CQUniversity Unit Profile
PODI13008 Clinical Biomechanics of the Lower Limb
Clinical Biomechanics of the Lower Limb
All details in this unit profile for PODI13008 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

In this unit you will be presented with common structural and functional variations of the lower limb as seen in podiatry practice. You will learn the aetiology, clinical diagnosis and management of common orthopaedic lower limb conditions. You will refine and develop your knowledge and skills in clinical gait analysis and biomechanical assessment which will be used to assess and diagnose biomechanical conditions of the lower limb. This will incorporate various motion analysis devices and medical equipment in the assessment and treatment of biomechanical conditions in a podiatric context.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisites: PODI12010 Advanced Anatomy and Podiatric Biomechanics. To be enrolled in this unit, students must be enrolled in CB86 Bachelor of Podiatry Practice (Honours) course. Co-requisites: PODI13007 Podiatry Clinical Practice 2 and PODI13010 Sports in Podiatry Practice.

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 1 - 2024

Rockhampton

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).

Class and Assessment Overview

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

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. On-campus Activity
Weighting: 20%
2. Professional Practice Placement
Weighting: Pass/Fail
3. Presentation
Weighting: 30%
4. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%

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.

Previous Student Feedback

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 SUTE and unit coordinator reflection

Feedback

The timing of the written assessment and the presentation should be adjusted so that students can use assessment feedback to prepare for subsequent assessments

Recommendation

It is recommended that the due date for the written assessment and the presentation assessments be separated by at least two weeks

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Assess podiatric cases involving clinical biomechanics of the lower limb, and interpret and analyse findings
  2. Develop, implement, and evaluate podiatric interventions for patients with common biomechanical pathologies of the lower limb
  3. Evaluate peer reviewed biomechanical literature to support decision making in podiatry practice.

Per NPC1304

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0%
3 - On-campus Activity - 20%
4 - Presentation - 30%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
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 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Professional Practice Placement - 0%
3 - On-campus Activity - 20%
4 - Presentation - 30%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Clinical Biomechanics of the Lower Extremities

Edition: First
Authors: Ronald L. Valmassy
Mosby
ISBN: 9780801679865
Binding: Hardcover
Supplementary

Whittle's Gait Analysis

Edition: Fifth
Authors: David Levine, Jim Richards, Michael W Whittle
Churchill Livingstone Elsevier
ISBN: 9780702042652
Binding: Paperback

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Zoom (both microphone and webcam capability)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Benjamin Peterson Unit Coordinator
b.peterson@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 04 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Overview of unit

The human gait cycle

Traditional theories of foot biomechanics

 

 

 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 11 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Biomechanics and pathomechanics of the forefoot

Forefoot to rearfoot relationships

 

 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 18 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Biomechanics and pathomechanics of the midtarsal joint and subtalar joint

The Windlass Mechanism and alternate theories of foot stiffening

 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 25 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Biomechanics and pathomechanics of the ankle

 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 01 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

No class due to public holiday

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 08 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

No class during vacation week

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 15 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Biomechanics and pathomechanics of the knee

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Biomechanical placement day 1

Week 7 Begin Date: 22 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Biomechanics and pathomechanics of the lumbopelvic-hip complex

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 29 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Dynamic gait analysis

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Biomechanical Placement Day 2


Professional Placement Due: Week 8 Wednesday (1 May 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 9 Begin Date: 06 May 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Presentation Due: Week 9 Monday (6 May 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Begin Date: 13 May 2024

Module/Topic

Orthoses prescription

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

On campus activity Due: Week 10 Friday (17 May 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 20 May 2024

Module/Topic

Review session

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 27 May 2024

Module/Topic

No lecture or tutorial in Week 12. Students to use class time to prepare their Written Assessment (50%) for submission on Friday Week 12.

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Written Assessment Due: Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Assessment Tasks

1 On-campus Activity

Assessment Title
On campus activity

Task Description

Each week, during tutorials, students will be required to complete a range of tutorial activities, according to the 'on-campus activity schedule and checklist' available via Moodle. Students are required to complete the activities and submit them via Moodle. Additional detail about this assessment task will be provided to students at the beginning of the term. 

 


Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Friday (17 May 2024) 5:00 pm AEST

Students are to upload their marked task sheets on their Moodle site


Return Date to Students

Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024)

Marks for this assessment will be made available via moodle


Weighting
20%

Assessment Criteria

Students will be marked according to a task sheet specific to this assessment task.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submit via the assessment tab in moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Assess podiatric cases involving clinical biomechanics of the lower limb, and interpret and analyse findings


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Team Work

2 Professional Practice Placement

Assessment Title
Professional Placement

Task Description

Students are to complete two (2) days of biomechanical placement in Weeks 6 and 7.

On Day 1, students will practice and perform all the skills listed on Page 2 of the biomechanical assessment form, in addition to others skills outlines in a competency checklist made available via Moodle. On Day 2, students will practice and perform all the skills listed on Page 1 of the biomechanical assessment form.

Students will receive feedback from the clinical supervisor during each session regarding areas that require improvement. Students can practice each skill as many times as necessary.

This is an individual assessment task. In some circumstances, students may have to work in groups (patient is unable to attend). In this instance, students must ensure that all members of the team contribute equally to the task. This must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the clinical supervisor.


Assessment Due Date

Week 8 Wednesday (1 May 2024) 11:59 pm AEST

Students are to upload their clinical skills log book by the due date as evidence of completion of this task.


Return Date to Students

Week 10 Wednesday (15 May 2024)

Feedback will be provided in-person by the clinical supervisor at the time of the assessment and marks will be made available via Moodle by Wednesday Week 10.


Weighting
Pass/Fail

Minimum mark or grade
Pass

Assessment Criteria

Students will be examined based on their assessment, presentation skills, and evaluation of their ‘patient’. During the course of the day, students will be required to present their assessment findings to the clinical supervisor. Students may be asked to demonstrate selected assessment components, and/or be posed questions regarding their presentation and evaluation. Students will be required to be at a competent level for every criteria and at an ‘Overall Competent’ level by the end of the 2 placement days. If students are assessed as ‘not competent’, they will be able to practice the skill again and request to be re-assessed within the same day.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Assess podiatric cases involving clinical biomechanics of the lower limb, and interpret and analyse findings
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate podiatric interventions for patients with common biomechanical pathologies of the lower limb


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Team Work
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

3 Presentation

Assessment Title
Presentation

Task Description

Students will be required to provide a PowerPoint oral presentation worth 30% based on a biomechanical case study. The oral presentation will be up to 15 minutes long with a Question and Answer session of 5 minutes. Students can choose to present 'live' or play a pre-recorded video presentation. The student must be present to answer questions during the Question and Answer session This is an individual assessment task. Referencing (if any) should follow Vancouver format.


Assessment Due Date

Week 9 Monday (6 May 2024) 9:00 am AEST

Students are required to submit their powerpoint slides or presentation on their Moodle site by 9am Monday Week 9. Students will then present their presentation during the week 9 lecture time.


Return Date to Students

Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024)

Feedback will be made available via moodle.


Weighting
30%

Assessment Criteria

Students will be marked according to a purpose made marking rubric which will be able available on the student's Moodle site.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Develop, implement, and evaluate podiatric interventions for patients with common biomechanical pathologies of the lower limb
  • Evaluate peer reviewed biomechanical literature to support decision making in podiatry practice.


Graduate Attributes
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence

4 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Written Assessment

Task Description

Students will be required to submit a literature review (up to 2000 words) and a reflection (up to 200 words), evaluating peer-reviewed biomechanical literature. The instruction guide for this assessment task will be made available via moodle, and will require students to: identify relevant studies, report on the quality and the findings of the included studies, and formulate an introduction, method, results, discussion,  conclusion, and reflection.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST

Students must submit their assessment via moodle by the due date


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (14 June 2024)

Results will be made available via Moodle


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

Your report must include:

a) Cover Page: Assessment Title, student’s name, student number, unit code, unit title, unit lecturer’s name, due date of the assignment and word count.

b) Format:

a. Microsoft Word document only (.doc and .docx), or PDF.

b. Font size 12 (Times New Roman or Arial or reasonable default-type font such as Calibri)

c. Text double spaced

d. Pages numbered consecutively

e. Your student number must be clearly seen in the right side of the footer.

c) References:

a. APA format

b. Reference at least 10 primary sources of information

You will be marked according to a purpose made marking rubric which will be made available at the beginning of term.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Submission via the Assessment Tab on Moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate peer reviewed biomechanical literature to support decision making in podiatry practice.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence

Academic Integrity Statement

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?