Course coordinator: Zenab Mustansir Dudhwala

Email: zenab.dudhwala@adelaide.edu

The course timetable will be available on the MyUni site.

1	Display an integrated knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles of homeostasis involved in the maintenance of health.
2	Recognise and describe the main components of the endocrine, digestive, renal and nervous systems and demonstrate knowledge of how they contribute to the maintanence of homeostasis.
3	Demonstrate and apply understanding of the concepts of adequate experimental design, experimental controls, sound experimental technique, data analysis and interpretation.
4	Locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesize information relevant to the testing and evaluation of a scientific hypothesis.
5	Use contemporary approaches and techniques (including scientific databases, data acquisition equipment and analysis software) to test a scientific hypothesis and for the presentation of research findings.
6	Use appropriate professional skills (including ethical conduct, teamwork and effective time management) when addressing a scientific problem.
7	Assemble and communicate research findings in appropriate scientific formats.

One of the following textbooks is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Sherwood, Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (7th edition – 9th edition) Cengage

OR

Silverthorn, Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (4th edition – 6th edition) Pearson

The publishers of these textbooks offer both electronic and hardcopy versions of these texts.

Additional course materials and assessment activities will be provided on-line (via MyUni)

Individual lecturers within the course will direct students to the appropriate textbook sections and additional resources to support the content of their lectures.

Course materials (or appropriate references) will be accessible via MyUni course pages.
Links to additional library resources (including scientific databases such as Pubmed and Medline) will be available via the MyUni course pages in addition to ethics, statistics and referencing information.

Information Technology Services:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/its/

MyUni support tutorials for students:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/student/tutorials/

The following course materials will be provided online via MyUni:
- Course timetable (including both lecture and practical times)
- Lecture notes
- Lecture recordings (audio and video where appropriate)
- Links to recommended readings
- Ethics resources and guides
- Data analysis and statistics resources
- Supporting materials on experimental design

The following course assessment activities will be provided online via MyUni:
- Online research methods practorials and quizzes (3 practorials with quizzes)
- (In 2020) Online in-semester examinations (2 online quizzes)

Students can obtain information regarding marks obtained for assessment items via Gradebook on MyUni
https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au

Lectures
Lecture modules include (delivered online in 2020): the role of endocrine glands and their hormones in the ongoing maintenance of a suitable internal environment; the function of the central and peripheral nervous systems in sensing and responding to changes in the external environment; the gastrointestinal tract in providing nutrition to the body and; the renal system in regulation of fluid and ion levels. The consequences if these control systems become dysfunctional or fail are also considered.

Students are reminded that the overall predicted workload for a full time student is an average of 48 hours per week per teaching semester. This includes contact and non-contact hours and includes general study and time to complete assignments.

As PHYSIOL IIB: Systems & Homeostasis is a 3 unit course then it is expected that you spend approximately 12 hours per week studying this course (including contact hours).  The table below gives a suggestion as to how you may divide your time between the various learning activities - bearing in mind that this can be flexible depending on each student's individual learning methods.

Contact sessions	Number of sessions	Duration of each session (hrs)	Total hours (hrs/semester)
Lectures	25	1	25
Practicals	4	4	16
Revision sessions	4	1	4
In-semester exams	2	1	2

Non-contact	Number	Expected preparation time (hr)	Total hours (hrs/semester)
Preparation for practicals	4	4	16
Weekly review of lecture material and associated reading	12	3	36
Online practorials and quiz completion	3	5	15
Exam preparation	4	8	32

Total workload (hrs/semester): 146
Expected workload/week (hrs): 12

An up-to-date timetable of course activities can be downloaded from MyUni.

The course is organised into 4 teaching modules, with in-class and end-of-semester examinations to test comprehension of theory concepts.  In-class exams will contribute to the final course grade (16% for each exam) and therefore it is important that students factor these examination sessions into their schedules.  Timetable conflict overrides cannot be granted for examination sessions.

For practicals close-toed shoes must be worn.

Absence from a practical classes or participation in online exams will require the provision of appropriate paperwork documenting medical and/or compassionate reasons for non-attendance. (Students are advised to consult the appropriate sesions on the MyUni course pages to determine the exact documentation required).

Assessment Task	Assessment Type	Weighting	Learning Outcome(s) being addressed
Revision quizzes	Formative	0%	1, 2
In-class exam 1	Summative (individual)	15%	1, 2
In-class exam 2	Summative (individual)	15%	1, 2
Integrative Physiology Exam	Summative (individual)	25%	1, 2
Online practorial quizzes	Summative (individual)	6%	3
Pre-practical quiz	Summative (individual)	4%	1-3
Practical worksheets	Summative (group)	20%	1-7
Practical Skills Exam	Summative  (individual)	15%	3, 4, 7

Students should be aware that they are required to attend both in-class exams (In-class exam 1 and In-class exam 2).  Failure to attend these exams will result in forfeiting the marks assigned to these assessment activities.  The course timetable available on MyUni will clearly indicate the dates and times these examinations will take place.  If attendance at an in-class exam is missed due to severe medical or compassionate circumstances, students will be required to apply for a replacement assessment using the appropriate university application form, with the relevant sections completed by a health professional.  It should be noted that, in line with University regulations, students will not be granted a replacement exam if they have already attended the original examination session.

In order to pass Physiology IIB: Systems & Homeostasis students are required to attain an overall grade of 50% AND achieve a composite score of 50% in the theory component of the course (in-class and end-of-semester module exams).

Absence from a practical class will require the provision of appropriate paperwork documenting medical and/or compassionate reasons for non-attendance at the relevant session.

Theory examinations (55% of total course grade) 
The theory component of PHYSIOL 2520 is split into 3 separate exams. The first two exams (In class exams 1 & 2), each 50 minutes in duration, will examine material covered in lecture blocks 1-4. Each in class exam will be weighted 15% of the total course grade. During the end of semester university examination period students will sit an integrative physiology exam which contributes 25% of the total course grade.  Students must achieve at least 27.5 out of 55 total exam marks (50% in exams) in order to pass the course.

Submission process/requirements
Group practical worksheets should be submitted to the practical class demonstrator by the end of the scheduled practical session.  Further information regarding the submission of practical worksheets will be provided during the practical sessions.

Penalties for late submission
On-line quizzes (and associated materials) will be made available on MyUni at least one week in advance of the quiz deadline. Late submissions are not accepted and will receive no score. Extensions or supplemental assessments will not be provided for on-line quizzes unless there are exceptional extenuating circumstances (at the discretion of the course coordinator).
Late submissions of any additional assessment items (individual or group) shall be governed according to the Adelaide Medical School late submission policy. This policy will be enforced strictly throughout the course.

Practical attendance requirements to attain practical group marks
If a practical is missed due to a medical or exceptional circumstance a Practical Absence Form (available on MyUni course pages) must be completed and submitted to the course coordinator (along with appropriate supporting documentation) within 5 days of the missed practical if an opportunity to participate in an alternative practical assessment is to be considered.  Failure to submit a completed and signed Practical absence form will result in forfeit of the group worksheet mark for that particular practical class.  

Staff “turn-around” timeline on assessments (including exam results)
Wherever possible, staff will endeavour to have assignments and/or examinations marked and grades submitted within two weeks of the submission/examination deadline.

Provision of feedback to students:
PHYSIOL 2520 contains multiple assessment tasks that are set, submitted, marked and returned to students within two weeks of submission/completion. Module lecturers will provide feedback on revision study questions in revision lectorials and open office sessions. If used appropriately, formative revision quizzes and study questions have also the potential to provide feedback to students on their grasp of concepts covered in lecture sessions.

Replacement examinations
Students missing in-class examinations due to medical/compassionate circumstances will be provided with the opportunity to sit replacement examinations at a later date. Applications for replacement examinations will only be considered if the necessary application form (provided on MyUni course pages) has been appropriately completed and submitted to the course coordinator within 5 working days of the original examination date.  

Students missing end-of-semester examinations due to medical/compassionate circumstances will be provided with the opportunity to sit replacement examinations at a later date. Applications for replacement examinations will only be considered if the necessary application form has been appropriately completed and submitted to the Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences Assessment Team within 3 working days of the original examination date.

Additional examinations / Academic supplementary examinations
As multiple exam papers (and associated medical replacement exams) are set for this course, additional examinations (formerly known as academic supplementary examinations) are NOT offered to students who fail the course due to a failure to meet a composite score of 50% in theory examinations (even if the overall course grade >50%)

Examinations are held during teaching weeks (in-class) and during the end-of-semester university examination period.  Dates and times of in-class exminations will be provided at the start of the semester and students are expected to be available to sit both in-class exams and the end-of-semester exam held during the official university examination period. Students who fail to sit exams on the set date and time without satisfactory medical or compassionate reasons submitted in writing in the appropriate time frame, will forfeit the marks for these examinations.

Student requests for replacement in-class examinations are to be directed to the course coordinator using the University application for replacement examination due to a medical or compassionate circumstances. Only one sitting for replacement assessment is offered and students who are present at the original exam are not applicable to apply for a replacement assessment.

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

SELTs will be used to evaluate the course on a yearly basis. The results will be compared with benchmarks established in the Faculty of Health & Medical Science and aggregate reports throughout the University.