Outline

Overview

The ability to co-operate effectively with professionals from other disciplines to identify and solve problems relevant to the real world is a critical skill for medical science professionals, whether you enter the health service arena, do research, or take your experience further afield. This unit will allow you to extend and apply your knowledge of the medical sciences by working with a team of students drawn from diverse backgrounds. Each team will work on identifying, refining and solving a problem from the real world, relevant to the skills and interests of the team. The potential project areas are as broad as the medical sciences themselves. They could be from the world of health care, sport and physical activity, or diagnostics, or be focused on developing new ways of education or research in the medical sciences, or be using human biology as an inspiration for an advance in technology or in the arts and design. By doing this unit, you will continue to understand and explore your disciplinary knowledge, while developing the ability to work in an interdisciplinary team to identify and solve problems, to collect and analyse data and to communicate your findings to diverse audiences. These skills are highly valued by employers and will be essential for both professional and research pathways in the future.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Department of Medical Sciences
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	24cp of MEDS2XXX
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Philip Poronnik, philip.poronnik@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Martin Wechselberger, martin.wechselberger@sydney.edu.au
	Jamie Triccas, jamie.triccas@sydney.edu.au
	Julie Leask, julie.leask@sydney.edu.au
	Joel Negin, joel.negin@sydney.edu.au
	David Cook, david.cook@sydney.edu.au
	Edward Holmes, edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au
	Megan Steain, megan.steain@sydney.edu.au
	Lisa Jackson Pulver, lisa.jackson-pulver@sydney.edu.au
Project supervisor(s)	Judy Kay, judy.kay@sydney.edu.au
	Robert Vandenberg, robert.vandenberg@sydney.edu.au
	Philip Poronnik, philip.poronnik@sydney.edu.au
	Phillip Gough, phillip.gough@sydney.edu.au
	Craig Campbell, c.campbell@sydney.edu.au
	Jim Cook, jim.cook@sydney.edu.au
	Martin Brown, martin.brown@sydney.edu.au
	Natasha Beaumont, natasha.beaumont@sydney.edu.au
	Weber Liu, weber.liu@sydney.edu.au
	Lynn Monrouxe, lynn.monrouxe@sydney.edu.au
	Matthew Sellwood, matthew.sellwood@sydney.edu.au
	Darren Saunders, darren.saunders@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Individual logbook Individual report	20%	Multiple weeks	1000 words or equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Capstone project initial report Project report or presentation dependent on project	10%	Week 05	~500 words per student
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	MedSci in Action case study Case studies	30%	Week 08	1500 words or equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Capstone project group report Project report	20%	Week 13	~1000 words per student
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Group presentation Group project presentation dependent on project	20%	Week 13	2 x 10 min
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

The role of groups in MEDS3888

In week 1, you will be allocated to a group with whom you will collaborate in carrying out the Capstone Project and the MedSci in Action case study.

We will endeavour to allocate students to groups that are assigned to Capstone Projects that are among their preferences.

Groups are expected to meet weekly to progress their Capstone Project and MedSci in Action case study. These meetings may be virtual. Activities of the Group will be led by a Group Leader who will be responsible for organising and running group meetings, keeping meeting minutes and oversee the Group’s progress during the week. The Group Leadership will rotate around the group from week to week.

Capstone Project (C1-3)

The detailed requirements for the projects depend on the type of interdisciplinary project you are undertaking. You will be provided with detailed instructions by your project mentors in your introductory sessions. Overall each team member is expected to read and contribute a summary of at least one relevant research paper or other source to the group’s report writing each week. The draft your group develops (C1) will provide the knowledge base you will use for your presentation and then your final report.

MedSci in Action

Each of you will create a report on one of the case study topics listed on canvas. If you are passionate about a topic not listed, you may submit your proposed topic for approval by the end of week 2.

The format of your report is flexible - it can be a video, a podcast, or a snappy overview article.

Individual logbook

Logbooks are widely used in most work settings as well as in medical training to help monitor progress, manage time and evidence achievement. Keeping a log of your activities in this unit will help you complete your tasks on time successfully as well as monitor your progress relative to your colleagues.

Further information about these assessments will be available 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	At HD level, you achieve the unit learning outcomes to an exceptional standard. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects your exceptional ability to apply comprehensive knowledge, analytical, communication, and collaborative skills in diverse contexts to synthesise multiple advanced insights and produce original solutions for highly complex problems.
Distinction	75 - 84	At D level, you achieve the unit learning outcomes to an excellent standard. A ‘Distinction’ reflects your excellent ability to apply well-developed knowledge, analytical, communication, and collaborative skills in diverse contexts to synthesise multiple insights to produce original solutions for complex problems.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, you achieve the unit learning outcomes to a good standard. A ‘Credit’ reflects your ability to apply broad knowledge, analytical, communication, and collaborative skills in a variety of contexts to synthesise insights and produce adequate solutions for routine problems.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, you achieve the unit learning outcomes to a proficient standard. A ‘Pass’ reflects your ability to apply threshold knowledge, analytical, communication, and collaborative skills in some but not all contexts to combine insights and produce basic solutions for routine problems.
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:

All assignments must be submitted by the due date and quizzes and exams attended when they are scheduled. Students are expected to manage their time and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Assessment items submitted after the due date without an approved extension using a special consideration or special arrangement form or request will incur penalties. All due dates for assessments refer to Sydney time. Failure to meet assessment deadlines will incur mark deductions of 5% of the maximum awardable mark available for every day past the due date (for electronic submissions, days late includes Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays). These deductions will continue for 10 calendar days, until the solutions for the assignment are released, or marked assignments are returned to other students. At that point the mark awarded will be zero. For example, on an assignment given a mark of 70/100, the penalty would be 5 marks if submitted up to 24 hours late, resulting in a final mark of 65/100. If the assignment is submitted 6 days late, the penalty would be 30 marks and the final mark would be 40/100. If the assignment is more than 10 days late, submitted after the solutions for the assignment are released, or marked assignments are returned to other students, the final mark will be 0/100.

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.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Workshops, odd weeks	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 01	Introduction to MEDS3888	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 01	COVID-19 - the pandemic in perspective	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Cultural Competence	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Social perspectives on vaccination	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Cell Biology of SARS-CoV-2	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Vaccines	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Viral evolution and pandemics	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Informatics of COVID-19	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Vaccine nationalism and distribution	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Bionics and COVID-19	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	How do you assess the quality of a basic medical science study	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
	Evaluating the effectiveness of social interventions	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
	Communicating the science of COVID-19	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Predicting the impact of COVID-19 on the health system of NSW	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Diagnostic tests for COVID-19	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Wrap up	Lecture and tutorial (1 hr)
Weekly	Group Project work	Project (26 hr)
	Project discussion	Seminar (13 hr)
	Consultation	Tutorial (1 hr)

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.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through Canvas.

Learning outcomes

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. Apply disciplinary knowledge to solve problems in an interdisciplinary context.
LO2. Find, define and delimit authentic problems in order to address them.
LO3. Plan an investigation strategy, explore solutions, discuss approaches and predict outcomes.
LO4. Critically analyse data using modern information technology and digital skills.
LO5. Demonstrate integrity, confidence, personal resilience and the capacity to manage challenges, both individually and in teams.
LO6. Collaborate with diverse groups and across cultural and disciplinary boundaries.
LO7. Communicate project outcomes effectively to a broad audience.

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

Some of the assessments have been removed or redesigned in response to 2021 feedback.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs for this unit.

Site visit guidelines

There are no site visit guidelines for this unit.

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MEDS3888: Medical Science Interdisciplinary Project

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect