LQB694 Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Infectious diseases continue to be a major public health concern in Australia and globally. The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and viruses that cause disease outbreaks and epidemics is a significant global health burden. Microbiologists play an essential role in the detection and management of infectious diseases, they research the pathogenesis and epidemiology of microbial pathogens, and develop new diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic technologies to prepare for disease outbreaks. You will apply your knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases to recent, real world disease outbreaks.

This unit will also expose you to researchers and industry experts from universities, hospitals, and government organisations that deal with infectious diseases on a daily basis and will provide you with insights into career opportunities in this field.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Generate, critically analyse, interpret and communicate in a written scientific paper your experimental data investigating an infectious disease outbreak.
2. Demonstrate effective information retrieval, critical analysis, collaborative and teamwork skills to understand and collate scientific literature for presentation in an oral format.
3. Demonstrate appropriate professional behaviours and advanced collaborative skills for problem solving, project management and critical analysis in a practical microbiology laboratory setting.
4. Explain the significance of academic, industry and public health agency research in combatting infectious disease outbreaks.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit will be team taught and will therefore employ a variety of teaching and learning models. Learning activities will be supported by academic staff, however you will also be provided with self-directed individual and team-based learning activities designed to assist you in developing independent thinking and self-monitored learning.

In this unit the tutorials and workshops will be closely aligned and support the assessment items. The content of tutorials and workshops will provide you with the information you need to successfully complete the assessment items. During tutorials, you will have the opportunity to develop and refine your knowledge through open group discussions with your class and the academic or industry speaker. During the workshops you will further develop your critical thinking and analytical skills through a series of exercises that will enable you to successfully complete the assessment items. These will include the development of diagnostic strategies for infectious diseases, critical analysis of scientific literature, analysis of infectious disease outbreak data and preparation of a research paper. The workshops will allow you to discuss and develop your own independent ideas with the support of academic staff. The workshops will be once a week, except for the weeks in which the practical laboratory sessions will be conducted in place of workshops.

The practical sessions will allow you to apply and develop your previous knowledge of infectious disease diagnostics in a laboratory setting. Teamwork in addition to independent practical skills will be encouraged by laboratory teaching staff. You will learn how to apply your knowledge of infectious disease diagnostics to new situations and will develop problem-solving skills specific to a laboratory setting. You will develop the written and oral skills required to work as an effective team member in a professional manner.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will be given both individual and group feedback, as appropriate, for each formative assessment item. This will be delivered in class during workshops and tutorials. Each summative assessment item will be marked and returned to you during the semester. Feedback from earlier assessment items will inform you how to improve the outcome of the final assessment item due late in semester.

Assessment

Overview

Summative and formative assessment:

As this is a capstone unit, assessment is assignment-based and designed to encourage independent thought and critical thinking. There are three key concepts that will be examined: 1. Critical analysis and the ability to summarise findings from scientific literature to present in oral and written formats; 2. The design and implementation of practical laboratory skills for the clinical and molecular diagnosis of pathogens during infectious disease outbreaks,and communication of results generated; 3. The ability to evaluate scientific research and its role in improving preparedness against infectious disease outbreaks. These three concepts will be examined as three assessment items that will be staged through the semester, such that the feedback you receive from earlier assessments will support your success in later assessments. This will allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses concerning knowledge, critical thinking and problem solving, scientific writing, data analysis and presentation, and improve your skills through the semester.

The first summative assessment requires you to prepare a slide pack as a group, summarising a recent infectious disease outbreak. You will be able to choose your topic as a group and workshops will provide assistance in the development of your presentation. You will be provided with feedback on your progress by staff during the workshops, which will be designed to develop your skills in critically analysing and collating the literature concerning infectious disease outbreaks. You will be assessed as a group and individually on your visual oral presentation to teaching staff and your peers.

The second summative assessment requires you to reflect on research presented during tutorials by guest speakers from academia, industry and government public health agencies. Your reflections will be guided by a structured worksheet, requiring you to synthesise aspects of the topic presented and evaluate its contribution to improving preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks. As part of this assessment, you will also be exposed to and reflect on career pathways in different fields related to infectious diseases. This assessment will require you to submit your reflections following a structured written format.  

The third summative assessment item requires you to develop a diagnostic plan and genomic analysis for unknown infectious disease agents during an outbreak.  A draft diagnostic plan will be developed during workshops and you will receive feedback on it from teaching staff during its development. You will then implement this plan in the practical laboratory sessions to generate your own data, with results to be analysed during follow-up workshops with teaching staff guidance. This assessment will be in the form of a written scientific paper on your investigation following standards of reporting current in the microbiology field.  The workshops and tutorials will equip you with the knowledge you require to successfully complete this assessment item. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Oral Presentation

A group oral slide pack presentation summarising key aspects of a recent, real world, infectious disease outbreak. Group and Individual marks will be assigned. You will work in groups of students to prepare the presentation and give an individual oral presentation on a section of the slide pack. This assessment is authentic as oral presentations are common in many professional settings, including government and regulatory bodies, symposia and conferences, and public health agencies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

Assessment: Reflections on Research Presentations

A series of written reflections on research seminars given by academic and industry guest speakers, structured according to a set worksheet. Reflections will be contextualised by reference to recent scientific literature and include consideration of career pathways in the field of microbiology.  This assessment type is authentic as it allows students to reflect on contemporary professional practice in the field. 

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Research Paper

You will submit a research paper on the aims, methods, results, analysis and interpretation of your investigation into an infectious disease outbreak, formatted according to current practice in the field of microbiology. During the project you will also be assessed on professional behaviour in a PC2 microbiology environment and adherence to laboratory protocols. This assessment is authentic because research papers are a typical mode of communicating research results in science.  

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Costs

Cost of lab gowns and safety protection glasses are the students responsibility.

Resources

Resource Materials

Safety and protective equipment

Practicals will require personal protective equipment supplied by each student:
1. Laboratory Coat - 100% cotton or polyester/cotton mix (65% polyester is max. allowable).
2. Safety eye protection glasses - selected and used in accordance with AS1336, AS1337 and AS1338.
3. Fully enclosed non-slip shoes

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit includes a laboratory component. In order that you become proficient in necessary practical skills, you will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and specimens normally associated with this discipline. You are required to view a Health & Safety Induction video and complete an online health and safety quiz prior to being permitted into the laboratory, to access please follow this link Health & Safety Induction. A passing score of 10/10 is required and will be checked prior to entry to the first laboratory session. You may repeat the quiz until this score is achieved. You are also referred to the Faculty of Health's Health & Safety Web Site for further information.

If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the lecturer in charge of the unit, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.

Course Learning Outcomes

LS40 Bachelor of Biomedical Science

1. Critically review, analyse and synthesise foundational knowledge in a broad range of biomedical discipline areas and in depth theoretical, technical and practical knowledge in specialised discipline areas.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation , Reflections on Research Presentations, Research Paper
2. Demonstrate the cognitive skills required to find solutions to scientific problems.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation , Reflections on Research Presentations, Research Paper
3. Contribute effectively to biomedical projects, either as an individual or as a member of a team and demonstrate professional behaviour.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation
4. Apply knowledge and skills to rapidly source, critically analyse and communicate biomedical science information using appropriate technologies.
   Relates to: Oral Presentation , Reflections on Research Presentations, Research Paper