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Unit outline_

HSBH3021: Environmental Stress and Physiological Strain

Intensive February - March, 2022 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study provides students with both theoretical knowledge and first-hand experience (through laboratory practicals) of how the human body responds to extreme environmental stressors (i.e. high altitude, hyperbaria, extreme heat, extreme cold), and how these conditions alter the capacity of humans to perform physical and mental tasks. Special attention will also be given to the theoretical basis of how these stressors can lead to decrements to human health in the form of injury (e.g. frostibite, heat exhaustion) and illness (e.g. pulmonary/cerebral oedema, actue mountain sickness, 'the bends'). This unit will also focus on how this information can be used to develop therapeutic, pharmacological, and/or technological interventions to improve human functioning in extreme environments and reduce the risk of illness and injury. Teaching and learning strategies include lectures, case studies and short practical assignments.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Health Sciences
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
EXSS1032 or EXSS2027 or BIOS1170
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Troy Cross, troy.cross@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Ollie Jay, ollie.jay@sydney.edu.au
Troy Cross, troy.cross@sydney.edu.au
Kate Edwards, kate.edwards@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment group assignment Prac report 1: altitude
Report
15% - 4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Assignment group assignment Prac report 2: thermoregulation
Report
15% - 4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Assignment group assignment Prac report 3: acute stress
Report
15% - 4 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Participation Attendance
Attendance
5% Ongoing n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Final exam (Take-home short release) Type D final exam hurdle task End of Semester Exam
Open-book exam
30% Week 08
Due date: 13 Apr 2022 at 11:00
3 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Online task hurdle task In-class assessment
Open-book quiz
20% Week 08 45 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
hurdle task = hurdle task ?
group assignment = group assignment ?
Type D final exam = Type D final exam ?

Assessment summary

  • Attendance: Attendance of all 3 hours of at least 5 of the 7 weeks of lectures. Attendance at all practical sessions is mandatory unless prior approval from the Unit of Study Coordinator is received.
  • Prac reports: Each laboratory report will be completed in groups of 3-4 (one report per group) and will be semi-structured.
  • In-class assessment: Open-book quiz comprising multiple choice questions covering the lecture/tutorial material of the entire unit.
  • End-semester exam: Take-home short release exam comprising a number of short and long answer questions covering the lecture/tutorial material of the entire unit. The latter may require you to draw and/or label a graph/figure. Must be completed to pass.
Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As per outlined under Section 7A of The University of Sydney Assessment Procedures Policy (2011): https://www.sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction / Altitude Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO7
Week 02 Altitude Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO6 LO7
Prac 1: Altitude Practical (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6
Week 03 Diving / Hyperbaria Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO3 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Heat Stress Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO5
Prac 2: Thermoregulation Practical (2 hr) LO1 LO6 LO7
Week 05 Cold stress / Behavioural Thermoregulation Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Week 06 Acute stress Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Prac 3: Acute Stress Practical (2 hr) LO1 LO3
Week 07 Chronic stress Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Exam Lecture (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are expected to attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for a Unit of Study, unless granted exemption by the Dean, head of school or professor most concerned. The Dean, head of school or professor most concerned may determine that a student fails a Unit of Study because of inadequate attendance. Accordingly, students must attend all 3 hours of lectures on at least 5 of the 7 weeks that lectures are offered to receive 5% of the total mark for the course. A weekly attendance register will be taken and regularly verified. Attendance at laboratory periods is mandatory. All group members must be present from the beginning until the end of data collection and clean-up for each session. An attendance register will be taken at each practical session. You will automatically fail the course if you’re absent for more than one practical without prior approval from the Unit of Study Coordinator.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. understand how humans respond both behaviourally and physiologically to cope with acute and chronic exposures to hot and cold environments, as well as high altitude and high pressure environments
  • LO2. understand how responses to different environmental extremes are proxies for human responses to certain diseases and health disorders (e.g. altitude/COPD and cardiovascular disorders)
  • LO3. describe how the capacity to perform different occupational activities can be compromised by different extreme environmental characteristics
  • LO4. explain how different therapeutic, pharmacological and/or technological interventions can be employed to improve work capacity in the face of a single and combined environmental stressor
  • LO5. understand the aetiology of injury and illnesses that occur secondary to environmental stressors (i.e. heat exhaustion/stroke; frostbite; hypothermia; barotrauma; nitrogen narcosis; cerebral oedema; pulmonary oedema)
  • LO6. estimate environmental limits at which different populations can safely perform various work activities
  • LO7. estimate maximum safe exposure times for work activities that take place under environmental conditions that exceed these limits.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

1. We will provide a clear rubric of specifically how practical reports are marked 2. For students unfamiliar with some of the fundamental techniques used in the practicals, we will incorporate some skill-building exercises at the beginning of the first practical session (Week 2).

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.