Skip to Main Content

Content

Course Tabs

Overview

Course Prescription

Signs, symptoms and diagnosis of diseases of the eye, ocular adnexa and visual system, including neurological dysfunction and signs of systemic disease. Management of diseases of eye, ocular adnexa and visual system, including the use of therapeutic agents. Indications, contraindications and side effects of therapeutic agents for the treatment of ocular disease.

Course Overview

The aim of this course is to develop the student’s ability to detect, diagnose and manage eye diseases and anomalies based on clinical presentation and the results of properly employed investigative techniques. The course will stress evidence-based management of diseases of the eye and visual system, including the use of medications within the scope of practice of a therapeutically-endorsed optometrist in NZ and/or Australia. The course will also introduce students to ophthalmological surgical procedures used in the treatment of ocular diseases as an aid for accurate referral.

Course Contacts

Course Coordinator: Ashley Gray (ashley.gray@auckland.ac.nz)
Course Director: Andrew Collins (a.collins@auckland.ac.nz)

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 30 point course (over two semesters) and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect up to 4 hours of lectures, a 1 hour seminar/tutorial per week and a 2 hour laboratory session every second week, and 2-3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2-3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation per week.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite
Restriction

Additional Advice on Prerequisites

To complete this course students must enrol in OPTOM 450 A and B

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
Grafton

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs and PBL tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials and labs will not be available as recordings.
The course will include live online events including tutorials.
Attendance on campus is required for the tests and exam unless notified otherwise.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

The course Canvas page has detailed information on learning resources and reading lists.

Course materials are made available in Canvas including lecture recordings (where available).

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

The course Canvas page has detailed information on assessment processes and minimum pass mark or must complete activity requirements.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type123456

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Reflection of 2025:

Below is a list of activities that were most popular amongst the group:

  • Lab sessions
  • PBLs


Below is a list of common challenges that students faced amongst the group:

  • Lecture Delivery: Students found some lectures challenging to follow due to slides lacking visual aids and clear structure. Lectures sometimes began with detailed explanations but became rushed toward the end.
  • Assessment Guidance: There was uncertainty around which material to focus on when preparing for the written tests.
  • Glaucoma Module: Questions were thought to be sometimes ambiguous, and marking did not consistently allow for part marks or follow-through marks. Additionally, some students felt expectations for the presentation component were not clearly communicated beforehand.
  • PBL Groups: Group sizes were considered too large, which made communication difficult and allowed some students to contribute less than others.


Actions that will be taken in response to this feedback:

  • Lecture Delivery: Lecturers will be encouraged to incorporate visual aids where possible (subject to copyright restrictions) and to ensure lectures follow a clearer, more consistent structure.
  • Assessment Guidance: We will provide earlier and more explicit guidance on examinable content for written tests. This will include clarification that self-directed learning from PBLs is part of the assessment scope.
  • Glaucoma Module: Questions will be revised to improve clarity and reduce ambiguity. The marking scheme will be reviewed. Additionally, a detailed rubric for the presentation component will be shared with students prior to the start of the module.
  • PBL Groups: While reducing group size without extending seminar time is challenging, we will explore options to increase the number of PBL groups to make communication easier and improve participation.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.