Evidence Based Medicine 1 G (10240.1)

Required texts

Required text:

Gosall, N. & Gosall, G. The Doctor's Guide to Critical Appraisal. 4th Edition. 2015. PasTest Ltd, Cheshire.

Harris M, Taylor G, Harris M, Taylor G. Medical statistics made easy. Banbury, England: Scion; (latest edition)

Recommended texts:

Hoffmann T, Bennett S, Del Mar C. Evidence-Based Practice Across the Health Professions-E-pub. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2017.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Late submission of assignments for the Faculty of Health

The following conditions will apply to late submissions without an approved extension:

• Mark adjustment: 5% of the maximum mark available for the assessment task will be deducted for each day late up until five days late. For example, an essay awarded 60% (60/100) submitted 2 days late will receive a mark adjustment of 5% per day, therefore, the adjusted maximum mark for that item will be 50% (50/100).
• Similarly, if the weighting is used then a piece of work worth 50% of the unit which received 30/50 would be reduced by 2.5 marks per day (i.e. 5% of 50) and would therefore receive a maximum adjusted mark of 25/50 if late by two days.
• Submissions received more than 7 days after the prescribed date and time will not be accepted for marking, a mark of zero (0) will be awarded for the item.
• For the purposes of these penalties, all days of the week count, including weekends and public holidays, even when the University may be closed.
• The minimum possible mark for late submission is zero.
• For clarification, one (1) minute past the specified due date and time is considered a late submission.

It is the students' responsibility to be familiar with the electronic submission process (e.g., the use of Canvas and Ouriginal). Students are reminded to ensure they plan well enabling adequate time to submit assessments prior to the deadline, in order to avoid a mark adjustment.

Extensions to assignments, placements, deferred intra-semester tests and examinations

Students can apply for an extension to the due date for submission/completion of an assessment item on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances (specific details are found through the Assessment Policy and Procedures Section 9.12). Extensions must be applied for before the due date as outlined above. For illness on the day of the assessment, the Assignment Extension form with relevant documentation must be lodged to the Unit Convener within three days of the scheduled exam, test, assignment, placement or assessment submission.

It should be noted that such documentation will be considered but will not guarantee that the extension application will be successful. The Unit Convener will decide whether to grant an extension and the length or availability of the extension.

Students are only permitted one extension per assignment and one deferral per examination/test/ placement (on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances as per UC policies) unless otherwise approved. Students must make themselves available for deferred exams and tests which will be scheduled by the unit convenor no later than the Friday of Week 11. For placements, please refer to the unit's Canvas site for further details and requirements. Students are NOT PERMITTED to defer a deferred intra semester exam, test or placement. Any student unable to undertake the deferred intra semester exam, test, assignment or placement will receive a mark of zero or fail grade for the assessment task. Students should note that this policy does not apply to deferred final exams which are centrally administered by the examinations office.

Students should note that this policy does not apply to deferred final exams which are centrally administered by the examinations office.

Special assessment requirements

To pass this unit, you MUST meet ALL the following requirements:

• Students MUST PASS the final exam to pass this unit. The pass mark for the final exam is 50% or higher.
• Students MUST SUBMIT the written assignment
• Students MUST attend no less than 80% of tutorials 
• Students must attain an overall unit mark of 50% or higher

Should you fail to meet ANY of these requirements, you will fail the Unit.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Supplementary Academic Integrity Information

Contract cheating

Contract cheating (academic outsourcing / ghost-writing) is a form of academic misconduct in which students submit written or creative work that has been drafted or produced by someone else and claims authorship for it.  It includes (but is not limited to) using a third party, offering their services for commercial or other benefits, to complete (either partially or fully) an assignment or other assessment items on behalf of the student.  

You are at risk of contract cheating if you ask someone to:

• complete an assignment for you
• substantially edit your assignment
• do your university work for you, with or without compensation
• check test or quiz answers
• sit a test or quiz for you
• provide someone with your UC login details

You may also be at risk of contract cheating if you provide information to people or organisations outside UC, such as:

• assignment questions and briefs
• lecture notes
• marking rubrics and marking guides

Students should note that sharing their assignments (current or previously submitted assignments) may result in referral to the Associate Dean of Education for investigation.

UC considers contract cheating serious misconduct which may attract suspension or exclusion from the university.  Furthermore, we, as your education provider, have mandatory reporting responsibilities under National Law.  We are required to notify the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) if we believe that a registered health practitioner (including those with student registration) has behaved in a way that constitutes notifiable conduct including signature departure from accepted professional standards.  Contract cheating may also result in UC submitting a mandatory notification to AHPRA.

You can learn more about contract cheating in the Academic Integrity Module - which is a compulsory module that provides information about a range of issues including plagiarism and contract cheating.  UC provides a range of services to support student learning - further information regarding Study Skills, Studiosity and Medical & Counselling services are available on your unit's Canvas site.

Students are expected to complete the AIM Quiz in the first two (2) weeks of their course.

No submitted assessment pieces will be marked in this unit until the Quiz has been completed (proof of successful AIM completion may be requested by the Unit Convener).

Participation requirements

This unit will utilize on-line teaching. Being an online unit, the discussion forums and online activities form the basis of student engagement. Your active participation is essential for completion of the unit. 

Required IT skills

Students should be conversant with searching for and accessing information via electronic means; the use of Canvas; and word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.    

In-unit costs

The following costs are expected for this unit:

• Purchase of required textbooks
• Self-printing of the electronically provided material.
• Computer and internet access

Work placement, internships or practicums

This Unit does NOT contain any Work Integrated Learning (WIL) activities (clinical placements or externships).    

Additional information

Privacy and Confidentiality

As part of its partnership arrangements with Health Agencies, the Faculty of Health at the University of Canberra is aware of the issue of confidentiality of information gained from clinical placements and externships. Students are expected to analyse their experiences from these as part of their academic study. In order to support learning while protecting confidentiality of information, the following guidelines have been developed:

1. Pseudonyms should be used for the names of patients and organisations in all academic work.
2. Identifying information, including demographic information, should be modified in academic work, using terminology such as ‘similar to'.
3. Students should mark all academic work with sensitive information as ‘in-confidence' in the footer.
4. Students should develop ‘composite' patients/clients based upon their experiences with several patients or clients in one clinical experience if possible. Students should note that this is a ‘composite' and not intended to identify a single person.
5. Students should use the password-protect function on their word processing programs to further guard sensitive information.
6. Students should avoid naming other students in academic work, such as reflective pieces or portfolios.
7. Students should attend workshops for health science students on how to change information about patients in line with these recommendations.

For further information, students may visit https://www.health.act.gov.au/privacy 

Style Guide for report formatting

Unless otherwise approved (in writing), all written assessment pieces (formative and summative) must conform to the following requirements:

• Headings in bold, maximum font size 16 pt.
• Font size: 11 pt or 12 pt – Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. (consistent)
• Margins are no less than 1.5cm on all sides.
• Page number at bottom right hand corner of footer.
• Student identification number (number only) at top right hand corner of header.
• References given in NLM/Vancouver style (chronological numeric) ONLY. Information on this referencing styles can be found on the library website.
• Assignment requirements (first page) as per Section 5b above.
• Any word limits specified in assignments (in this Unit Outline or in task descriptions on Canvas) will INCLUDE all tables, figures and appendices, but EXCLUDE references (unless otherwise stated).
• Submissions that exceed the specified word (or page) length will be truncated at the word (or page) limit and only assessed to this point.

Mandatory Notifications to the Pharmacy Board of Australia

Pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, pharmacy practitioners (registered pharmacists) and education providers have an obligation to report ‘notifiable conduct', to the Pharmacy Board of Australia in order to prevent the public from being placed at risk of harm. 

Education providers are also required, under s.143 of the National Law, to make mandatory notifications in relation to students, if the provider reasonably believes:

a) a student enrolled with the provider has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm; or

b) a student for whom the provider has arranged clinical training has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking the clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

Practitioners are required to make a mandatory notification in relation to a student if the practitioner reasonably believes that a student has an impairment that, in the course of the student undertaking clinical training, may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

All concerns raised within the Discipline of Pharmacy or by clinical preceptors will be reviewed by the Head of Discipline and the Course Convener before any reporting action is taken.

These professional obligations are taken seriously by staff and the University.  Students should be aware of their obligations under student registration. 

For further information, please refer to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Pharmacy Guidelines for Mandatory Notifications available at: https://www.pharmacyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines/Guidelines-for-mandatory-notifications.aspx 

• Semester 1, 2022, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (210447)
• Winter Term, 2021, Online, UC - Canberra, Bruce (201201)
• Winter Term, 2020, Online, UC - Canberra, Bruce (194782)
• Winter Term, 2019, Online, UC - Canberra, Bruce (189834)
• Winter Term, 2018, Flexible, UC - Canberra, Bruce (180653)
• Winter Term, 2017, Flexible, UC - Canberra, Bruce (171021)