in PDF format due Friday 8th September 5pm (25%)
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Poster in PDF format due Friday 8th September 5pm (25%)
Diane Ormsby
Friday 8th September 5pm (25%)
Week 8
Assessment
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Pecha Kucha in powerpoint format due Tuesday 12th September 5pm (15%)
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Pecha Kucha in powerpoint format due Tuesday 12th September 5pm (15%)
Diane Ormsby
Tuesday 12th September 5pm (15%)
Lecture
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Pecha Kucha presentations 6 mins 40 secs per student (20 slides x 20 seconds each + one title slide)
& Poster viewingWednesday 13th September in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Diane Ormsby
Week 9
Lecture
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - Introduction/Overview
Wednesday 20th September in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Connor
Dr Wayne Patrick
Week 10
Lecture
Designer vaccines with mRNA technology (Module 3) - Group discussion class exercise. Class participation 5%
Wednesday 27th September in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Group discussion class exercise. Class participation 5%Wayne Patrick
Dr Lisa Connor
Wednesday 27th September in class discussion (5%)
Week 11
Lecture
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - No lecture - opportunity to work on assignment - a short reveiw article
Wednesday 4th October in KK203 from 3:10-5pm
Lisa Connor
Dr Waye Patrick
Week 12
Lecture
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3)- No classes this week
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3)- No classes this week
Timeline
- 10 July 2023
- Course begins
- 10 July 2023 to 13 October 2023
- Teaching
- 21 August 2023 to 3 September 2023
- Break
- 16 October 2023 to 19 October 2023
- Study period
- 20 October 2023 to 4 November 2023
- Exam period
- 5 November 2023
- Course ends
Timetable
10 July 2023 - 15 October 2023
Wednesday
- 15:10 - 17:00 – 203, New Kirk, Kelburn
Teaching format
PLEASE NOTE: This course continues over the mid-trimester break. Students each book a one-hour zoom feedback session on their poster with Diane Ormsby on the class zoom link in the second week of the mid-trimester break (week of 28th August 2023).
The class zoom link is: https://vuw.zoom.us/my/bmsc406
Blended course. This course is optimised for in-person delivery for all sessions for this course.
Attendance on-campus and in-person is required for:
Module 1 (Statistics using "R") - both statistics workshops
Module 2 (Bioethics) - the overview session and the poster training workshop.
If you are unable to attend an in-person component due to exceptional circumstances, you should contact the course coordinator, Dr Diane Ormsby on diane.ormsby@vuw.ac.nz at the first opportunity, explaining your circumstances. Alternative scheduling or alternative assignments may be possible. Medical certificates or other forms of suporting evidence will be requested for extensions or missing assessments.
This course is in modular format. Each student must complete all THREE compulsory modules. Modules are delivered with in-person on-campus meetings. Lectures/workshops will be recorded.
Module 1: BioStatistics (Using "R")
Module 2: BioEthics
Module 3: mRNA vaccine development
All students complete all three modules.
In line with the University Academic Integrity Policy the reuse of a student's own work (i.e., work that has previously been submitted for another assessment task in the same or different course) will be prohibited for this course.
Workload
This is a 15 point course and therefore has a workload of 150 hours. Students are required to attend all THREE modules. Expect to spend on average 150 hours attending class, reading, or preparing the assessments for this class.
PLEASE NOTE: This course continues over the mid-trimester break. Students each book a one-hour zoom feedback session on their poster with Diane Ormsby on the class zoom link in the second week of the mid-trimester break (week of 28th August 2023).
The class zoom link is: https://vuw.zoom.us/my/bmsc406
Texts
Required
For each module topic, research papers may be recommended by the staff member responsible for the topic. However, students must also utilise pertinent publication search engines to gather a comprehensive body of information for each topic.
There are no required texts for this offering.
Recommended
Required materials and equipment
Laptop or electronic device for use during Module 1 (Statistics), and the workshops/feedback sessions for Module 2 (Bioethics).
Please email the course coordinator Dr Diane Ormsby on diane.ormsby@vuw.ac.nz if this is an issue for you.
Assessment
The final grade for the course will be derived from the marks from the individual modules.
Each student will complete all THREE modules:
The compulsory modules are worth:
35% (Module 1: BioStatistics)
40% (Module 2: BioEthics)
25% (Module 3: mRNA vaccine development).
Students must participate in ALL THREE modules.
Study design & statistics (Module 1) - Statistics Assignment 1
Due: Wednesday 26th July 2023 5pm
CLO:
- 3,
- 5,
- 7,
Mark: 15%
Study design & statistics (Module 1) - Statistics Assignment 2
Due: Wednesday 9th August 2023 5pm
CLO:
- 3,
- 5,
- 7,
Mark: 20%
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Poster
Graded on format, content, referencing, presentation & originalityDue: Friday 8th Sept 2023 5pm
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 6,
- 7,
Mark: 15%
Science & Ethics (Module 2) - Pecha Kucha
Graded on clarity, communication, content & audience engagementDue: Tuesday 12th Sept 5pm
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 6,
- 7,
Mark: 25%
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - Group discussion class exercise
Graded on participation, communication, contentDue: Wednesday 27th September 2023
CLO:
- 1,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
Mark: 5%
mRNA vaccine development (Module 3) - Short review article
Due: During assessment period Wednesday 25th October 5pm
CLO:
- 1,
- 2,
- 3,
- 4,
- 5,
- 7,
Mark: 20%
Mandatory requirements
In addition to achieving an overall pass mark of at least 50%, students must:
- Participate in ALL three compulsory modules, or seek exemption due to exceptional personal circumstances. The course co-ordinator will request supporting documentation/medical certificate if a student does not attend any session in this course and/or if an assessment is not submitted.
If you believe that exceptional circumstances may prevent you from meeting the mandatory course requirements, contact the Course Coordinator for advice as soon as possible.
Marking criteria
Will be available on Nuku.
Extension
Medical certificates or other forms of supporting evidence will be requested for extensions or missing assessments. Penalties may be incurred by students who hand in work past the due date, with the potential for 5% of the grade for the assignment deducted for each day the assignment is late.
Penalties
Medical certificates or other forms of supporting evidence will be requested for extensions or missing assessments. Penalties may be incurred by students who hand in work past the due date, with the potential for 5% of the grade for the assignment deducted for each day the assignment is late.
Communication and additional information
All additional information will be communicated via Nuku.
Student feedback
In 2022 BMSC406 course feedback:
100% of students agreed or strongly agreed the course was well organized
100% of students agreed or strongly agreed objectives were clearly communicated
Feedback to students will include discussion and written comments on marked work. In some modules, specified times are allotted for seeking and receiving formative feedback before the assessment is submitted for final summative feedback.
Students are encouraged to seek feedback from the lecturers and to discuss ways to improve/optimize their performance and understanding. Individual discussions on performance may be booked with staff at the request of a student.
You can view Student course feedback collected for the University courses from the last completed trimester for which feedback was collected
Class representative
The class representative provides a useful way to communicate feedback to the teaching staff during the course. They also work with the VUWSA Education Office on any academic issues that arise in their course. Reps are elected by students by the third week of classes every trimester. Being a rep requires a weekly commitment.
The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington values te reo Māori. Students who wish to submit any of their assessments in te reo Māori must refer to The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy - PDF 134kb
He mea nui te reo Māori ki Te Herenga Waka. Ki te pīrangi koe ki te tuhituhi i ō aro matawai i roto i te reo Māori, tēnā me mātua whakapā atu ki te kaupapa here, The Use of Te Reo Māori for Assessment Policy - PDF 134kb
Course additions and withdrawals
If you want to add or drop a course you need to make sure you follow the correct process.
Important information
Keep your uni experience running smoothly—find out how to manage your studies from enrolment through to graduation.
Find out more:
- Enrolment and course advice
- Student conduct and feedback
- Examinations and assessments