OB&GYNAE 4400B - Honours Research Project - O&G Pt 2

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

This course is designed for students to develop specific knowledge and skills in a chosen research field as well as general skills in working independently, critical reasoning, scientific writing and presentation. Students undertake a research project. The overall objective of the program is for students to demonstrate a deep understanding and interpretation of their subject area and the ability to clearly and thoroughly present their project.

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Course Details

Course Code	OB&GYNAE 4400B
Course	Honours Research Project - O&G Pt 2
Coordinating Unit	Women's and Children's Health
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	18
Contact	Up to 36 hours per week workload including time spent on the research project and preparation of assessment tasks (proposal, seminars and thesis)
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
Prerequisites	Completion of an approved degree or successful completion of 3 years of the MBBS program (or equivalent with approval of Head of School). Enrolment of students from the MBBS program requires prior approval from the MBSS Curriculum Committee
Corequisites	Research Skills in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Honours) (SPRH 4300); Literature Review ? O&G and Paediatrics (Honours) (OB&GYNAE4002)
Restrictions	B.Health Sciences (Honours) or B.Medical Science (Honours) in the Discipline of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Assessment	Written research proposal; research proposal seminar; critical literature review; research progress seminar; thesis; VIVA examination

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Kathryn Gatford

Course Timetable

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

Student activities on research projects will be planned in conjunction with research supervisors.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Conceive, develop and execute an experiment or series of experiments to answer a novel research question, under the guidance of a research supervisor.

2. Conduct research using basic research techniques and the scientific method appropriately.

3. Collect, store, and maintain experimental data and research records rigorously and methodically in accordance with the Australian Code for Responsible Practice of Research.

4. Identify and evaluate methodological issues and define the important elements required to solve them.

5. Critically interpret and evaluate the background literature and own research project including the methodology used and the results obtained in a research context.

6. Communicate scientific information including research context, approach, findings and significance clearly and concisely in written and spoken English.

7. Work effectively in groups and individually in a research setting.

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)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1,4,5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	1,6,7
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	2,3
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1,2,4,5,6,7

Learning Resources

Required Resources

No single textbook covers the material to be considered during this course. All students are required to locate and evaluate the literature that is relevant to their project. This will primarily consist of peer-reviewed literature journal articles relevant to the area of the research project.

Recommended Resources

Nil.

Online Learning

Course material including submission of assessment will be provided and managed via MyUni.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Students will work within research groups to develop, conduct and evaluate individual research projects, and to prepare written and oral presentations, which will be presented to peers and assessors. Research activities will initially be carried out with direct supervision of the supervisor and/or other research laboratory members but is expected to progress to performing independent work under broad or no direct supervision.

Workload

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

Students are expected to spend an average of 31 hours/week (full-time students; 15.5 hours/week expected from part-time students) planning, conducting and evaluating their research projects, in addition to time preparing written proposal, seminars and thesis. Students are expected to plan and manage timetabling of their projects, in consultation with research group members and supervisors.

Learning Activities Summary

This course is designed for students to develop specific knowledge and skills in a chosen research field as well as general skills in working independently, critical reasoning, scientific writing and presentation. Students undertake a research project. The overall objective of the program is for students to demonstrate a deep understanding and interpretation of their subject area and the ability to clearly and thoroughly present their project.

Specific Course Requirements

Enrolment of students from the MBBS program requires prior approval from the MBBS curriculum committee.

Out-of-hours work, police check, vaccinations or field work may be required for specific research projects.

Small Group Discovery Experience

The course is a small group discovery experience. Students will work individually on research projects, supervised by research leaders to undertake research training and research projects, within the larger context of a research group. Conducting an Honours Research project under guidance of a research group leader involves at least weekly contact and project discussion with the supervisor. Honours students will discover new knowledge during the course of their projects.

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

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

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Assessment type	Weighting	Hurdle	Learning course objective(s) being addressed
Written research proposal	Formative	Nil		1,2,4,5,6
Research proposal seminar	Formative	Nil		1,2,4,5,6,7
Research progress seminar	Formative/Summative	7.5%	No	1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Thesis	Summative	70%	No	1,2,3,4,5,6,7
VIVA examination	Summative	22.5%	No	1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Assessment Related Requirements

No additional requirements.

Assessment Detail

Two formative and three summative assessment tasks are designed to evaluate and provide feedback on students’ acquired skills relating to research aptitude and knowledge of their field, as well as written and verbal presentation style

Written research proposal (formative, 0%): Students prepare an outline of their proposed project (~3 pages) including rationale, hypotheses, and experimental design and receive formative feedback from the Honours committee

Research proposal seminar (formative, 0%): Oral presentation of 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions

Research progress seminar (summative/formative, 7.5%): Oral presentation of 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of questions

Thesis (summative, 70%): Manuscript style presentation of research project (5000 word limit). Emphasis of assessment for this component will focus on demonstrated aptitude for problem solving, technical skills and accomplishments. Journal styles should be nominated by each student in consultation with the supervisor.

VIVA examination (summative, 22.5%): 20 minutes oral presentation followed by 10 mins of questions based on thesis and project.Oral presentation and "Defence" of the year's experimental project to the assessors, chaired by member of the Honours committee

Submission

Written assessment tasks (thesis) should be submitted via Email to sprh.l_and_t@adelaide.edu.au by 5pm on the due date, as a .doc, .docx or PDF file. When assignments are submitted they will automatically be checked for plagiarism through the TurnItIn database on MyUni, which also includes copies of previously submitted work.

Slides for seminars should be submitted to the SPRH Learning and Teaching Email above by 5pm on day prior to the scheduled seminar. Students are reminded to also bring a copy of their seminar to their session on USB, and should be present at least 15 minutes before the scheduled starting time to check slides.

Extensions to submission dates may be granted for medical/personal reasons at the discretion of the course coordinator.

Assignments will not be able to be resubmitted. Late submissions will accrue a penalty of 10% of the possible grade for each calendar day or part day overdue, unless an extension has been approved prior to the due date.

Course Grading

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

M11 (Honours Mark Scheme)
Grade	Grade reflects following criteria for allocation of grade	Reported on Official Transcript
Fail	A mark between 1-49	F
Third Class	A mark between 50-59	3
Second Class Div B	A mark between 60-69	2B
Second Class Div A	A mark between 70-79	2A
First Class	A mark between 80-100	1
Result Pending	An interim result	RP
Continuing	Continuing	CN

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.

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.

Course and supervisor eSELTs will be conducted annually.

Student feedback was a key reason for adding a grade for the Research Proposal seminar from 2016 to recognise the work associated with its preparation.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator