SES1003 : Introduction to Biomechanics
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Daniel Eaves
- Owning School: Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Scien
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The field of human biomechanics concerns itself with how internal and external forces act on the body to create or resist movement. Biomechanical principles are regularly applied to improve exercise and sporting performance; better understand the underlying mechanisms of pathology and guide treatment; and in the design of sporting equipment and medical devices.
This module introduces the principles of biomechanics; presents ways in which they can be applied to human movement in clinical and sporting contexts; and demonstrates a range of industry standard tools which are used to assess the biomechanics of human movement.
Outline Of Syllabus
The syllabus comprises of three key aspects taught concurrently:
i) fundamental principles of biomechanics;
ii) how these biomechanical principles are applied in clinical and sporting contexts; and
iii) methods of assessing the biomechanics of human movement.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | PIP – Summary and conclusions of the module |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | PIP - delivery of taught content |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Preparation and completion of the laboratory report |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | PIP - introduction to the module |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Revision for the final examination |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 4 | 1:30 | 6:00 | Sync-online – interactive taught sessions |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | NonSync online material - short recordings & formative activities (quizzes/prob solving activities) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | PIP - Intro to human movement |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 113:00 | 113:00 | Completing directed readings and enhancing understanding of lecture materials |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | PIP practical sessions.Students will measure human movement using a range of biomechanical equipment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | PIP - revision sessions held at end of the semester |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 2 | 2:00 | 4:00 | PIP - computer workshops on how to process, analyse and illustrate biomechanical data |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures and lecture materials and associated formative exercises introduce and reinforce key concepts of the module in support of the knowledge outcomes. Practical sessions are designed to provide students with hands on use of biomechanics equipment. These practical sessions will help consolidate student understanding of fundamental principles, support the development of skills outcomes relating to team work and inter-personal communication, and give them a degree of familiarity with industry standard equipment. Additional workshops will teach students how to process, analyse and illustrate biomechanical data. Students will be introduced to mathematics support services such as MathsAid. Two revision workshops will be run to give students the opportunity to practice exam-style questions and revise material prior to the exam.
Formative problem solving exercises posted online and during in-person workshops will let students practice their biomechanical problem solving skills throughout the module, and so are designed to build the student confidence and the ability to comprehend the underlying biomechanical concepts. The revision sessions provide students with an opportunity to practice exam-style questions and also consolidate knowledge they have gained prior to summative examination.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Examination | 90 | 2 | A | 50 | PIP Inspera Invigilated exam will include a range of question types (approx 20-30 MCQ plus 5 short answer questions) |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 2 | M | 50 | Practical report based on practical sessions (750 words). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
A single examination will assess the learning outcomes as well as skills outcomes in relation to calculating basic biomechanical parameters and explaining how biomechanics is applied to human movement. The exam will be scheduled at the end of the semester and assess content from both lectures and practical sessions.
A single practical report will assess the student’s ability to assess and communicate the biomechanics of human movement. In doing so, the students will demonstrate a working knowledge of: i) the fundamentals of biomechanics; and ii) how these fundamentals can be applied to the study of human movement.
Students studying on BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences must submit all module assessment components and obtain an overall mark of 40 or above to pass the module – see the programme regulations and handbook for further detail.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SES1003's Timetable