Outline

Overview

This unit closely examines current principle and practice of paediatric gastroenterology Modules of study within this unit will include worldwide patterns of paediatric gastroenterological disorders disorders of oesophagus and stomach focusing on evidencebased evaluation and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux helicobacter disease evidencebased evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic liver disease and pancreatic disorders evidencebased evaluation and treatment of enteropathies recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and emerging paediatric gastroenterological disorders

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Paediatrics
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Shoma Dutt, shoma.dutt@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Shoma Dutt, shoma.dutt@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Susan Siew, ssie6258@uni.sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Quizzes Cases and quizzes to consolidate knowledge. See Canvas for details.	20%	Multiple weeks	30-60 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Discussion topics Discussion board and Turnitin - Post and reply required. Refer to Canvas.	30%	Multiple weeks	250-500 words not including references
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 1 Video assessment	25%	Week 07 Due date: 07 Apr 2025 at 23:59	Video assessment x2, 10-15mins each
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Assignment 2 : Short answer quizzes Short answer quizzes	25%	Week 13 Due date: 01 Jun 2025 at 23:00	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

Discussion topics:

Your discussion board contributions total 30% of your grade for this unit.

You will be assessed according to the quality of the initial posting for each topic, as well as the quality of your contribution to ongoing discussion, both with the module facilitators and your fellow students. Late postings will attract a penalty in grading.

For each discussion topic, in your first response (first posting to the discussion board) you should respond to all the questions and issues outlined in that discussion topic task by the due date. In your subsequent responses, you should respond to any questions asked by the clinicians, and you may choose to respond to questions or issues raised by other students.

NOTE: You must create a thread and submit your first response in order to view other threads in a forum.

You are encouraged to read all the current discussion threads (messages), particularly before you make responses to discussions raised by students.

If you have any general queries, use the discussion forum entitled ‘Any Questions?’ This will remain open throughout the semester so that you can post any general questions to the group or experts as they arise. It is important that you check the current topics regularly so that you do not miss any new postings.

Your initial posting answer to each discussion topic is to be submitted by Wednesday (due date) of the relevant week, so that you and your peers have time to read and comment on one another's discussion postings. Each discussion topic closes ten days from the initial post due date for any posts that will be marked.

Discussion boards will be made available a week before the first post is due.

First post: Wednesday of each relevant week, at 23:59 (AEDT/AEST).
Final responses: Saturday of each relevant week, at 23:59 (AEDT/AEST).

Please refer to the assessments section for more information.

Assignment 1

2x video presentations. Assignment 1 is owrth 25% of your grade.

Referencing Style: References should be included throughout the slides and the end of the presentation. Cite them using the Vancouver Style and do not include them in the word count. You may locate the referencing guidelines via Unit of Study Outline > Unit of Study Information > Guidelines for Correct Referencing.

Assignment 2

3 short answer quizzes. (25%)

Quizzes

5x quizzes and 5x cases. (20%).

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
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

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:

Assessment tasks must be submitted by the due date unless a request for an extension has been sought. Late assessment tasks that have not been granted extensions will attract a penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day late including weekend days. Assessment tasks which are submitted more than 10 days late without prior approval will not be accepted and will be a fail. All assignments must be submitted by the due date. Students are expected to manage their time and to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines. Assessment items submitted after the due date without an approved simple extension, special consideration or special arrangement application request will incur the following penalties: • Late assignments that have not been granted extensions and are of a standard to receive a pass or higher mark will attract a penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day (or part thereof) late including weekend days (e.g. if the assignment is worth 40 marks, the penalty is 2 marks per day late) until the mark reaches 50% of the maximum mark (e.g. 20 marks if the maximum is 40 marks). • Assignments that are not of a pass standard will not have marks deducted and will fail regardless. • Assignments submitted more than 10 days late without prior approval from the unit of study coordinator will not be accepted and will be given a zero (0) mark.

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.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Module 1: Common paediatric gastroenterology (Weeks 1 - 3)	Online class (30 hr)
	Module 2: Malnutrition & malabsorption (Week 4 - 9)	Online class (60 hr)
	Module 3: Inflammatory bowel disease (Week 10 & 11)	Online class (20 hr)
	Module 4: Liver disease (Week 12 & 13)	Online class (20 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

It is essential that you have regular internet access, as you will be required to engage in a number of online tasks.

You will be expected to:

Check your University mail electronically at least every week
Participate actively in online discussions. Active participation means that you are present and engage with others in discussion of ideas found in readings and/or grounded in practical experience
Carefully read the required course materials, including readings
Complete each assignment/assessment task on time
Write in an Academic Writing Style (if you need assistance with academic writing, see more information in the 'Referencing Written Work')

If any period of absence is completely unavoidable, we advise you to:

Manage your time so that you complete the readings and online tasks before you leave
Use the Discussion Board to advise your peers of your absence
Notify the Unit Coordinator

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

Throughout the modules we will provide references to support your learning. Usually, these references are to current journal articles and reviews. Readings are important references that you will need to read critically in order to fully meet the stated learning outcomes.

Many of these articles will be available to you online on the unit's Canvas site.

Sometimes online access to the article is via a database subscription, e.g. Ovid, MD Consult. This means that you may need to login with your University of Sydney credentials to access the reading.

Electronic Access to the Library

The University of Sydney Library will become an important asset for developing your own knowledge and completing the assessment requirements for this Unit of Study.

Passwords

The use of Electronic Reserve articles is restricted to current University of Sydney staff and students, therefore access to these items is password protected. When you are trying to access these electronic readings from a home or work computer, you may be prompted to login with your UniKey username and password.

How do I use the library catalogue to find references?

The University of Sydney Library has an online catalogue to help you find what is in the Library and what the Library can access electronically.

You can contact your faculty's librarian for further assistance by phone or email.

Medical Resources - via the University of Sydney Library

Database of Australian medicines: MIMS Online (please ensure that you Logoff the database after use), and the Medical Subject Guide. Compiled by librarians, is a guide to some of the available Medical resources.

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. Recognise normal and abnormal growth patterns and be able to evaluate growth using standardised charts.
LO2. Describe the nutritional status of a child and formulate a management plan to address nutritional deficiencies
LO3. Assess and discriminate between physiological and pathological patterns of common gastro-oesophageal presentations
LO4. Classify patterns of inflammatory bowel disease and formulate an appropriate management plan supported by contempory guidelines in the literature.
LO5. Identify cases of failure to thrive and evaluate for causes related to maldigestion and malaborption
LO6. Describe and discuss gastrointestinal manifestation of cystic fibrosis and other pancreatic disorders
LO7. Interpret patterns of abnormal liver function tests and develop a list of appropriate differential diagnoses and plan for investigation
LO8. Demonstrate a high-level ability to formulate a plan to investigate common childhood gastrointestinal presentations and interpret the results.
LO9. Demonstrate an ability to critically appraise the evidence for the management strategies in paediatric gastrointestinal disease
LO10. Discuss possible complications of conditions and side effects of treatment and describe how to monitor and manage these.

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.

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and especially ask you to complete the unit of study evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. Please note that your participation in this unit of study survey permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

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

Discussion topics:

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Quizzes

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

PMED5103: Paediatric Gastroenterology

Semester 1, 2025 [Online] - Westmead, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Discussion topics:

Assignment 1

Assignment 2

Quizzes

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links