Unit Synopsis
This unit expands on your existing knowledge on physiology to explore the physiological aspects of nutrition in human health. In this unit, you will develop further knowledge of the gastrointestinal system and its role in the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients. You will learn about the physiological mechanisms that control appetite and thirst and related health issues. You will learn about the nutrient and energy requirements and evaluate related pathophysiological conditions in different population groups. You will apply your knowledge of nutritional physiology in a professional manner to discuss issues in nutrition and how they impact human health.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 2 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Pre-Requisite: BMSC11001 Human Body Systems 1 or BMSC11007 Medical Anatomy and Physiology 1 or BMSC11010 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 AND BMSC11002 Human Body Systems 2 or BMSC11008 Medical Anatomy and Physiology 2 or BMSC11011 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2. 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 - 2026
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 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. Written Assessment | 30% |
| 2. Group Work | 20% |
| 3. Portfolio | 50% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web 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.
Source: SUTE Unit comments
Weekly learning materials were content heavy and may require additional clarification and case study discussion to further support learning.
Consider incorporating case study discussions, additional short lecture recordings, and supplementary learning resources into the weekly learning booklets and tutorials. This will enhance the application of knowledge and improve clarity around key concepts.
Themed case study discussions were incorporated into weekly tutorials, which also served as a formative task for Assessment Task 3 (mind Map and individual viva)
Source: Unit coordinator reflection
Evolving GenAI capabilities may require revision of assessment tasks to ensure they continue to accurately reflect student learning.
Consider reviewing current assessment tasks and redesign them, where appropriate, to be resilient to GenAI use while continuing to accurately assess student learning.
Assessment Task 3 was redeveloped from an online test to a more holistic and appropriate assessment to assess students' relevant learning better.
Source: Student informal feedback via email and during weekly tutorials to unit coordinator.
Students found assessment exemplars helpful for Assessment Task 3.
Consider providing exemplar assessment for Assessment 1 and 2 also.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Analyse the role of the gastrointestinal system in digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients
- Analyse the physiological processes underpinning appetite and thirst in health
- Evaluate and relate nutritionally related pathophysiological conditions in population groups
- Demonstrate effective communication and cultural competency relevant to nutrition
- Critique contemporary issues in nutrition and impact on human physiology.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | |||
| 2 - Group Work | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Portfolio | • | • | • | ||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | • | |
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | • | • | ||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | ||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |