Assessment of Vision 3 (10295.2)

Required texts

• Elliott DB. Clinical Procedures in Primary Eye Care (4th Ed, 2016) or (5th Ed, 2020; ISBN: 9780702077890.)
• Schiemann M, Wick B. Clinical Management of Binocular Vision (5th Ed, 2020)

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Academic misconduct and Contract cheating
 
Contract cheating (academic outsourcing / ghost-writing/ use of artificial intelligence) is a form of academic misconduct in which students submit written or creative work which has been drafted or produced by someone else and claim authorship for it.  Contract cheating includes (but is not limited to) using a third party, artificial intelligence, 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. 

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit, except for Studiosity Writing Feedback Plus.

You are at risk of contract cheating if you ask someone (including artificial intelligence) 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
• Use someones work as your own

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

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 in your unit's Canvas site.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late Submissions

Students can apply for an extension to the submission due date for an assessment item due to extenuating, evidenced circumstances (specific details are found in the Assessment Procedures). An extension on the grounds of a predictable event (for example, a required court attendance) must be applied for no later than 5 days before the due date. An extension on the grounds of an unpredictable event (for example, a bereavement) must be applied for as soon as possible, and generally no later than 3 days after the due date.

Documentary evidence (e.g. medical certificate) will be expected for an extension to be granted, however this will not guarantee that the application will be successful. The Unit Convener or relevant Program Director/Course Convener will decide whether to grant an extension and the length of the extension. An Assignment Extension form is available from the Student Forms page.

Note: Extensions and deferrals are generally not permitted for quizzes or short release assessments that are summative assessments. (See Assessment Procedures 3.26.)

In the interest of providing timely feedback to the unit cohort, where late submissions are permitted, the mark allocated will be reduced by 10% of maximum available marks per day (or part thereof) up to and including three calendar days following the due date/approved extension/ reasonable adjustment. Late submissions may result in reduced feedback being provided.

Students will be allocated a mark of zero if submitting more than three calendar days late (without approved extension or reasonable adjustment), with no feedback provided. A student who does not undertake, submit or participate in a summative assessment, or who does not attend a timetabled exam without an approved deferral, will be allocated a mark of zero.

For the purposes of these penalties, all days of the week count, including weekends and public holidays, even when the University may be closed. For clarification, one (1) minute past the specified due date and time is considered a late submission.

Students are only permitted one extension per assignment and one deferral per examination/assessment (on the grounds of illness or other unavoidable and verifiable personal circumstances) unless otherwise approved. Students must make themselves available for deferred intra-semester exams and quizzes which will be scheduled by the Unit Convener no later than the Friday of Week 13. Deferred final exams are centrally administered by the Timetabling and Examinations Office.

It is students' responsibility to be familiar with the electronic submission process (e.g., the use of Canvas and Turnitin). 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. Penalties on late submissions will be strictly enforced. More details can be found in the Assessment Procedures.

Special assessment requirements

In order to pass 10295 Assessment of Vision 3, students must:

• Attempt all assessment items
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the Final Practical Assessment (hurdle assessment*)
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the Final Theory Assessment (hurdle assessment*)
• Achieve a final unit aggregate mark of 50% or higher.

If an answer provided by a student is likely to cause patient harm or is inappropriate, the student may have marks deducted, to no less than a zero grade for the entire assessment item.

* Hurdle information.

A minimum mark of 50% in the Final Practical Assssment is required to pass the unit (hurdle). Failure of the Final Practical Assssment will result in failure of the unit regardless of the aggregate mark for the unit. 

A minimum mark of 50% in Final Theory Assessment is required to pass the unit (hurdle). Failure of  the Final Theory Assessment will result in failure of the unit regardless of the aggregate mark for the unit. 

Oral verification of student knowledge: The unit convenor reserves the right to question students orally on any of their submitted work. 

If the hurdle assessment is a final practical examination, the second attempt of the hurdle will be held during the deferred examination period. If the hurdle assessment is a final theory examination, or a deferred practical examination, the second attempt of the hurdle will be held in the week immediately after the deferred exam period. 

Eligibility for second attempt at a hurdle assessment: Students who fail one or more hurdle assessment(s) with a mark of 45% to 49% inclusive will be offered a second (and final) attempt at each hurdle, only if it is possible for the student to achieve an aggregate mark of 50% or above by passing the hurdles. If passing the hurdle(s) will not allow the student to pass the unit, then no second attempt will be offered.

How mark is affected: The mark that can be achieved on the second attempt of the hurdle assessment is a maximum 50%. This 50% mark will replace the mark of the first hurdle assessment attempt if the student passes the second attempt at the hurdle. If the student does not pass the second attempt at the hurdle, the new mark acheived will be awarded and applied to the aggregate score. Therefore it is possible for the student's hurdle assessment mark and aggregate mark to increase or decrease by taking the second attempt of the hurdle assessment.

Example mark calculations:

Student A had an aggregate mark of 60% for the unit but failed the original hurdle exam, scoring 49% for the hurdle. They received an WH grade and were offered a second attempt of the hurdle. On second attempt they achieved a passing score of  56% for the hurdle, so the maximum mark of 50% was applied for the second assessment attempt. The new 50% score was applied, the aggregate unit mark was adjusted upwards and they received a pass grade for the unit.

Student B had an aggregate mark of 60% for the unit and failed the original hurdle exam, scoring 44% for the hurdle. They received an NX grade and were not offered a second attempt at the hurdle because they did not meet the 45% to 49% mark criteria for a second attempt.

Student C had an aggregate mark of 60% for the unit but failed the original hurdle exam, scoring 45% for the hurdle. They received an WH grade and were offered a second attempt of the hurdle. On second attempt they scored 30% for the hurdle, their hurdle assessment mark and aggregate unit mark was adjusted down accordingly and they received an NX grade.

Student D had an aggregate mark of 30% for the unit leading up to the hurdle. They failed the original hurdle exam, which is worth 35% of the final aggregate mark. Since passing the hurdle and receiving a 50% grade for the repeat attempt would not provide them enough aggregate marks to allow them to pass the unit, they received an NX grade and are not offered a second attempt of the hurdle assessment.

If you have a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) that you wish to apply to your studies, it is your responsibility to communicate with your Unit Convener in writing at least 7 days before your in-class assessment is due. Please attach your RAP with your request.

Supplementary assessment

This unit has been granted an exemption from the requirement to offer supplementary assessments. 

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Inclusion and engagement

If you have a Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) that you wish to apply to your studies, it is your responsibility to communicate with your Unit Convener in writing by email at least 7 days before your in-class assessment is due. Please attach your RAP with your request. Impairments that impact a student's ability to carry out ocular assessments are required to be disclosed to the Unit Convenor and clinical educators. Alternative examination techniques and strategies will be taught to students who require it, to ensure that they can appropriately examine patients and that patient safety is not compromised. 

Participation requirements

Cooperation in laboratory classes, workshops and/or remediation sessions is required, and students are required to take turns being the patient and practitioner in approximately equal duration. This hands-on approach helps you gain an insight, empathy and understanding from both the optometrist and patient perspectives. Collaborative team work, conflict resolution and respect are essential during classes. Any action or omission that affects patient safety or which is deemed disrespectful to your patients, fellow students or the teaching staff can result in failure of a patient assessment task, regardless of the aggregate mark for the assessments detailed in this unit outline.

This unit contains participatory elements which are vital to the Optometry Board of Australia entry-level competencies for optometrists (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cxo.12216). Students are expected to work towards and gain these competencies during the course of their studies.

Please note, not all learning material covered in lectures, e.g. worked examples of problems or discussion in small groups, can be captured by the lecture recording software. Students are required to attend for the entire time scheduled for tutorials, practicals, laboratories and presentations. Students who are late by more than 15 minutes without an adequate documented reason will be regarded as absent; students who leave before the end, unless all assigned work has been completed to the satisfaction of the lecturer or tutor will be regarded as absent from the tutorial.

It is expected that students unable to fulfil these participation requirements will inform the Unit Convener as soon as practical, by telephone or email. If attendance requirements cannot be regularly satisfied (e.g. timetable clash) it may be recommended that you schedule this unit for a future semester. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in failure of the associated assessment piece.

For inability to attend a scheduled laboratory session, an ‘Absence from Laboratory' form (available on UCLearn Canvas) with supporting documentation must be submitted to the Unit Convener; students may be requested to attend an additional laboratory sessions outside of timetabled hours within or outside weeks 1-13 to complete the required tasks. Consideration will be given for illness; however, evidence such as a medical certificate will be required. The final decision will be at the discretion of the Unit Convener. Contact details for the Unit Convenor and the Faculty of Health Administration Office are given in Section 1.

Required IT skills

The use of UCLearn Canvas, library searching skills, and word and data processing (Microsoft Office Suite) skills are necessary for this unit.

In-unit costs

Students will be expected to have the optometry student equipment starter kit and may additionally purchase equipment as described above in Materials and Equipment section 4b. Students may wish to print electronically provided material for their own study.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

Pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009, optometry practitioners (registered optometrists) and education providers have an obligation to report 'notifiable conduct', to the Optometry Board of Australia in order to prevent the public 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 reasonable believes:

1. 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
2. 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 Optometry or by clinical preceptors will be reviewed by the Head of Discipline and the Unit 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: https://www.optometryboard.gov.au/policies-codes-guidelines/guidelines-for-mandatory-notifications.aspx

• Semester 2, 2025, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (227141)
• Semester 2, 2024, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (221866)