Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Prerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
ACOM117 will develop your understanding of basic biological processes within the structure and function of the major body systems. The focus of the unit will be on the healthy human body and maintenance of homeostasis. You will further develop and consolidate relevant medical terminology and the academic and communication skills required for your undergraduate studies in health sciences.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Describe basic biological processes. [GA5]
LO2 - Explain the structure and function of the major body systems. [GA5, GA8, GA9]
LO3 - Locate, organise and present appropriate information on health related topics using correct academic conventions. [GA5, GA8]
LO4 - Communicate information about health and the human body using clear, accurate language and terminology. [GA5, GA8, GA9]
Graduate attributes
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
Content
Topics will include:
- Organisation of the body
- Cells and metabolism
- Body systems- structure and function
- Academic and scientific research and report writing
- Oral presentation skills
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Strategies utilised in this unit promote an active learning environment. Workshops contain a short lecture component delivered by the tutor and are designed for you to receive instruction on content, and to practise listening and note-taking skills. In addition, workshops are student-focused involving small group learning with student-tutor interaction which is focused upon the study and discussion of human anatomy and physiology as they relate to major organs and organ systems of the body. The assessment tasks utilise enquiry-based learning, whereby, with the support of scaffolded classroom tasks and the facilitation of the tutor, you will examine health-related topics by identifying appropriate sources of information that can be used to investigate content, as well as prepare written and oral assessments.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to enable students to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. The tasks have been selected and designed to assist in preparing for the content and assessment requirements of undergraduate studies in health sciences, and to build on knowledge and skills acquired in semester one. As the unit is part of a health science pathway, the purpose of the task design is to assess student communicative competence and discipline-specific language relating to processes and to human anatomy and physiology.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Report
This requires you to demonstrate your ability to research a health-related topic, select appropriate and relevant information, and describe and analyse the topic. The report will assess knowledge and skills covered in the unit, including your written communication and understanding of the academic report genre. | 30% | 1,3,4 | GA5, GA8, GA9 |
Oral (individual) presentation on a health topic
The presentation is designed to assess your ability to present information about the topic that was the focus of the report, but in the context of oral communication. You should demonstrate more extended research and development of the topic. | 20% | 3,4 | GA5, GA8, GA9 |
Final Exam
You are required to respond to short and long-answer questions and texts to demonstrate your understanding of unit content and your ability to communicate clearly and accurately about health and the human body. | 50% | 1,2,4 | GA5, GA8, GA9 |
Representative texts and references
Cohen, B. J. & DePetris, A. (2017). Medical Terminology – An Illustrated Guide (8th ed.). United States: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Cohen, B. J., Taylor, J., & Kerry, L. (2013). The human body in health and disease. (12th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
French, J. (2012). Anatomy & Physiology made Incredibly Easy. Sydney: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
O’Toole, M.T., (Ed.) (2013). Mosby Nurse’s Pocket Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions. (7th ed.) United States: Elsevier Mosby. (Available as an I-phone app)