Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials/ laboratory or clinic training sessions to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars/tutorials will not be available as recordings.

The course will include live online events including group discussions.

Attendance on campus is not required for the assignment submissions through the year.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable and some activities arranged in consultation with the project supervisor.

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.

Course materials are made available in the course website located in the University’s learning platform CANVAS which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available)

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.

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.

Waypoints for this course:

1. April - The equivalent to 1-2 pages (or 500-1000 words) review of the general topic of research including bibliography with presentation of the research plan
2. May - Participation in Canvas Research Modules with associated Online Quiz, and wikis
3. July - Writing the literature review section of the final report
4. August - Writing the methods section of the final report
5. September - Writing the result section of the final report
6. October - Oral presentation of results to peers
7. October -Compiling a 10,000 words individual report of the research project including an introduction, literature review, methods, results and discussion with references  

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.

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.

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.

Reflection of 2025:

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

• Detailed, high-quality feedback: Several students highlighted that feedback on presentations and written work was detailed, constructive, and helped them improve research communication, argument structure, and academic writing.

• Technical support: Individual support with MATLAB coding and data analysis was described as particularly valuable, helping students understand experimental logic rather than just procedures.

• Encouragement of independence: Some students appreciated being trusted to work independently while still having access to guidance when needed, which increased confidence as student researchers.

• Approachability in meetings: When meetings occurred, Steven was generally described as approachable, patient, and willing to work through problems.

• Resources and structure: Posting templates, providing slides with key information, and early lectures were seen as helpful.

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

• Communication and responsiveness: The most consistent concern was delayed responses to emails, slow turnaround of feedback, and difficulty scheduling meetings.

• Cancellations and short notice changes: Late cancellation or postponement of lectures and meetings disrupted planning and increased stress.

• Clarity of expectations: Students wanted clearer guidance early in Semester 1, particularly around: Literature review methodology (especially for non-experimental projects) & presentation schedules and deadlines.

• Consistency of supervision: Some students perceived variability in feedback quality and availability across supervisors, contributing to inequity and uncertainty.

• Professional interactions: A small number of students reported some interactions as discouraging.

Actions that will be taken in response to this feedback:

• Establish clear supervision expectations, including minimum meeting frequency and feedback timeframes. Also emphasise need that supervisors provide feedback that is (a) constructive and (b) broadly consistent across projects (e.g. we will indicate that supervisors should not make figures for students).  To be clarified at an upcoming research meeting and communicated to supervisors in 2026.

• Improve timeliness and predictability of communication and to provide earlier and clearer information on deadlines, presentations, and assessments. Additional administration support to be provided to OPTOM783 to mitigate these issues.

 • Introduce structured progress checkpoints and clearer escalation pathways for supervision issues. A rough timeline of what stage students should be at and when, will be circulated to supervisors. More reminders to supervisors (e.g. to have meetings) and students (to complete e.g. literature reviews) will be sent out through the year.

• Offer more guidance on academic writing and literature reviews. We will continue to offer writing workshops at students’ request and will offer a new literature review writing workshop.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.