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Unit of study_

OLET2502: Toxicological Evaluation

Semester 2, 2021 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This Open Learning Environment unit of study is designed to introduce you to an underrepresented but essential discipline - Toxicology. This unit will support your development of critical thinking and the scientific approach to problem solving. Concurrent with increasing understanding of the toxicology of materials in society has been an increase in the regulatory importance of toxicology. In this OLE unit you will learn the key elements contributing to toxicological outcomes, including routes of exposure, dose-response, target end-points and vulnerable populations. You will learn how to interpret toxicological data and make predictions about health effects of given levels and types of chemical exposure. This OLE unit will use a problem-based approach with examples of critical analysis of toxicological factual matrices to presage toxicological evaluation and analysis.

Unit details and rules

Unit code OLET2502
Academic unit Department of Medical Sciences
Credit points 2
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
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None
Assumed knowledge
? 

PCOL3011 or OLEO2501

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Slade Matthews, slade.matthews@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Online task Individual Readiness Test
Short online quiz
10% Week 02
Due date: 20 Aug 2021 at 08:20

Closing date: 27 Aug 2021
20 minutes (oral)
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Online task Risk Assessment (part 1)
Use template to generate first part of risk assessment report.
10% Week 03 200 words
Outcomes assessed: LO4
Online task Module Quiz
Online Quiz
20% Week 10 30 min
Outcomes assessed: LO2
Online task Module Quiz
Online Quiz
10% Week 11 30 min
Outcomes assessed: LO3
Online task Risk Assessment (part 2)
Submitted assignment
50% Week 13 800 words
Outcomes assessed: LO4

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Assessment Grading

Result Name Mark Range Description
FA Range from 0 to 49 To be awarded to students who fail to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard through failure to submit or attend compulsory assessment tasks or to attend classes to the required level.
PA Range from 50 to less than 65 To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
CR Range from 65 to less than 75 To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
DI Range from 75 to less than 85 To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.
HD Range from 85 to 100 inclusive To be awarded to students who, in their performance in assessment tasks, demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars established by the faculty.

 

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:

All assignments must be submitted by the due date and quizzes and exams attended when they are scheduled. Studentsare expected to manage their time and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Assessment items submitted after the duedate without an approved extension using a special consideration or special arrangement form or request will incurpenalties.Failure to meet assessment deadlines will incur mark deductions of 5% of the maximum awardable mark available forevery day past the due date (for electronic submissions, days late includes Saturdays, Sundays and publicholidays). These deductions will continue for 10 calendar days, until the solutions for the assignment are released, ormarked assignments are returned to other students. At that point the mark awarded will be zero.

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Module 4. Population Differences in Toxicological Response Online class (3 hr) LO2
Week 03 Module 2. Target Organ Toxicology Online class (3 hr) LO3
Module 3. Toxicological Risk Assessment Part 1. Project (5 hr) LO4
Week 13 Toxicological Risk Assessment - FInal Project (15 hr) LO4

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 2 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 40-50 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All resources required are listed and linked on the Canvas site.

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.

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

  • LO1. • Explain how relative toxicity is used to define the risk associated with chemical exposure. • Identify reliable sources of chemical information. • Recognise routes of exposure in a chemical exposure scenario. • use chemical safety data to identify likely routes of exposure • use chemical safety data to perform a basic exposure assessment • Explain the theory of dose-response curves. • Recognise the effects of dose parameters such as duration and route on toxicological outcomes. • draw a simple dose-response graph • interpret a dose-response graph • define the terms: threshold dose, no-effect dose, lowest effect dose • Given a specific exposure estimate risk using dose-response data
  • LO2. • Describe how the characteristics of different age-groups mean they can react differently to toxicants. • Describe some of the metabolic and physiological differences that lead to differences in toxicological responses in people of different sex or individual genetics. • Predict the change to toxicological response resulting from changes in health status
  • LO3. • Identify examples of toxicants with organ specific toxicity • Recall reasons for specific organs being differentially affected by toxic chemicals • Explain how xenobiotic metabolism plays an important role in target organ toxicity • Predict the effect of a toxicant based on the physiology and metabolic pathway of its pharmacokinetic disposition
  • LO4. • Describe the four steps in a Risk Assessment. • Define “Hazard”. • Find and interpret toxicological sources in order to perform a Hazard Identification task for a given chemical • Explain and interpret Dose-Response data for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic chemicals. • Find and interpret toxicological sources in order to describe a Dose-Response for a given chemical • Find and interpret Exposure assessment data. • Explain and interpret Exposure assessment data. • Use Dose-Response and Exposure assessment data to synthesise a risk characterisation for a given chemical in a specific scenario. • Analyse and explain the complexity of toxicological risk evaluation and the variety of components which feed into decisions about safety of a particular chemical and a certain context.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

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