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.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Late submission of assignments without an approved extension will result in a penalty of 5% reduced marks from the total available, per calendar day (includes weekends, public holidays, even when the University if closed) late. For an example: an assignment 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). An assignment submitted over 7 days late will not be accepted and will receive a mark of zero. For clarification, one (1) minute past the specified due date and time is considered a late submission. Penalties on late submissions will be strictly enforced.  More details can be found in the Assessment Procedures.

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 all assessment items
• Complete all hurdles;
• Participate in all Practical, Laboratory and Lecture sessions and Quizzes;
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the final exam;
• Achieve a mark of at least 50% in the practical lab components/practical assessment (Quiz, assignment, assessment) of EACH module; 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 to confirm student knowledge of the work. Hence, students are expected to revise their studies regularly as this knowledge is required to be continuing throughout your studies and as a health professional.
• Note: Attendance at all lectures is expected and 100% participation is required in all practical classes. Students are not able to defer in class quizzes. Students are required to submit an absence form (available via the unit's UC Learn Canvas site) and appropriate documentary evidence for every practical class absence. The Unit Convener will assess your application; however, this will not guarantee that your application will be successful.

Supplementary assessment

Deferred Exams

In the event a student misses an assessment due to an extenuating and evidenced circumstance, the student must contact the Unit Convener and request a deferred assessment/quiz/placement within three (3) days of the scheduled exam, quiz or placement. The request must be made in writing (by email) with an ‘Assignment Extension’ form. Student must provide documentary evidence (e.g. medical certificate – leave certificates will not be accepted) or other relevant documents as requested by the Unit Convener before sitting the deferred assessment. Failure to do so will result in a zero grade being awarded for that assessment item. Students are not able to defer in class quizzes. Students are not permitted to defer a deferred intra-semester exam. Any student unable to undertake the deferred intra-semester exam will be failed for the assessment task.

In the event a student is unable to attend their scheduled examination and the reason meets the criteria for acceptable grounds for extenuating circumstances, the student should submit a ‘Request for Deferred Examination Application’ form with original documentary evidence to the Timetabling and Examinations Office. This must be lodged within three days of the scheduled examination. Deferred Examination Applications lodged after the due submission date may be considered only if circumstances made it impossible for the application to be lodged before, or immediately after the original examination (e.g. ongoing serious illness exists). Students are not usually permitted to defer a deferred final exam. Any student who does not undertake their deferred exam will receive a mark of zero for the exam. Where students are able to provide evidence of exceptional circumstances that led to them being unable to sit their deferred final exam, they may apply for a late withdrawal from the unit using the ‘Enrolment Amendment’ form. Full details are found in the Assessment Procedures.

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, see Assessment Procedures) unless otherwise approved. Students must make themselves available for deferred intra-semester exams and tests which will be scheduled by the Unit Convener no later than the Friday of Week 13. Deferred final exams will be administered by teh Unit Convenor.

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.

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). Except in the case of extenuating circumstances, 100% attendances is expected at all lectures, and 100% participation is required in all tutorials, practicals, laboratories and presentations. 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; y=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. Students may wish to print electronically provided material for their own study.  

Students are encouraged to bring their own equipment e.g. fluorescein, tonometry prisms, fundoscopy lenses, for laboratory sessions as indicated on the equipment list distributed by the Discipline. For current guidelines, please contact the unit convenor.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Yr 1 – equipment pack

Prior to AV2

• Direct ophthalmoscope/retinoscope
• Retinoscopy rack

Prior to AOH

• Tonometer probe
• Fluorescein strips
• Unit dose salines
• Cotton buds

Prior to AV3

• 90D lens

Prior to APCO

• Prism flippers
• Binocular indirect ophthalmoscope

Prior to Clinical Optics and Dispensing

• Flippers
• Lenses for flippers
• Other frame
• Other lenses

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit precedes an observational or clinical placement.

Successful completion of this unit 10329|1 Optometry for Special Populations along with successful completion of Advance Primary care Optometry 10328|1 enables students to enrol in the clinical placement units for the Masters 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

• Semester 1, 2022, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (206749)
• Semester 1, 2021, On-Campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (203514)