EXSS2039: Sport Injury Epidemiology and Mechanisms

Thank you to the students who gave their feedback on this unit, both formally and in our class tutorials. This year there were only a small proportion of the cohort (n=7) who responded to the USS. Here is a summary of the feedback provided, some responses to the comments and thoughts on how the comments may be addressed to improve future delivery of this unit of study. Which were the best aspects of the unit Most of the positive comments were about the course content and the tutorials. The work was found to be intellectually rewarding. Students observed that the content was interesting and relevant, particularly the guest speakers presenting their experiences and giving real-life examples of what high performance sport scientist might encounter whilst working with athletes. The placement was considered to be valuable, being able to obtain insights from working with a sporting team. The tutorials were also stated to be useful. The tutorials are an important part of the unit of study. They are intended to help consolidate course content, provide an opportunity to ask questions, engage students by applying material from lectures to practical situations via the case studies and reflect of the types of questions given in the exam as good practice/revision for the exams. Aspects of the unit of study that need improving Whilst some comments about the injury surveillance project were positive, other students felt differently. The frustration came only from students who conducted their project at Kambala School. The comments included lower level of competition, no/few injuries to record, cancellation of training sessions, coaches and players unaware of the project, travel times, and time commitment to undertake the project. By collaborating with an actual sports team, the aim was for students to gain practical insights into engaging experientially in a real team environment as well as the challenges and complexities associated with sports injury prevention and management, preparing them for future careers in sports science. Much of the confusion that occurred at Kambala was because the Sport Directors had not briefed all the teams involved with EXSS2039 students, although I had offered to do so. In some cases, students did not offer their mobile numbers so that they could not be readily contacted through WhatsApp to notify them of cancelled sessions. As mentioned many times, injuries may not occur in high numbers within a team and we may not be fortunate to work close to home. Those students with small numbers of injuries were provided with additional data for their report. The timing of the unit of study is the greatest challenge, making it difficult to find teams that are still training and competing. From the beneficial discussions that I’ve had with students and from the comments in the USS, I anticipate using all feedback to make improvements for 2024. My current thoughts are that I will: • increase the group size from three to four, thereby reducing the time commitment to attend training and/or matches and in the preparation of the report and presentation; • try to source more teams closer to the university; • only take the higher ranked teams from Kambala; • personally deliver information about the project to Kambala coaches/students to ensure good preparation for incoming students • emphasise the need to provide contact numbers early to enable ready contact in case of changes to sessions; • emphasise the challenges of not recording injuries as a real-life experience to manage students’ expectations; and • encourage students to take advantage of the multiple optional check-ins to gain a clearer idea of ongoing challenges.