Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
The ability to develop evidence-based, best practice, strategies to prevent sporting injury is essential in high performance sport. This unit will develop knowledge and critical thinking pertinent to the prevention of common injuries seen in high performance sport. This requires understanding and interpreting sports injury epidemiology research as well as detailed knowledge of the aetiology, mechanisms, risk factors and prevention strategies of common injury types. The aim of this unit is to develop in students an understanding of common injuries that are seen in high performance sport, to improve their ability to critically analyse the literature, and to advance their ability to deliver evidence-based programs for the prevention of injury.
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 - Demonstrate knowledge of evidence-based practices in injury prevention relevant to the multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary environment of high performance sport (GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9)
LO2 - Appraise established theories, contemporary concepts and evidence-based practices relevant to injury aetiology, mechanisms, risk factors and prevention (GA4, GA5, GA8)
LO3 - Plan and present interventions for athletes, directed at prevention of injury (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10)
Graduate attributes
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.
Content
Topics will include:
- Understanding sports epidemiology research and an approach to the critical appraisal of the evidence base.
- Aetiology, mechanisms, risk factors, preventative strategies for:
- Hamstring strain injuries
- Anterior cruciate ligament injury
- Chronic groin pain
- Tendinopathy
- Shoulder injury
- Ankle injury
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy in this unit has been designed to support learning in the online environment, to meet the aim, learning outcomes and graduate attributes of the unit, and reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. A range of approaches (e.g., active learning, individual and group activities, cooperative learning, web-based learning, reflective/critical thinking activities) are utilised, so that the unit’s content and activities progress students through the learning outcomes and associated assessment tasks. That is, the unit has a deliberate developmental narrative, with each learning outcome and assessment aligned with a specific purpose.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to best enable students to achieve unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. The assessment strategy in this unit has been designed to support learning as well as to assess it. It is sequenced so that the progression through the assessment matches the progression of learners through the learning outcomes. That is, it has a deliberate developmental narrative. Each assessment item is therefore also aligned with a specific purpose. A range of assessment strategies are used including: a reflective report to generate thought and discussion; an oral presentation to assess interpretation, critical appraisal and application of literature; written summaries to assess comprehension and reflection on unit content and a group task requiring a written literature review; and oral presentation to assess ability to search and synthesise the literature and to apply the evidence in a high performance environment.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Reflective discussion board post Enables students to reflect on current practices and to articulate their views on injury prevention. | 5% | LO1, LO2 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
Journal article review and implementation Enables students to demonstrate ability to present their interpretation of literature related to sports injury and to then show an ability to propose strategies to implement evidence into practice. | 35% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
Discussion board posts on expert lectures Enables students to demonstrate ability to understand and interpret content presented by expert speakers. | 10% | LO1, LO2 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9 |
Injury prevention program Enables students to work in a group to demonstrate their ability to search and synthesise literature on a specific injury and to present the application of their knowledge by developing evidence-based injury prevention programs. | 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9, GA10 |
Representative texts and references
Bahr, R. Why screening tests to predict injury do not work-and probably never will…: a critical review. Br J Sports Med. 2016; 50(13): 776-780
Cook JL, Purdam CR. Is tendon pathology a continuum? A pathology model to explain the clinical presentation of load-induced tendinopathy. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43(6):409-16
Opar, D.A., Williams, M.D., & Shield, A.J. Hamstring strain injuries: factors that lead to injury and re-injury. Sports Med. 2012;42:209-26.
Serpell, B.G., Scarvell, J.M., Ball, N.B., & Smith, P.N. Mechanisms and risk factors for non-contact ACL injury in age mature athletes who engage in field or court sports: A summary of literature since 1980. J Strength Cond Res. 2011;26(11):3160-76.
Weir A, Brukner P, Delahunt E, et al. Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2015; 49(12): 768-774