Overview
On completion of this unit, you will be able to evaluate the evidence base for haematological tests and provide advice on the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. By analysing complex cases, you will use problem solving and decision-making skills to critically evaluate treatment and management protocols.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite LMED28002 Haematopathology 1
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 2 - 2025
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).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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
Assessment Overview
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.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
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 Student feedback in person, self reflection
Amend assessments to ensure AI use can be minimised.
Increase the use of formative quizzes and interactive self assessment such as Kahoots throughout the term to ensure confidence to complete the assessments.
Feedback from Self reflection
The inclusion of more dry practical exercises through case study interpretations would further improve the student learning.
Include more case study analysis and result interpretations into tutorials and weekly study questions.
- Diagnose complex haematological disorders based on numerical, cytogenetic and morphological changes in the cells
- Evaluate the detection and monitoring of blood diseases using laboratory tests appropriate to the patient's clinical condition
- Advise on the the use of anticoagulant therapies in the management of disorders of haemostasis
- Analyse results of specialised haematological tests and provide advice on further testing to provide a diagnosis
- Evaluate the performance of routine and complex haematology and haemostasis testing including quality control procedures.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Online Test - 20% | |||||
| 2 - Case Study - 30% | |||||
| 3 - Examination - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
Blood cells
Edition: 6th (2022)
Authors: Bain, Barbara
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Hoboken Hoboken Hoboken Hoboken , New Jersey , USA
ISBN: 1-119-82029-4
Rodaks Haematology
Edition: 6th (2020)
Authors: Elaine Keohane, Catherine Otto, Jeanine Walenga
Saunders
Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia , Pennsylvan , USA
ISBN: 9780323530453
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Morphology image viewer
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.dennis@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
1. Introduction to unit.
2. Review of Haematopathology 1
3. Haemoglobinopathies
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 1 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial:
Haemoglobinopathies: interpretation and diagnosis
Module/Topic
1. Paediatric Haematology
2. Diagnostic Paediatric Haematology
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 2 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial:
Paediatric Morphology
Module/Topic
1. Laboratory information systems
2. Health records and information exchange
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 3 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial:
Digital Pathology
Module/Topic
1. Red cell Morphology
2. White cell Morphology
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 4 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial:
Morphology Tutorial
Module/Topic
1. Flow cytometry
2. Flow cytometry analysis and interpretation
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 5 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
1. Molecular Diagnostics
2. Clinical aspects of Molecular Haematology
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 6 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial
Online Quiz Due: Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 10:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
1. Bleeding disorders
2. Diagnostics in bleeding disorders
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 7 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial
Laboratory testing and interpretation of bleeding disorders.
Module/Topic
1. Cytogenetics and practical aspects
2. Clinical perspectives in cytogenetics
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 8 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial
Case Study Due: Week 8 Tuesday (9 Sept 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
1. Research in Haematology
2. Current research in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 9 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial:
Module/Topic
1. Thrombophilia
2. Diagnostics in Thrombophilia
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 10 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial:
Laboratory testing and interpretation of Thrombophilia
Module/Topic
1. Stem cells
2. Practical aspects of stem cell processing
Chapter
No prescribed textbook has been assigned for this subject. Please consistently review the lecture materials, recordings and additional resources available for week 11 on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Tutorial
Module/Topic
Revision Week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
The End-of-unit Exam will be scheduled in the CQUniversity examination period between 16/10/25 - 24/10/25
The End-of-unit exam comprises 50% of the overall unit mark.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Ms Jacqui Dennis : j.dennis@cqu.edu.au ; A/P Genia Burchall: g.burchall@cqu.edu.au
Please note, that as this is an advanced level Haematology unit within the CM18 Master of Laboratory Medicine.
We have invited and are privileged to have several industry guest speakers present a number of lecture and/or tutorial classes within this unit.
Pre-recorded lectures (and/or shorter videos) will be used throughout the term and will be available to students on the Friday before each lecture week.
Live tutorials and Q&A sessions will be held weekly. Please refer to the Moodle site for further details. It is strongly advisable to review the weekly lectures/videos before each tutorial session to support your learning and success in and from this unit. You are also strongly encouraged to attend and actively engage in weekly live classes, that have been shown through research to be directly correlated to successful outcomes (Karnik, A., Kishore, P., & Meraj, M. (2020). Examining the linkage between class attendance at university and academic performance in an International Branch Campus setting. Research in Comparative and International Education, 15(4), 371-390. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499920958855)
Please note there are no recommended textbooks for this unit (due to the advanced and novel nature of the topics covered), but we have included several examples of texts and current peer reviewed journals, you may choose to use to support your learning. These will be applicable to specific weeks to support your knowledge development in this unit (in addition to the lecture/video recordings and tutorial classes). Reading material will be provided on a weekly basis related to each week's topic.
Students are encouraged to use the Moodle Q&A discussion forum for all communication purposes.
As per Australian educational standards, you are expected to commit 150 hours of engagement to your study of this unit (for the entire term). This is broken down per week as:
2 - 3 hours per week attending or watching recorded lectures or videos and revising the content through study notes
2 - 2.5 hours per week completing the weekly readings (i.e. peer-reviewed articles), case studies (in your tutorial/lectorial notes), supplementary readings, and/or other material in the unit's Moodle site.
2 - 3 hours per week attending the weekly tutorial/lectorial classes and contributing to discussions as well as revising the content provided.
3 - 4 hours per week preparing your assessments or studying for your exams
1 Online Test
This assessment evaluates your understanding of the learning objectives and activities covered from weeks 1 to 5, inclusive, in the unit.
This includes pre-tutorial materials such as weekly lecture notes, videos, and other relevant resources provided with the unit content, as well as topics covered during scheduled tutorial classes. The assessment will consist of various question formats, such as short answer questions, extended response questions and morphology questions. The assessment will be conducted online and will have a duration of 90 minutes.
This assessment is worth 20% of your final grade. It is designed to gauge your progress approximately halfway through the term and to help you identify areas of strength and areas for improvement within the unit.
Additionally, it aims to familiarize you with the structure and types of questions you can expect on the final exam.
Please note that this assessment will be accessible online and will remain open for 24h and you will only have 90 min to complete this assessment once commenced.
This assessment will close at 10:00PM. You will need to commence the assessment before 8:30pm to ensure you have enough time to complete it. If you commence after 8:30pm on the final day, you will not have the full 90 minutes to complete it. You will only be allowed one (1) attempt at the quiz.
The 72 hour grace period does not apply to this Assessment.
Week 6 Wednesday (27 Aug 2025) 10:00 pm AEST
Week 8 Wednesday (10 Sept 2025)
Results will be posted on Moodle
This assessment will only assess your learning and understanding of week 1-5.
Marking criteria will be as outlined in the test. Marks will range from 1-2 marks for short responses and 4-10 marks where more detailed information will be required.
You are strongly encouraged to regularly attend and actively participate and engage in the weekly scheduled classes, ask questions where you are uncertain and ensure you come prepared for each class by having reviewed any pre-class learning material.
If you still have questions or areas, you do not understand following each weekly tutorial class you will be encouraged to address these promptly by posting your questions on the Discussion forum and engaging in discussion on this/these topics with fellow students and academics, and the Unit coordinators.
- Evaluate the detection and monitoring of blood diseases using laboratory tests appropriate to the patient's clinical condition
- Advise on the the use of anticoagulant therapies in the management of disorders of haemostasis
- Evaluate the performance of routine and complex haematology and haemostasis testing including quality control procedures.
2 Case Study
There are two parts to this assessment task.
Part 1: Please form a group for this assessment, numbers in each group will be confirmed on Moodle after Census date and known total numbers in the unit. You will be provided with several examples of authentic clinical case studies on the Moodle site.
You will be required to select the case study of interest to your group and the group leader must post in the Moodle Discussion board indicating which case has been selected (& names of their group members). The case studies will be available for selection on a 'first come, first serve' basis. Each group must have their own case to work on (and present) and no 2 or more groups can select the same case. Please check carefully the Moodle Discussion board before selecting your case study to ensure this has not already been chosen by another group previously. The following information regarding the case will be available to you: clinical presentation, patient history, key laboratory information and/or other relevant case details. Part 2: You are then required, as a group, to discuss and develop a PowerPoint presentation, using a case study approach. This will include: A detailed description of the specific clinical history and pathophysiology and interpretation A focus on the laboratory results and a discussion of further testing and their interpretation. What are the techniques of analysis and their principle? Analysis of the provisional and differential diagnoses is required which should be discussed whilst showing critical thinking in your analysis. Presentation of a new insight into the diagnosis will also be required, this needs to be within the last 5 years. Guidelines to complete the presentation and a marking rubric will be available on the Moodle site.
Week 8 Tuesday (9 Sept 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Presentations will be assessed in Week 8 and 9 Tutorial sessions. You must attend these sessions.
Week 11 Wednesday (1 Oct 2025)
Results will be available on Moodle.
This assessment task will assess the following unit learning objectives: 1. Diagnose complex haematological disorders based on numerical, cytogenetic and morphological changes in the cells. 4. Analyse results of specialised haematological tests and provide advice on further testing to provide a diagnosis. You will be assessed on your ability to interpret and discuss a clinical case whilst demonstrating critical thinking processes. You will also be assessed on the significance and novelty of your insight. A detailed marking rubric will be provided in the unit Moodle site of the assessment criteria used. The marking rubric will include both a group assessment component as well as individual assessment component.
- Diagnose complex haematological disorders based on numerical, cytogenetic and morphological changes in the cells
- Analyse results of specialised haematological tests and provide advice on further testing to provide a diagnosis
Examination
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?
