MEDI11002 - Physics for Health Sciences

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit creates the foundations for an understanding of physics as it applies to our world around us, our bodies and our clinical environments. You will learn how to explain observed phenomena, predict changing behaviour and communicate using science conventions. You will apply problem-solving skills and knowledge of physics to find reasonable solutions to both word- and numerical-based situations.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2025

Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Mackay
Online
Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Cairns
Mackay
Online

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).

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 40%
2. Online Test 60%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 66.67% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 16.05% response rate.

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.

Source: Unit coordinator reflection Informal student feedback
Feedback
The availability of two online tutorials each week was well received by students.
Recommendation
Consider maintaining the provision of two online tutorial sessions per week to accommodate diverse student work-life balances.
Action Taken
There were two online tutorials offered per week. One was in the day time and the other in the evening to provide flexibility for those with work and other commitments.
Source: Unit coordinator reflection Feedback from teaching team
Feedback
Moving the Online tests from Weeks 5 and 10 to Weeks 4 and 8 respectively has allowed for more timely feedback to be provided to the students.
Recommendation
Invest in the option to continue with timetabling of the two online tests in Weeks 4 and 8 in future deliveries.
Action Taken
The Online tests were timetabled in Weeks 4 and 8 for the 2025 iteration.
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection Feedback from teaching team
Feedback
The cost of the prescribed textbook has increased significantly in recent years, adding to financial strain on students.
Recommendation
Explore more affordable alternatives for the prescribed textbook to help reduce financial strain on students while still providing them with the necessary resources for their studies.
Action Taken
All the prescribed textbooks for Term 1, 2025 were accessible through CQUni Library, easing the financial burden on students.
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection Feedback from teaching team
Feedback
Scheduling tutorials during the same week as the related content instead of retrospective coverage the following week allowed for immediate application and reinforcement of the material.
Recommendation
Consider scheduling tutorials in the same week as the related course content in future iterations.
Action Taken
Weekly tutorials were scheduled in the same week as the related course content for Term 1, 2025.
Source: PASS Leaders Informal student feedback
Feedback
Weekly Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) were well-utilised and positively received by students.
Recommendation
Investigate potential of maintaining the availably of PASS in future iterations to enhance academic support.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Informal student feedback Unit Coordinator PASS Leaders
Feedback
Students may benefit from more varied and updated learning resources to complement existing materials and support diverse learning preferences.
Recommendation
Explore opportunities to enhance the resource set by updating existing content and adding alternative formats and interactive elements to enrich learning and sustain student engagement.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Discuss fundamental concepts, theories and principles of classical mechanics, matter, heat, sound, electromagnetism, electromagnetic energy and the atom
  2. Apply fundamental physics concepts, theories and principles to explain physical phenomena of everyday life and clinical situations and to predict outcomes under changing conditions
  3. Use problem-solving and numeracy skills, knowledge of fundamental physics concepts, theories and principles, and standard conventions of science communication to present reasonable solutions to problems.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • • •
2 - Online Test • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication • • •
2 - Problem Solving • •
4 - Information Literacy • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10