The course is delivered online with all modules being available from the beginning of the semester to allow some degree of flexible learning. Attendance on campus is not required for the summative test; however, this course will be supported by a mandatory orientation course delivered at the Grafton campus near the start of the first semester. The mandatory orientation course will incorporate an overview of the first-year courses using lectures, tutorials, demonstrations, labs, and interactive scanning sessions to enhance learning. Self-assessment tools throughout the course will provide an opportunity for students to receive continuous feedback on their comprehension of the content delivered.

Where possible, study material will be available at course commencement.

This course runs to the University semester timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

The required textbook for this course is:

• Anderson, B. (2017). Echocardiography: The Normal Examination and echocardiography Measurements (3rd ed.). Echotext Pty Ltd.

This textbook is available at Philson library; however, it is recommended that you purchase a copy for your reference to use throughout the programme. In addition, a large selection of other resources will be able to be accessed online via the University Library databases.

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.

You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

All official communication to a student will be sent to the student’s current University email address (username@aucklanduni.ac.nz) and the student is responsible for ensuring that any desired forwarding to other addresses is in place and operating correctly. Staff will not be responsible for any consequences if students fail to read and respond to University correspondence on time. Students are encouraged to use the course ‘Discussion’ forum on Canvas as much as possible for communication with staff and other students. Email may be used for more private matters. Email communication to university staff and supervisors must be sent from the student’s University email address. As a general rule, students are advised to log on at least twice a week. Logging on regularly allows regular checking of 'Announcements' as well as reading and responding to messages from peers on 'Discussions'.

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

• Honesty - in all aspects of research work
• Accountability - in the conduct of research
• Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
• Good stewardship – on behalf of others
• Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
• Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

The way to avoid plagiarism is to reference your work. Please refer to the following website for further information about academic referencing: www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/ The Student Academic Conduct Statute (2021) provides further advice on how to avoid plagiarism. More information can be found in the ‘Medical Imaging Programme Information’ on Canvas. The penalties for plagiarism can be severe, including losing some or all the marks for the assessment. Major offenses can be sent to the University’s Discipline Committee, where further penalties can be imposed.

This course is 100% internally assessed.

An aggregated mark of 50% or more is required to successfully pass this course.

Resubmission of failed assessments is not permitted. 

Penalties for excessive word count and/or late submission (without prior written approval for an extension) will be applied in accordance with the 'Medical Imaging Assessment Requirements and Presentation Criteria' document.

The course Canvas page has more detailed information on assessment processes and requirements.

Reflection assessment will include a reflective journal entry online discussion forum. 

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student feedback is very important to the continuous development of this course and has driven many of thepositive changes we have been able to make in our course offerings.
This course was offered for the first time in 2024. Students regularly commented that content release was not readily available, particularly the week's pre-readings.  Since students are expected to do the pre-readings, the decision was made to release the pre-readings ahead of the content delivery to allow students access and time to prepare for the session. 
The access to the textbook to do the pre-readings was another area of feedback provided. A hard copy of the recommended textbook is available at the library. Students are also expected to purchase a copy of the textbook, and this reminder is sent out to the students at the start of the semester.
Case studies are an important aspect of this course, it allows students to demonstrate their clinical skills alongside their academic learning. Students felt that the case study feedback was limited. Case studies are a valuable tool to assess the students' progress. The decision has now been made to integrate the case studies into the course assignments. This will ensure that a standard is achieved across all clinical sites and there is an expected level of feedback provided to all students.

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Contact details for the Medical Imaging Postgraduate Student Representatives may be found in the Medical Imaging Postgraduate Programme Information on Canvas.

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.