Deakin’s optometry course is unique in its use of the trimester syst, which enables students to complete studies that what would ordinarily take five years in just under three-and-a-half years. The teaching and learning elents of course are innovative and technologically driven. Optometry will use a probl- based learning approach, as well as team-based learning, clinical skills laboratories, simulations plus short and long residential clinical placents.
Addressing this year’s cohort, Professor Weisinger said the course mission is to produce graduates who are “work ready” and who are “motivated to work in areas of need”.
The course highlights are a growing, world-class, diverse acadic team; a teaching facility at the Australian College of Optometry in Melbourne; accreditation with [51] conditions, most of which have been complied with; an ophthalmic and retail optics program; and the first graduates coming later this year.
Professor Weisinger said there is a shortage of practitioners, with those in practice at present doing more of the eye-care work than ever before, which medicine understands is necessary.
Deakin Optometry’s involvent with the Australian College of Optometry and the establishment and fitting out of a facility there for undergraduates to gain patient experience was greatly assisted by the support of OPSM and Specsavers, Professor Weisinger said.
Professor Alex Gentle, course director at Deakin Optometry, described the structure of the course, explained how the teaching and learning methodologies work and why they are used, before showing videos of some of the sessions in action.
The program is the first ‘accelerated’ one in Australia and is a mix of vision, health, science, public health and business, with three Year 1 optometry units out of 12, Professor Gentle said.
The curriculum is authentic backward-design probl-based learning (drives whole program), with team-based learning (frequent assessment of learning outcomes) leading to clinical skills development from early-on, he said.Innovations in the course are to make “work ready” by optometric business stimulation; extended (residential) clinical placents (recruit from and return to regional areas; few pre-requisites for entry (a good students is a good student); and location in a purpose-built building (Regional Health Hub).
Years 1 and 2 lead to BVisSci, while Year 3 and half of Year 4 lead to MOptom degrees.
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