Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete components of the course.

Class sessions may be available as recordings.

The course may include live online events including group discussions and tutorials.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

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 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.

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.

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.

Here’s what you said you liked about the course: Group discussions, in-person classes Discussion about important terms Different types of assignments, and the challenge of doing things differentlyNo exam.
Here’s what you said you would like to see improved: Heavy workload, number of assignmentsDetails about the expectations from the assignments. Inclusion of exemplars for coursework.Interactive class sessions, not just a series of comments by each class member.
These are the changes I/we will make for the next delivery of the course: Overview. Medsci707 aims to provide a continuous story through antibiotics, the rise of resistance, and potential solutions. It is a postgrad course that expects student-centered learning. The coursework aims to allow students to gain knowledge of key aspects of topic areas, and the class sessions allow students to further explain aspects of their topic and discuss wider aspects in small groups with other students and staff. The course is assessed via multiple low-impact pieces of coursework that are hoped to allow students to build skills and confidence in communicating science, with the assumption that to communicate topics well, they first need to be understood.
Volume of Coursework. There is an incremental reduction in coursework volume and the weekly density of coursework. Main changes for 2025 will see small reduction in number of  coursework items and increased value placed on the reflective journal entries. More guidelines will be given around content expectations with minimum and maximum length. 
Class discussions (which are thought to be good, and I think get better as the course progresses) rely on students doing the coursework to get the knowledge to participate in discussions, this is why there is coursework most weeks. If there is no coursework, the temptation is to do no preparation and discussions are poor. Marks are given for submission of completed work on time and for attending and participating in class. Introduction of this in 2024 led to a noticeable improvement in class discussions. 
Marks for coursework. There are 10 or 11 weeks of class, so about 10 marks a week seems fair. Feedback is given if content is too basic or doesn’t include illustrative details/evidence or is poorly presented, and the first piece of coursework is marked with that in mind.
Rubrics and Exemplars. Marking schemes were included in 2022 on the relevant pages on Canvas. The marking schemes are simple combinations of Key points, Illustrated with details, and Clarity and style. Generally 40/40/20. Detailed marking schemes do tend to be prescriptive and my experience is that students get lower marks when I use them. A “what makes a good...” segment was included in the introductory session to inform students what was required for coursework items. I don’t give overly detailed exemplars because then that is what I get back, and creativity is stifled. In the end it is a postgraduate course and an increasing degree of self-directed learning should be expected. On occasions when I have sought to give extra information, I have found the best sources are “how to” make a good infographic/poster/blog post etc articles on line or YouTube videos. I will share the ones I like, but is it too much to expect a self-directed postgraduate student with access to google to find this information themselves?

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.

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.