It is important that you understand the underlying principles of radiographic imaging to enable you to image patients safely and effectively. This online quiz will assess your understanding prior to you applying those principles in the virtual skills labs.

You will complete an online quiz which will assess your knowledge and understanding of concepts covered in weeks 1 - 2 of term. The quiz will have a range of question formats. Question tasks will be similar to the type you will practice in tutorials and formative quizzes. Some answers may require diagrams to be labelled. Calculations may be required.

The online quiz will be time-limited, and once you open the quiz you will not be able to pause or re-start it. Once opened the quiz will remain open for 45 minutes and will then automatically close. Any unanswered or unsaved responses will receive zero marks.

The quiz must be written within the allocated time. In the absence of an approved extension there will be no opportunity for you to complete this assessment at a later time and you will receive a score of zero for this assessment task.

You must undertake the test as individuals and not with classmates or others. As with all other University assessments, colluding with other students on a non-group work task is considered academic misconduct and will be dealt with in accordance with the Student Academic Integrity Policy. The test is open-book, but be mindful of the time-limited nature of the test. If you answer the questions using any text other than lectures or the prescribed text, you must cite your sources using the Harvard referencing system. Failure to cite sources constitutes academic misconduct and will be dealt with in accordance of the relevant policy. It is important that you understand the underlying principles of radiographic imaging to enable you to image patients safely and effectively. This online quiz will assess your understanding prior to you applying those principles in the virtual skills labs.

Your responses are scored on the following criteria:

• correct use of terminology
• factual correctness of presented material
• relevance of stated content to the question asked
• application of foundation concepts to the question asked
• clarity, thoroughness and completeness of explanations

The marks allocated for each question will be indicated in the question.

It is vital for chiropractors to develop knowledge and skills in radiographic imaging.

From Week 5 onward, you are scheduled to participate in three hands-on labs per week using the fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR) radiography learning system located at your campus. These sessions support your ability to apply radiographic technique correctly in planning and carrying out radiographic examinations in a simulated clinical environment. One weekly lab is instructed and the other two weekly sessions are for group practice of the week’s radiographic examinations.

In each instructed session you will be part of a lab group of four students. You will be on campus in the VR lab room while also connected on Zoom with your group and tutor. Each session will be recorded.

You and your group members will perform full simulated radiographic examinations, including preparation of the patient and equipment, set-up of the x-ray tube, patient and image receptor, selecting technical parameters, taking the exposure and viewing the resultant radiographic image. You will prepare your patient by obtaining informed consent and verifying pregnancy status.

In each instructed lab session, two students will be selected by the tutor to carry out simulated radiographic examinations while the other group members observe on Zoom. Following each simulation performance the group will debrief. During the debrief, the observers will provide to the performer specific feedback on performance relative to the required criteria. Whether you are performing or providing peer feedback, you will need to be familiar with the radiographic projections for that week in order to participate. During Weeks 5 – 11, you and your group will be performing radiographic projections from the list for that week. In Week 12, the projections may be from any of those weeks. Over period of eight weeks each member of your group will have the opportunity to perform four projections and provide peer feedback on twelve simulations.

This task is assessed on:

• Engagment by providing peer feedback on at least 6 simulation performances by other group members AND performing at least 3 simulations of projections selected by the tutor.
  

To achieve a grade of 'Pass' for this task you must:

• attend a minimum of six virtual labs, offering peer feedback on 6 performances and
• complete a minimum of three radiographic examinations in the virtual labs. 

It is important that Chiropractors have the necessary skills and knowledge to safely and effectively image patients. This involves patient positioning, equipment set-up and appropriate technical factor selection. Another important aspect is the ability to evaluate resultant images for technical sufficiency.

This portfolio documents your hands-on developmental experience in radiographic technique and in your image assessment skill.

You will use the Skilitics Virtual Radiography system to perform simulations of radiographic examinations. This includes positioning the x-ray tube, patient and image receptor, selecting the technical parameters and capturing the radiographs. You will then evaluate the technical sufficiency of images that you have acquired, documenting your evaluation using the supplied proforma. The proforma requires that you provide 24 information items in your image evaluation. In tutorials you will practice image evaluation using the proforma to support your understanding of the depth of response required for each section and the appropriate use of technical terminology to articulate your responses.

The images that you will acquire and evaluate will be from the list of radiographic projections that you are expected to learn and perform each week. You must include two images from each week’s projection listing, from Weeks 5 – 11 inclusive, for a total of fourteen assessed images.

You will compile your evaluated images and their documented evaluations into a portfolio. The required structure of your portfolio document will be detailed on the Moodle site.

Note that the radiographs themselves are not being scored. Whether or not the radiograph that you produce would meet all acceptance criteria is not being assessed here. It is your evaluation of your images that is being assessed. You are demonstrating that you know how each radiograph ought to appear, that you are able to determine whether or not your image matches the expected appearances and that if it does not, you would how to correct that. Your responses on your proforma will need to address the image that you have acquired and thus will not necessarily be the same as those of your classmates.

You are required to submit your portfolio twice during the term. Your first submission (Week 8) must include six images that you have produced, two projections from each of Weeks 5 – 7. Your second submission (Week 12) must include those plus two projections each from Weeks 8 – 11, for a total of fourteen images and their evaluations. Your first submission will be scored with the marker selecting at random one of your six image evaluations. Your second submission will be scored with the marker selecting at random either one or two image evaluations, as detailed below.

Submission information:

Scoring of each image evaluation will be as detailed in the Assessment Criteria below. Scores for each image evaluation are categorised into three levels: meets the minimum requirement, slightly below the minimum requirement and far below the minimum requirement.

If your Week 8 submission score is meets the minimum requirement :

• your Week 12 submission will then have one further image evaluation scored (again selected at random). If your Week 12 image evaluation score is also meets the minimum requirement, your portfolio task is now complete.
• If your Week 12 image evaluation score is slightly below the minimum requirement, you will be given one opportunity to re-submit. You will be required to produce another image of a different projection than any you have submitted and to evaluate it. You will add that to your portfolio as the fifteenth image and its evaluation. That fifteenth image evaluation will be scored as your final opportunity to pass this assessment task.
• If your Week 12 image evaluation score is far below the minimum requirement, you will not be allowed any further submission.

If your Week 8 submission score is below the level of meets the minimum requirement:

• you will be given one opportunity to resubmit. You will be required to produce an additional image of a different projection from Weeks 5 – 7, evaluate it and add it to your portfolio as a fifteenth image for the Week 12 submission. Your Week 12 submission will be scored with the marker selecting at random two of your fifteen evaluations, with your score from your Week 8 submission discarded. You will not have any further opportunities to resubmit.

Each image evaluation requires you to provide 24 information items, each of which scores one point when correct and complete for a total of 24 possible points.

This portfolio is assessed on the following aspects:

• Completeness relative to the requirements stated in the Task Description regarding the number and type of projection images and their evaluations
• Correctness and completeness of the scored image evaluations

Image evaluation scoring ranges:

• Meets the minimum requirement: 19 – 24 points
• Slightly below the minimum requirement: 12 – 18 points
• Far below the minimum requirement: 0 – 11 points

To attain a Pass mark in this Pass/Fail assessment task, your portfolio must:

• Have had both parts submitted by their respective due dates
• Be complete in content
• Meet the minimum scoring requirement on BOTH scored image evaluations.

In this unit you are developing the knowledge and psychomotor skills required for correct radiographic positioning and use of radiographic equipment. These skills are prerequisites to your clinical practice in your Masters study, during which you will perform radiographic examinations on clinic patients.

In this assessment, you will perform a high fidelity simulation two-projection radiographic examination. This will be completed using the full immersion Virtual Reality (VR) radiographic learning system, available on all participating campuses. Zoom videoconferencing technology with a webcam will be used to capture both your VR activities and your in-room actions. The session will be recorded.

You will be tasked to complete two radiographic projections (one for the spine and one on a non-spine body part), as selected by your marker at random from the list of projections studied during the term. You will have 10 minutes to complete the simulated radiographic examination, including:

• Completing safety checks, explaining the procedure and obtaining informed consent
• Positioning of the patient
• Set-up of the equipment (tube, collimation, side marker and image receptor)
• Selection of technical parameters at the control panel
• Generating the ‘exposure’ after suitably instructing your patient

Please note:

• This is a timed assessment. You will have 10 minutes to complete the practical tasks. If you have not completed the tasks within 10 minutes, the assessment will be stopped and you will be marked based on your performance to that point.
• This assessment task will be recorded to enable moderation.
• You must complete the tasks without reference to any guidance resources such as notes, texts or electronic devices.
• If on your first attempt you do not achieve the minimum score you will be given one additional opportunity to perform this assessment task to the required level. If you require a second attempt, the maximum score for the practical assessment will be 50% regardless of the actual score.
• A detailed marking rubric demonstrating the requirements of the practical aspects of the assessment are posted on the unit Moodle site.

You will be marked on the following criteria:

• Correct, explicit and clear explanation of the procedures
• Explicit informed consent sought
• Correct position of the person or limb relative to the required projection
• Correct position and centring of the x-ray tube relative to the required projection
• Correct positioning of the image receptor
• Accurate and safe use of the equipment
• Adherence to medico-legal requirements in relation to the use of ionising radiation

Each aspect has a minimum score to pass. Some tasks are of a more critical nature than others, therefore require a higher level of performance.

You will complete a 90 minute online test during the university review week. The specific date and time of the test will be announced during the term. The purpose of this test is for you to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply the concepts and correct use of the terminology from all weeks of the unit content.

The questions may include naming anatomy on an image, critiquing an image in terms of technical sufficiency, suggesting ways to improve the technical sufficiency of the image, critiquing the patient position relative to a stated projection, or explaining the science underpinning why a stated projection is completed as it is. Content from all weeks may be assessed. The number of marks available for each question will be indicated on the test.

The quiz must be completed within the allocated time. In the absence of an approved extension there will be no opportunity for you to complete this assessment at a later time and you will receive a score of zero for this assessment task.

You must undertake the test as individuals and not with classmates or others. As with all other University assessments, colluding with other students on a non-group work task is considered academic misconduct and will be dealt with in accordance with the Student Academic Integrity Policy. The test is open-book, but be mindful of the time-limited nature of the test. If you answer the questions using any text other than lectures or the prescribed text, you must cite your sources using the Harvard referencing system. Failure to cite sources constitutes academic misconduct and will be dealt with in accordance of the relevant policy.

You will be marked on the following criteria:

• correct use of terminology
• factual correctness of presented material
• relevance of stated content to the question asked
• application of foundation  concepts to the question asked
• clarity, thoroughness and completeness of explanations

The marks allocated for each question will be indicated in the question information.