Unit rationale, description and aim
As an undergraduate with an interest in exercise rehabilitation, students will likely proceed to further study and a career in allied-health professions. This unit is designed to provide the knowledge and vocabulary of movement-based neuroscience and deeper appreciation of the mechanisms that underpin the acquisition and execution of coordinated action that are required in these fields.
Theoretical principles of motor control will first be revisited in the context of the nervous system. Students will develop a deeper understanding of how key functional skills are controlled, through exploring dysfunction in the motor system. Throughout, students will conduct investigations into motor behaviour and develop the capacity to measure relevant changes in motor function, and to design effective environments for the acquisition, and re-acquisition of skills as relevant to the rehabilitation professional.
Overall, this unit aims to provide students with greater awareness of the critical role that the discipline of motor behaviour plays in shaping exercise and rehabilitation practice. With this, they will gain tools to intervene in motor behaviour, to achieve relevant professional outcomes in the rehabilitation.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Outline key properties of the neuromuscular and se...
Learning Outcome 01
Describe the structural characteristics and functi...
Learning Outcome 02
Conduct comprehensive investigations into motor be...
Learning Outcome 03
Interpret literature in the field to address quest...
Learning Outcome 04
Integrate knowledge of motor control and learning ...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
- Historical and contemporary approaches to understanding perceptuo-motor behaviour and how they relate to practice
- Neuromuscular and sensory foundations of movement
- CNS structure and function
- Coordination and control of locomotion, posture and reaching skills
- Dysfunction in the motor control system
- Plasticity and adaptation
- The relationship between neural and environmental constraints
Assessment strategy and rationale
Standards-based assessment is employed consistent with university requirements. A range of methods is employed to enable students to meet the intended outcomes. These include quizzes, collaborative and individual learning tasks, written reports, seminars and case studies.
Assessments 1 and 2 are both quizzes that assess foundational knowledge necessary to guide learning through the rest of the unit. The timing will ensure early engagement with challenging content.
Assessment 3 requires students to conduct an in-depth investigation of motor control and or learning in the context of a specific motor disorder or functional movement limitation.
In Assessment 4 students will justify a proposed intervention to alter an aspect of motor behaviour in the context of exercise and rehabilitation. This requires engagement with the relevant literature, the application of motor control and learning principles to a real-world problem and the capacity to communicate complex ideas.
Overview of assessments
To successfully pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and achieve a minimum overall assessment mark of 50%.
Assessment Task 1: Quiz Assesses knowledge and ...
Assessment Task 1: Quiz
Assesses knowledge and comprehension of unit topics
15%
Assessment task 2: Quiz Assesses knowledge and...
Assessment task 2: Quiz
Assesses knowledge and comprehension of the unit topics
15%
Assessment Task 3: Multimodal Assessment Assess...
Assessment Task 3: Multimodal Assessment
Assesses ability to access and investigate key literature
40%
Assessment task 4: Multimodal Assessment Assess...
Assessment task 4: Multimodal Assessment
Assesses ability to develop and rationalise a proposed intervention that applies motor control and leaning principles to achieve a goal.
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The strategies employed within the unit include tutorials, workshops, individual and group activities, web based learning and reflective/critical thinking activities. An emphasis is placed on the development of individual understanding, through engagement with meaningful content. A block mode of delivery will promote depth of understanding, rather than introducing a large amount of new content. This provides the opportunity to integrate and expand upon previous knowledge, necessary to facilitate its application beyond the classroom and, thus, meet both the learning outcomes and graduate capabilities associated with the unit. Strategies respect the individual as a learner but students will also have a responsibility to participate in group discussion.