MAEN5300 Research Methods and Ethics Course description

The course will serve as a preparation for the planning and implementation of the Master's thesis. Particular emphasis is placed on elucidating research methods and research ethical issues that are relevant to the engineering students' planning and implementation of a master's thesis.

Physiotherapists use knowledge about the body’s structure (anatomy) and function in the performance of many tasks. The body is a functional unit, and structure and function affect each other in that a change in structure can lead to a change in function, and vice versa. Physiotherapists use this knowledge about the connection between structure and function when assessing muscle strength, for example. Reduced muscle strength can be caused by damage to /disease of the muscle tissue and nerve tissue, and the physiotherapist must be able to identify the structural cause. Knowledge about the connection between structure and function is therefore important to the work of physiotherapists, and the course emphasises theoretical knowledge about the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

The student must have been admitted to the study programme.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge and skills (learning outcomes marked with an asterisk (*) are assessed in connection with the coursework requirements):

Knowledge

The student can

• explain the structure of the human body’s musculoskeletal system and nervous system, and the relationship between them
• describe the connection between the structure and functional properties of the musculoskeletal system
• describe the connection between the structure and functional properties of the nervous system
• describe describe the structure and function of the sensory organs
• describe/identify underlying structure and projections on the surface of the body, and describe the procedure for palpation
• describe normal anatomical variation in the musculoskeletal system
• describe the transmission of nociceptive signals, modulation mechanisms and pain processing in the brain

Skills

The student can

• identify anatomical structures in the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system in anatomical specimens*
• apply Latin names and terminology for muscles, joints, ligaments, nerves, positions, directions of movement, axes and planes

The work and teaching methods include self-study, group work, seminars, lectures and practical skills training. Some of the lectures will be in English.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• station test, up to 30 minutes

Supervised individual written exam, 4 hours

No aids are permitted.

The course deals with the biological basis for, and effects of, the medical use of radiation, focusing on ionising radiation. The main emphasis is on biological effects and factors that affect radiosensitivity and the use of radiation in diagnosis, screening, and treatment. Ethical challenges for the individual and the society are also highlighted.

The course is carried out in collaboration with McMaster University in Canada.