SP6038 - Human Movement Science

This module will facilitate your learning through formal, but interactive, lectures which provide the main theoretical and conceptual information. These taught sessions will be supported by structured small-group interactive practical laboratory workshops with a strong applied emphasis, seminars, and discussions. The concepts of data stability, validity, and reliability are embedded throughout this module, and you will take part in laboratory workshops that will provide you with the opportunity to discuss potential errors arising from the data collection process, and to design methods of assessing data stability and random and systematic error. In seminars you will be given the opportunity to develop your skills in critically evaluating the data collection and analysis employed in existing research articles. You will also have seminars that are designed to assist you in writing a grant from costing, dissemination and structure. You will design and undertake clinical and biomechanical assessments of healthy individuals and those with disabilities or chronic injury. You will compare your findings to normative data, current literature, and underpinning theory, and synthesize and communicate your findings. Preparation for the assignment will involve you in designing your own data collection, and analysis, sessions to appraise the reliability and accuracy of data collection systems. You will undertake reliability laboratory sessions whereby you will collect data which you will analyse for your grant application on a piece of biomechanical equipment such as force plates.

Module information, assessment requirements and expectations, and important module announcements will be made through the eLP. Material to support your learning will be uploaded in advance of sessions. You will be provided with content verbally and guided through tasks during timetabled sessions. A dedicated assessment session will afford you the opportunity to ask assessment related questions in class. The Module Leader is there to support you with any queries that you may have about the module content, and all staff members provide tutorial time outside of class time. Module tutors will provide you with the necessary information on how to arrange a tutorial. You will have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on your development during the module, and you will receive feedback on summative work to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial. There is also further academic skills support available from the University Library services. If this module is in option pot two for your programme, you will receive advice and guidance at a module options event to help you make an informed decision about how it fits with your own academic and professional development. Online pre-learning material will be made available to help you prepare for the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Critically evaluate and apply a range of evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies in biomechanics.

2. Adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to solving complex problems.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

3. Work independently to undertake a project to critically appraise, and functionally utilise, generic kinematic and kinetic data collection methods, and different IT formats.

4. Demonstrate a critical appreciation of scientific rigor in the processes of experimental design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

5. Demonstrate an understanding of the need for an ethical and sensitive approach when working with different client groups.

You will undertake one assessment in this module, at the end of semester two.

1) Individual grant application (2500 words, 100%, all MLOs, KU 1,2; IPSA 3,4; PVA 5). You will be required to write a grant application applying for funds to support a proposed research study on a topic of your choice, which requires data collection in either sports, exercise, or clinical biomechanics. A successful application will require you to conduct an in-depth series of appropriate validity studies and pilot testing, and then undertake a critical evaluation of the magnitude of the potential errors and validity of the proposed method of data collection and methods of analysis.

Formative preparation for the validity study will take place in student led seminars where you will be able to practice your skills in critiquing journal articles and will receive feedback from your peers and tutors.
Preparation for the individual assignment will take place in specific focused workshops where you will be able to practice using relevant equipment and assessment skills and selecting key performance indicators.

Dedicated assessment sessions will be scheduled into the module to afford you the opportunity to ask assignment related questions.

Summative Feedback
You will receive written or audio feedback on your summative assessment to help you identify areas of strength and areas for development. There will be the opportunity to discuss your feedback with a member of staff during a tutorial.

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In this module you will be introduced to advanced kinematic and kinetic data collection and analysis techniques, and to potential applications relevant to current research initiatives in sport and clinical biomechanics. You will explore advanced techniques used in current biomechanical clinical assessment and evaluate both healthy individuals and individuals from clinical/chronic minorities. This module aims to develop your appreciation of scientific rigour in experimental design and testing, and to give you an understanding of how to control and measure potential sources of error, reliability and validity. You will design your own project and learn to independently collect, and critically appraise your data, and report your findings. You will be challenged to demonstrate your passion and creativity and to further develop your understanding of testing and measuring through writing a grant application to support a research a topic of your choice in either a sporting or clinical population