Overview
This unit will provide you with foundation skills for work in histological (anatomical pathology) and cytological pathology departments. On completion of this unit, you will be able to discuss and perform diagnostic histological techniques including tissue preparation, fixation, routine and special staining, sectioning and mounting. Cytological specimen preparation will also be taught. Development of a high level of skill in efficient use of microscope optics for examination of prepared slides will be facilitated through practical sessions.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: BMSC11001 Human Body Systems 1 and BMSC11002 Human Body Systems 2
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2019
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student Feedback
I like the use of formative quizzes for the purpose of revision, however it would be great to implement these as part of assessment complementary to the exam
For the Head of Course or Unit Coordinator to consider a change of unit proposal to implement summative quizzes (along with their formative quizzes).
Feedback from Student Feedback
Very informative and well paced residential school with knowledgeable staff
Maintain the same teaching staff (including industry professional, John McMaster) for lecturing and residential school.
Feedback from Self Reflection and Student Feedback
Unit ran well. I would like to have the tutorials ideally 3-4 days after the lectures and possibly in a room on campus (to encourage internal students to come). It would also be nice to include another assessment item to minimise the stress for the final examination.
The Head of Course to consider a change of unit proposal to alter assessment criteria.
Feedback from Student Feedback
The lectures were very informative and straight to the point, and didn't provide an overwhelming amount of information on the topic which helped me to learn faster
Maintain a similar lecture format.
- Apply routine procedures and techniques relevant to histology and cytology specimen receipt, fixation, processing and staining used in pathology laboratories
- Discuss and apply the safe handling and quality control procedures of all equipment, reagents and samples in a histology laboratory
- Assess staining errors and outline remedial actions
- Outline the steps in tissue processing from specimen receipt to reporting.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||
| 3 - Examination - 40% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Examination - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Cellular Pathology
Third Edition (2015)
Authors: D.J. Cook & P.J. Warren
Scion
Banbury Banbury , UK
ISBN: 9781907904356
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
i.christiansen@cqu.edu.au
w.pederick@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction, fixation and cut-up
Chapter
1, 3, 4.1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Tissue processing and embedding
Chapter
4, 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 1 material)
Module/Topic
Sectioning, coverslipping and artefacts
Chapter
4, 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 2 material)
Module/Topic
Staining: H&E
Chapter
7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 3 material)
Module/Topic
Staining: Carbohydrates, connective tissue and muscle and Immunohistochemistry
Chapter
8, 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 4 & 5 material)
Friday 16 August 2019 - Quiz 1 opens.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Pigments, microbiology, amyloid and silver stains
Chapter
7, 10, 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday 30 August 2019 - Quiz 1 closes.
Module/Topic
Gynaecological cytology and Immunofluorescence
Chapter
13, 12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 6 material)
Module/Topic
Non-Gynaecological Cytology
Chapter
14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 7 & 8 material)
Module/Topic
Residential School
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Submission of portfolio and laboratory workbook (16 September 2019)
Practical Portfolio Due: Week 9 Monday (16 Sept 2019) 3:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Andrology, Lipids and Enzymes
Chapter
9, 8.6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday 16 August 2019 - Quiz 2 opens.
Module/Topic
Molecular techniques and Electron Microscopy
Chapter
15, 19
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Week 10 material)
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Friday 11 October 2019 - Quiz 2 closes.
Summative quizzes Due: Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 12:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
A second residential school will be made available in week 7 from 5 September - 7 September if student numbers exceed the capacity of the histology laboratory. This will only be made available if the total cohort exceeds 24 students.
Your
unit coordinator for BMSC12001 Histology and Cytology Techniques is Ingrid Christiansen. You
can contact me using the forum on the unit's Moodle site or alternatively
through email (i.christiansen@cqu.edu.au)
or on 07 4930 6518. The forum for this unit is continuously monitored and you
can expect a response within 24 hours of posting your question.
As
the name suggests, this unit will provide you with foundation knowledge of histological and cytological techniques. BMSC12001 Histology and Cytology Techniques is a core unit in two courses:
- Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Pathology)
- Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
You
will be provided an opportunity to explore how to apply the knowledge learnt in lecture material in a compulsory residential school. Here you will be mirroring anatomical pathology laboratory techniques with guidance from an industry professional.
Tutorials are delivered each week via ZOOM. Students enrolled in distance delivery mode can also attend the live tutorials using ZOOM. These tutorials will also be recorded for the benefit of those students who are unable to attend the live tutorial. During these tutorials, we will work through the weekly study questions that are provided to you on the Moodle site. These weekly study questions will help you apply knowledge learned during the weekly lecture and prepare you for the assessments. You will get the most benefit from the tutorials if you watch the weekly lectures beforehand and attempt the weekly study questions. You are strongly encouraged to participate in tutorials. Weekly revision quizzes are also provided to reinforce the knowledge you have gained from the lectures and to support your learning experience in this unit.
A poll will be conducted at the start of the Term to determine the most suitable day and time for the Zoom tutorial and the details will be made available on the Moodle site.
As
per Australian educational standards, you are expected to commit 150 hours of
engagement to your study of this unit. This is broken down as:
- 2 - 3 hours per week watching recorded lectures and
revising the content through study notes
- 3 - 4 hours per week completing the weekly study
questions and weekly revision quizzes on the unit's Moodle site.
- 1 - 2 hours per week attending the weekly tutorial and
reflecting on your answers to the weekly study questions
- 3 - 4 hours per week preparing your assessments or
studying for your exams
1 Online Quiz(zes)
This unit will enable you to further develop your knowledge and understanding of histological and cytological techniques. This particular assessment requires you to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding of the content in this unit. The intent of this assessment is to provide you with an opportunity to assess your understanding of this knowledge. You are required to complete two (2) online quizzes.
- Each quiz will be comprised of 20 multiple choice/true-false and short answer questions
- Each question is worth 1 mark.
- Your time limit for each quiz is 30 minutes.
- The quiz will automatically submit at the completion of the 30 minute duration.
- You will be allowed one attempt at each quiz.
Your score from the quizzes will contribute 20% to your final grade (2 quizzes X 10% each = 20%). You will only be able to access and complete Quiz 2 after you have attempted Quiz 1.
- Quiz 1 will open on Friday 16th August 2019 (Friday of Week 5) and will be open until Friday 30th August 2019 (Friday of Week 6). This quiz will assess the topics covered during Weeks 1 to 5.
- Quiz 2 will open on Friday 27th September 2019 (Friday of Week 10) and will be open until Friday 11th October 2019 (Friday of Week 12). This quiz will assess the topics covered during Weeks 6 to 11.
2
Other
Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019) 12:00 am AEST
Please see the timeline outlined above for specific information about quiz opening times and due dates.
Week 12 Friday (11 Oct 2019)
Students will receive their score on completion of the quiz.
The questions will be automatically marked upon submission of your quiz. You will receive your grade immediately at the completion of your quiz, and correct answers to each individual quiz questions will be available after the due date of the quiz (Friday of Week 12).
- Assess staining errors and outline remedial actions
- Outline the steps in tissue processing from specimen receipt to reporting.
- Problem Solving
- Information Technology Competence
2 Practical Assessment
Over the three full days of residential school, you will be able to apply some of your theoretical knowledge and begin to develop your technical and scientific skills in processing and staining tissues. You will learn to macrodissect, embed and process tissues, then cut and stain sections.You will also be required to complete a workbook to hand in with your slide portfolio. The quality of the finished slide will determine if the medically qualified pathologist can use your slide to interpret what he/she sees and make the final diagnosis. For this reason, the final practical session of the residential school will be a practical examination for all students. You will be required to embed, section and stain tissues that will be assessed for quality. The practical assessment consists of two parts.
1. Workbook. This is to completed during the residential school and will be graded as pass/fail
2. Embedded tissue and stained slides.
These will be completed during the residential school and assessed with a grade worth 40% of the overall unit. A minimum grade of 50% is required to pass this assessment. Both items are to be submitted at the end of the residential school for grading.
Week 9 Monday (16 Sept 2019) 3:00 pm AEST
Week 10 Friday (27 Sept 2019)
The portfolio of slides and blocks will be assessed on the following:
Embedding quality, position of tissue, section quality, staining quality, coverslipping and labelling.
The finished slides must not show artefacts such as tears, folds, wrinkles, chatter or bubbles which obscure part(s) of the section, and the final section is not to be over-stained or under-stained. The stain must have an even balance showing the expected histological structures. A detailed marking rubric of how the portfolio is marked will be provided on the Moodle site, and the terms and features above will become familiar during the early lectures and laboratory sessions.
- Apply routine procedures and techniques relevant to histology and cytology specimen receipt, fixation, processing and staining used in pathology laboratories
- Discuss and apply the safe handling and quality control procedures of all equipment, reagents and samples in a histology laboratory
- Assess staining errors and outline remedial actions
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
Examination
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
