Outline

Overview

This unit of study examines the disease processes and other physical health issues, which are important as people age. Students will study the factors which are responsible for the increased incidence of disease in the aged, the role of environmental factors in the development of disease, the relationships between disease and functional limitation, and the measures which can be taken to minimise the development and biological impact of disease. Students will also examine the relationships between the biomedical effects of ageing and sexuality. There will be in-depth consideration of one common disease of the aged, and its management in terms of prevention, treatment and residual disability. This is an entry level unit designed to give students an overview of topics relevant for professional practice. Topics are not covered in the detail that is applicable to specialist clinical units of study. Students who achieve a pass have a basic working knowledge of professionally relevant aspects of ageing. Students who achieve higher grades are better able to integrate various aspects of the unit, and to apply their knowledge to solve problems or explain higher level phenomena.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BIOS1173
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Peter Knight, peter.knight@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Peter Knight, peter.knight@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Online Final exam Multiple choice and short answer questions	75%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	mid semester assignment 1000 word essay	25%	Week 06 Due date: 03 Apr 2020 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The student will be required to complete multiple choice and short answer questions on learning objectives for each module.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Students who achieve this grade have demonstrated comprehensive basic knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to complex problems to the level specified in the unit of study description
Distinction	75 - 84	Students who have achieved this grade have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have achieved the basic level of knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. They have also answered many of the higher grade questions correctly indicating that they can extensively apply the basic knowledge to relevant questions and engage in abstract problem solving.
Credit	65 - 74	Students who have achieved this grade have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have achieved the basic level of knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. They have also answered some of the higher grade questions correctly indicating that they can apply the basic knowledge to relevant questions.
Pass	50 - 64	Students achieving marks in the pass range have correctly answered enough questions to demonstrate they have the basic knowledge to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description. This may have been achieved by answering at least 80% of the pass level questions correctly, or by answering a significant percentage of the higher grade questions correctly. In setting the standard is assumed that the ability to correctly answer the higher grade questions indicates that the student has a working understanding of the important concepts and the knowledge that underpins those concepts, without necessarily being able to express the knowledge explicitly.
Fail	0 - 49	Students who fail this unit have failed to accumulate enough marks to reach the pass threshold. This means that they have failed to demonstrate an adequate level of knowledge of basic concepts to meet the aims of the unit as specified in the unit of study description

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

none

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Weekly	all topics	Individual study (6 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

weekly modules on Canvas site

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Explain the four basic tenets of medical care; consent for medical treatmentthe role of advanced care directives; and the role of palliative care. Explain the special and legal conditions applying to each.
LO2. Explain how the ageing population will impact on supply and demand of health services in the future. Explain what is meant by compression of morbidity, how it will impact on health service utilisation and how it can be achieved. Describe the common diseases that cause disability and their relationship to lifestyle. Explain the importance of function and loss of function for older people. Explain what is meant by frailty and how it develops. Describe the geriatric giants and their implications. Describe successful health promotion for older populations.
LO3. Describe the role played by caregivers in society in the key factors that determine a carer's readiness/suitability to provide care. Describe the essential requirements for preparing people to assume the carers role. Describe the impacts (negative and positive) of assuming the caregiving role and the factors likely to result in the breakdown of the carer-patient relationship.
LO4. Describe the importance of sexual activity and discuss the factors that affect sexual activity from a physiological, psychological and social viewpoint. Describe the special problems associated with sexuality in residential care. Describe the relationship between sexual dysfunction and disease in other body systems.
LO5. Describe the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, hypertension and hypotension in ageing people. Describe the specific pathogenesis of myocardial infarction, transient ischaemic attacks and stroke and explain the principles of rehabilitation for these diseases.
LO6. Describe the common diseases that occur in the ageing nervous system with special reference to dementia, delirium, depression and Parkinson's disease. Describe the diagnosis and management of these conditions, and the strategies used to overcome difficulties such as communication and behavioural problems.
LO7. Describe the pathogenesis of Type II diabetes mellitus and the lifestyle factors associated with its development. Describe the common complications associated with Type II diabetes mellitus, why they occur, and the implications for function. Describe the strategies that can be used to manage and treat Type II diabetes mellitus and how they are implemented.1. How are the two types of diabetes differentiated in regard to the role of insulin and age of onset? Which type of diabetes is more common in older people?
LO8. Describe the cellular level changes that lead to the development of tumours and why they occur. Differentiate between benign and malignant tumours. Explain the information that is required when a diagnosis of a tumour is made; the current approaches to cancer treatment and the complications. Describe the general principles applying to cancer screening and discuss them with particular reference to prostate cancer. Generate advice regarding prostate cancer screening for men on the basis of their age.
LO9. Describe the prevalence of osteoarthritis in Australia its effects on individual function and the burden placed on the healthcare system. Describe the underlying risk factors for, pathogenesis and symptoms of osteoarthritis and how prevalence varies age and gender. Describe the various pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies that can be used to manage osteoarthritis
LO10. Describe how the prevalence of accidents changes with increasing age and the factors that contribute to this change. Describe the assessment of someone who has suffered a fall including the risk factors and functional consequences. Describe the significance of fear of falling and learning how to get up after a fall for fall prevention and injury minimisation. Describe how burns in older people can be minimised. Describe the important factors associated with driving in older people and how they can be aged.
LO11. Describe the relationship between exercise and the incidence of chronic and acute disease. Describe the benefits of exercise programs for older people, the barriers that may prevent older people undertaking exercise and specific guidelines for different types of physical activity in older people. Explain the relationship between exercise and cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease, cancer and dementia.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Student feedback is considered in planning the unit for the next semester.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

None

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BIOS1173: Disease in Ageing

Semester 1, 2020 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect