PP6004 Clinical and Applied Physiology Module: Assessment Breakdown

This document provides a detailed breakdown of the assessment components for the PP6004 Clinical and Applied Physiology module. The module assessment comprises three components: an exam worth 50%, a coursework portfolio worth 30%, and an oral presentation worth 20%. The exam consists of three essays to be answered in three hours. The coursework portfolio includes a lab report in the format of a physiology journal paper, a critical appraisal of a recent journal paper, and a group presentation on a business idea in Biosciences. The oral presentation requires students to give a 10-minute presentation on a chosen topic within the module's scope. The document provides guidelines for each assessment component, including structure, content, and presentation tips, as well as a list of relevant journal resources.

PP6004-Clinical and Applied Physiology
Further guidance
There are 3 assessment components on this module (component
1= exam; component 2= portfolio; component 3= oral
presentation). Further details are given below. All students need
to keep a lab book which records all lab sessions. The lab book
will be checked at the end of the year by the module leader (it is
not required to be submitted).
1.Exam (component 1)- 3 hours-50%
Exam paper (essays) in the Assessment weeks beginning the weeks beginning
8th May, 15th May, 22nd May 2017 = 50%
3 essays need to be answered in 3 hours. The paper consists of 8-10 questions
split into 3 sections, you need to answer 1 question from each section. Revision
sessions will also be provided. Reassessment will be another exam paper in the
summer.
We expect a good exam essay to include, a good structure (ideally a plan), focussed
on answering the question with depth and detail, illustrated by appropriate diagrams,
quantitative statements and evidence of outside reading including from journals.
2. Coursework Portfolio (component 2)-30%
This portfolio needs to be submitted via Turnitin and needs
to include the following:
i) Lab Report- one wordprocessed practical lab report in the format of a
physiology journal paper ( e.g. Journal of Physiology- Abstract, intro,
methods, results, discussion, references)- in no more than 4 sides of A4-
see separate file on instructions.
This report can be based on any practical attended during the module.
ii) Critical appraisal of a recent journal paper- You will choose a
journal paper published in the last 5 years on any topic relevant to the
module. It cannot be a review article. You will then write a critical
appraisal in no more than 4 sides of A4, answering the following areas:
 What is the background to the paper and aim
 What methods were used to investigate the aim

 What are the main results
 Does data support conclusions
 How does study contribute to knowledge
 What are the strengths and weaknesses
 References
iii) Group presentation- on 28th April 2017
You will form yourselves into groups (minimum 4, max 5) and the
group will present a 15 min presentation on a business idea in
Biosciences followed by questions from the audience. For further
details please see separate file. You will need to include in your
portfolio a business summary (no more than 3 pages of A4).
3. Oral presentations (component 3-20%)- on the 13th
January 2017
You have to do a 10 min presentation in front of the teaching staff and
fellow students. Final details of room/order of presentation etc will be
outlined. A minimum of 2 markers to be present for each presentation.
There will be a few minutes for questions after each talk. See separate
file for help with oral presentations- there will also be a workshop to help
with this.
The topic of the presentation can be on any area covered by the module.
Rather than setting specific topics we have left the choice entirely up to
you.
But here are some general suggestions- from which you need to narrow
and focus on an area such as causes, diagnosis or treatment:
allergic response
dietary supplements
antioxidants
malnutrition
liver function tests for health and disease
kidney function tests for health and diseases
Gastrointestinal disease
Restrictive lung disease
Obstructive lung disease/COPD
Central nervous system disease
Peripheral nervous system disease
Do not make your topic too broad, I suggest you focus on one
particular aspect such as the causes, diagnosis or management of a
particular disease i.e try to outline a problem or controversy about your
topic. Make sure you use evidence from literature (put refs into your

slides) ideally from journals.
I suggest that you use no more than 13 slides, ideally 10, make sure
the intro, aim and conclusions are clear, do try to use evidence from
literature, don't try to read from notes and practice the timing.
Presentations- what to avoid
1. Too much text- use less text, use images, font size ideally 28
2. Slow start- get to the subject matter e.g Good morning, it is well
known...
3. Poor timekeeping- one slide approx 1 min
4. Poor presenter presentation (e.g nervousness)- practice makes perfect;
‘good preparation=good performance’
5. Laser pointer overuse-use less
6. Special effects- don’t use if possible
7. Too fast- SLOW DOWN
Journal resources:
1.Physiological Reviews 2. Journal of Applied Physiology 3.Journal of
Physiology 4. Annual Review of Physiology 5. Annual Review of Medicine
6. Scientific American 7. New England Journal of Medicine 8. BMJ