PATHOL 3200 - Neurological Diseases

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of a range of diseases and conditions affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems. General topics covered include the causes and consequences of raised intracranial pressure, headache, infections, tumours and dementia, as well as more specific disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, stroke and the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs on the brain will also be discussed. Some lectures will take the form of large group tutorial sessions which provide an opportunity for students to examine macroscopic and microscopic specimens illustrating selected pathologies covered in lectures and work through key concepts with interactive activities. The Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) will see students working as a team.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PATHOL 3200
    Course Neurological Diseases
    Coordinating Unit Medical Sciences
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 4 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites PATHOL 2200 or HLTH SC 2104 or PHYSIOL 2510 or ANAT SC 2006 or MEDIC ST 1000B
    Assessment Tests, small group discovery experience, oral presentation, examination
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: A/Prof Renee Turner



    Course Coordinators: A/Prof Renee Turner and Dr Anna Leonard

    Many guest lecturers

    FOR ALL QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE COURSE PLEASE EMAIL US AT: neurodiseases@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
    1 Understand the pathogenesis and management of common and important neurological diseases including cerebrovascular disease, brain injury, neurotransmitter disorders and dementia
    2 Acquire the ability to relate these basic pathological processes to the pathogenesis of these common and important neurological diseases
    3 Gain knowledge and understanding of the predisposing factors, causes, pathogenesis, morphology, potential complications and how they arise, natural history of, and the main symptoms and signs of such diseases
    4 Correlate clinical features with causes and mechanisms of disease
    5 Understand how knowledge of pathological processes can be utilised in the investigation, management and prevention of disease
    6 Use and understand terminology for the field of neuosciences correctly and contextually
    7 Ability to verbally present a scientific topic to an audience of peers
    8 Acquire, read, interpret and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner
    9 Acknowledge and reference sources of information appropriately
    10 Work in groups and individually in the pursuit of scientific knowledge
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1-6, 8, 9

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    6, 8, 9

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    7-10

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    7, 8, 10

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    10

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    .

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    .

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    7, 10
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no required resources specified.  However, lecturers will make reference to latest literature in relation to their lecture topic.
    Recommended Resources
    Recommended textbooks are:
    Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 8th edition, 2009 by Kumar, Abbas, Fausto, and Aster published by Elsevier Saunders.
    OR
    Rubin's Pathology, Clinicopathologic Foundations of Medicine, 6th edition, 2011 by Rubin, and Strayer (eds), published by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.


    Online Learning
    My Uni
    All course correspondence including important course information and regular announcements will take place through MyUni. All lecture notes, lecture audio recordings etc are available on MyUni.

    In addition, tutorials will be run online in 2020. Please check your course announcements for specific details.



  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures are supported by interactive tutorials designed to develop and clarify topics covered in lectures. These are generally problem-solving sessions and may include discussion of potential examination questions and answers. Practical classes are designed to provide students with an opportunity to further explore the macroscopic and microscopic features of pathological processes related to important diseases covered in lectures, as well as to protect time for completion of assessment tasks such as assignments and preparation of oral presentations. Some of these sessions will also be used to provide regular feedback to students about assessment tasks.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.



    As a 3 unit course, Neurological Diseases will require approximately 12 h of work per week, including lecture and large group attendance, completion of assignments, preparation of the recorded oral presentation and private study for the quizzes, mid-semester examination and final examination.
    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

    Specific Course Requirements
    In order to pass Neurological Diseases, students are required to have completed all components of the assessment.

    Students must achieve a grade of at least 40% in the end semester theory  examinations, and achieve an overall grade of at least 50% for the course.


  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
    5 x online MCQ tests Summative 20% 1-6, 8,9
    Mid semester examination Summative 20% 1-6, 8, 9
    Group Presentation Summative 25% 7-10
    End of semester theory examination  Summative 35% 1-6, 8, 9
    Assessment Related Requirements
    The end of semester exam is a hurdle requirement. The hurdle benchmark is set at 40%. If students do not meet the hurdle, but are passing the overall course, they will be offered a redemption assessment. Students may earn a maximum score of 50% for the course if they achieve 40% or greater for the redemption assessment. If a student fails the additional assessment or fails to attend the exam they will get a Fail grade for the course.
    Assessment Detail
    Assessment comprises several parts:

    • Online MCQ tests – There will be 5 online MCQ tests throughout the semester which will correspond to completion of course modules. Each of these tests are worth 4% (so 20% in total).

    • There will be a mid-semester exam,  conducted in a lecture time slot within a lecture theatre and will comprise some MCQs as well as some short/medium sized answer questions. This test is worth 20%.

    • Group oral presentation worth 25% of your final grade. Students work in groups of a maximum of 6 to answer a specific neuropathology related question and create and present in the form of an oral presentation (Eg: powerpoint presentation, youtube video or acted out clinical scenario) on a topic selected form a provided list of neurological diseases on MyUni. Group communication and planning via online discussion boards etc will also be assessed by group members and staff.  Your mark for this assessment piece will comprise evaluation by course coordinators, group members and the class. Further detail on the assessment task and mark breakdown is provided within the assessment instructions outline under assignments in MyUni.


     All assessments are summative. Assignments and examinations will be graded using marks. The total possible mark for each will be specified on the assignment/examination.

    Referencing in assignments
    To avoid plagiarism, the answers should be written in your own words and should be referenced where appropriate. It is not appropriate to use sentences straight from a textbook, journal article or website, or even to just reorganise a sentence or change a few words from information in a textbook, journal article or website. Information obtained from reference sources should be extensively rewritten to demonstrate your understanding of the topic.
     
    Appropriate referencing is important for academic integrity. It is important that the contribution of the work of others is acknowledged, it provides evidence to support your argument and it provides evidence that you are not plagiarising. The reader should be able to consult the exact source of your information if they wish. You should ensure that your reference includes the information that you are stating it contains. When using a journal article as a reference, you should have read the entire article, not just the abstract.
     
    All sources used for obtaining information should be referenced, including lecture notes and web sites. Each reference must be indicated in the text and in a reference list at the end of the assignment. When referencing use the Harvard style, by citing the first author (followed by et al if there are also others) and the year of publication in the text and putting the references in alphabetical order by first author in a references section at the end of the assignment.  Page numbers containing information obtained from books, in addition to journals, should be stated.
     
    References should conform to the following style (Harvard style):
     
    Books: Fishman AP: Pulmonary Hypertension and Cor Pulmonale. Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders. Edited by Fishman AP. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1988, pp. 999-1048
    Journals: Meyrick B, Reid L: Hypoxia-induced structural changes in the media and adventitia of the rat hilar pulmonary artery and their regression. Am J Pathol 1980, 100:151-178
     
    You may use non-peer reviewed websites (e.g. Wikipedia) to aid your research for assignments, but be aware that such websites do not necessarily contain reliable accurate or sufficiently detailed information. Use of such websites as references in assignments is strongly discouraged and should be kept to a minimum. However, if websites are used, they should be referenced in a similar style to that above, including the authors name, name of the article and website and web address.

    Mark penalties may be applied for inappropriate referencing in assignments. This may include being awarded 0 marks for the assignment. Unacceptable practices in addition to frank plagiarism include presenting information without appropriate attribution to the original source and students separately submitting the same or very similar pieces of work with the intention to deceive the assessor as to the contribution they have made to the assessment work (collusion).

    Please ensure that you have read the University’s Policies on Plagiarism and Cheating in Examinations and Related Forms of Assessment. It is each student’s responsibility to read and follow the instructions distributed by the university, school and discipline, including course guides and those related to assessment tasks. These include referencing requirements. Ignorance of appropriate practices, carelessness in note taking and referencing, and finishing an assignment in a hurry are not excuses for inappropriate referencing. For those students requiring further information on this topic, a good powerpoint presentation can be downloaded from http://www.adelaide.edu.au/professions/hub/downloads/plagiarism-referencing-tutorial.ppt .


    Submission
    Where applicable submission of written assignments is through TURNITIN on MyUni.

    Generally there is a 2-3 week turnaround time for staff to mark assessment pieces. We will endeavour to return work with appropriate feedback as quickly as possible. If a student requires further clarification and feedback they can contact the course coordinator.

    Penalties will apply for late submission of assignments unless an extension with appropriate reasons and supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate) is provided to the course coordinator BEFORE the due date and time of submission.


    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

    REPLACEMENT/ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT

    On Medical or Compassionate Grounds
    To request a replacement/additional assessment on Medical or Compassionate grounds, appropriate forms should be obtained from your faculty office or the appropriate web site, completed and submitted in the appropriate time frame. Students are advised to refer to the university’s policy on examinations (see below). Academic staff will make the final decision regarding the offer of a replacement/additional assessment. Sitting a replacement/additional assessment is offered on this basis will result in a formal mark being awarded, i.e. pass, credit or distinction. Both written theory and practical replacement/additional assessments may be offered.

    http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/supps.html

    On Academic Grounds
    Replacement/additional assessments will be offered to selected students on academic grounds.
    Those sitting these will be required to achieve a grade of at least 50% in either a written theory examination, written practical examination or both, depending on which of the examinations the student did not meet the necessary requirement to pass the course, and obtain an overall mark of at least 50% for the course. Successful completion of supplementary examinations offered on this basis can only result in a final mark for the course of 50%.

    http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/exams/supps.html

    Examinations are timetabled by the university and held during the official university examination periods and students are expected to be available to sit examinations at these times. Students who fail to sit on the set date and time without satisfactory medical or compassionate reasons submitted in writing in the appropriate time frame, will be deemed to have failed Essentials of Pathology. Only one sitting for replacement/additional assessment is offered.

    Examinations WILL NOT be rescheduled for students on holidays or away attending weddings etc.
    Information provided in applications for replacement/additional assessments or extensions for assignments will be treated in confidence.
  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.