Unit completion

To pass this unit students need to:

• Achieve an overall minimum grade of 50% attained through the combined marks of three assessments
• As assessments are based on activities in SGTAs and the practical session we strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities.
• Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Assessment Submission

• Assessments must be submitted via iLearn by 11:55 pm on their due date. 
• A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.
• Universal design applies to all assessments and there are no time-sensitive assessments in this unit.
• All assessments are set at the start of the unit enabling ample time for completion.

Late Assessment Submission and penalties

A 1 hour grace period after submission deadline will be given. After this time the following deductions will be applied: 

• A penalty of 5% of the total possible mark (of the assessment  task) will be applied each day the assessment is not submitted, until the 7th day. 
• The 7 days includes weekends. 
• After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the student submits the assessment. 

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au/s/

Classes

• All classes begin in week 1

Methods of Communication

• We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. 
• Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board - this is preferable for queries that directly relate to unit content, unit activities, or assessments. Queries can also be sent via email to the unit email BIOL3130@mq.edu.au. 
• Email unit convenors directly for more serious matters of an individual nature and that do not directly relate to unit content, unit activities, or assessments. 

Learning and Teaching model

BIOL3130 is delivered in a flipped classroom mode where students undertake small group activities in SGTAs. Some SGTAs require completion of tasks before weekly SGTAs to ensure that students get the best from the unit, and are in a position to participate and interact with peers while undertaking SGTA activities.

Online seminar (beginning week 1)

Knowledge of emerging infectious diseases are gained through students listening to the Patient Zero podcasts and other pre-recorded material from experts in the field. The seminar sessions will then extend concepts in the pre-lecture activities and provide an opportunity for a Q & A session. Guest speakers represent the best in their fields and are giving their time freely. So please do your best to attend the Q&A sessions with a guest or panel.

Small group teaching activities (beginning week 1)

In SGTAs students interogate emerging infectious disease ecology by consolidating material from pre-recorded learnings and seminars and material provided in class to promote small group activities and problem-based learning. 

• In-person scheduled SGTAs are 2-hour classes delivered weekly
• Infrequent mode and BIOX3130 SGTAs are delivered in block mode (three x 7 hour sessions). 
• Work completed in SGTAs forms the basis of assessment 3 

Practicals – (refer to timetable for block scheduling)

Practicals in BIOL3130 (weekday, infrequent and BIOX3130) are comlpleted during the mid-session recess over three days (7 hours per day)

Attending the block practical session in the mid-session break allows students to meet ULO4 which is assessed in Outbreak Investigations. The practical session provides learnings and data essential to the case study assessment. A role will be taken to record attendance and to identify your participation in these classes and to support demonstration of the skills you acquired through the practical in the outbreak investigations assessment.

NOTE: The skills you master in the laboratory will be evaluated in the assessment 3 report, as detailed in the marking scheme in iLearn.

Dress for laboratory sessions

• You must wear sturdy shoes that cover your feet.
• You must wear a lab coat in every practical to protect your clothes
• You MUST bring your own lab coat to every class. We will no longer provide disposable lab coats as these are not environmentally friendly. 
• Although the material that we will use has been rendered non-infectious good laboratory practice of wearing protective clothing when working with organisms that potentially cause disease is required. ALWAYS wash hands before leaving laboratory.
• PLEASE NOTE
  • NO LABCOAT = NO CLASS 
  • Inappropriate shoes = no laboratory access

Students will continue to sanitise surfaces in laboratories before and after use - this is standard laboratory practice being part of aseptic technique.

HEALTH IN CLASS

• If you are experiencing any cold or flu symptoms please consider the health of others and avoid attending class that week. You can join the alternate class or infrequent class to make up a missed class.
• Please also consider wearing a mask to prevent spread of respiratory diseases, especially during times of heightened cases.

Resources

There is no required text book for BIOL3130 Emerging Infectious Disease Ecology. We will provide references to many research papers that will assist with unit themes. 

Assessment changes; We have replaced a written essay to a more experiential learning activity in this offering. 

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.