Optometry for Special Populations PG (10329.1)

Required texts

Scheiman, Mitchell; Wick, Bruce. Clinical Management of Binocular Vision: Heterophoric, Accommodative, and Eye Movement Disorders. 5^th Edition. ISBN 9781 4963 9973 1.

Nathan Efron. Contact Lens Practice. 3^rd Edition. ISBN 9780 7020 6660 3 available as an ebook 9780 7020 6662 7 or 9780 7020 6661 0.

Jonathan Jackson; James Wolffsohn. Low Vision Manual. 1st Ed.  available as an e-book ISBN 9780 7020 3499 2. Note that there is a known error in one published table of this textbook. Students must follow the correct information supplied in lectures.

https://theschoollocker.com.au/universities/university-of-canberra

The above books are available for purchase at the School Locker online-shop and for loan at the library.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Late Submission

Late submission of assignments without an approved extension will result in a penalty of 5% reduced marks from the total available, per calendar day late. An assignment submitted over 7 days late will not be accepted. Late penalties will be applied (see below). 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 seven 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 students' responsibility to be familiar with the electronic submission process (e.g., the use of Canvas and URKUND). 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.

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). Extensions must be applied for before the due date as outlined above. It should be noted that such documentation will be considered but will not guarantee that the extension application will be successful. The Unit Convener or relevant Program Director will decide whether to grant an extension and the length or availability of the extension.

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

An Assignment Extension form is available from the Student Forms page on MyUC.

Special assessment requirements

Practical Coursework and Assessments

The final mark for this unit will be calculated by an accumulation of marks from each assessment item. To achieve a passing grade or higher in this unit, students must:

• Attempt and complete all assessment items including non-hurdle items;
• Complete all hurdle assessments;
• Participate in all Practical, Workshop, Laboratory and Guest Lecture sessions;
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the final theory exam;
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the final practical assessment; and
• Achieve a final aggregate (overall) mark of 50% or higher for the unit.

The Unit Convener reserves the right to question students orally on any of their submitted work.

Students are required to cooperate in (laboratory classes, workshops) where students may be asked to practice optometry skills on each other, so each student is the patient and practitioner in turn and in approximately equal duration. By both conducting the clinical procedures and participating in the tests, you will gain an insight and empathy into the issues associated with testing visual function, both from the point of view of both an optometrist and patient. During classes you will be required to demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict. Any action or omission that affects the safety of patients or peers or 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 assessment.

Supplementary assessment

This unit is NOT in the final semester of the course, and a supplementary assessment is NOT available.

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.

Learner engagement

For this 9 credit point unit the total notional workload over a semester or term is assumed to be 450 hours. Engagement with the lectures, practicals, tutorials and engagement with materials on Canvas is expected in order to complete the unit at Masters level.

Inclusion and engagement

If you have a 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. 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

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 Master of Optometry Course and achieve competencies outlined in the UC Fourth-Year Clinical Rubric.

Please note, that not all learning material covered in lectures, e.g. worked examples of problems or discussion in small groups, will 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 required to attend an additional laboratory session 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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students who have already completed Advanced Primary Care Optometry will be required to complete preparation or their upcoming clinical placement next semester, for example vaccinations and working with vulnerable people checks, by week 8. More information in Section 6g.

Required IT skills

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

In-unit costs

Students are expected to purchase their own non-programmable scientific calculator and small tape measure. Students will be expected to have the optometry student equipment starter kit and may additionally purchase equipment as described above in the Materials and Equipment section. Students may wish to print electronically provided material for their own study.

Work placement, internships or practicums

For students who have already completed 10328, Advanced Primary Care Optometry, this unit precedes an observational or clinical placement.

Successful completion of this unit 10329 Optometry for Special Populations along with successful completion of Advance Primary care Optometry 10328 enables students to enrol in the clinical placement units for the Master of Optometry Program. 

This unit has pre-placement requirements (e.g. Working with Vulnerable People registration, immunisations, recording of relevant details in InPlace etc), which must be completed prior to commencement of your observational or clinical placement; refer to Placement Requirements.

Students must adhere to University policy during WIL experiences, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL Policy and WIL Procedure, and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure.

Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

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 reasonably 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 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: https://www.optometryboard.gov.au/policies-codes-guidelines/guidelines-for-mandatory-notifications.aspx

Contract cheating

Contract cheating (academic outsourcing / ghost-writing) 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. It 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. 

You are at risk of contract cheating if you ask someone or an AI platform 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

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 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.

• Semester 1, 2023, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (212174)
• Semester 1, 2022, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (206749)
• Semester 1, 2021, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (203514)