Orthoptics BSc (Hons)

This module will cover the basic human anatomy and physiology including the ocular system. This module is taught through an active learning process, where the students undertake learning through the use of online resources, followed by online self assessments and supported by the use of tutorials to aid understanding. The content of this module provides the building blocks of knowledge to support the subsequent modules related to the abnormalities encountered in the work place.
The module has two assessment components, an unseen written examination and an online examination. The style of the questions reflects the factual knowledge required and visual nature of the content.

Through a range of didactic lectures, tutorials and dedicated clinical skills sessions the module will introduce fundamental principles of orthoptics and how to clinically investigate normal binocular vision, visual function and ocular motility. In addition, the module will include essential mandatory training which is required for clinical practice.   This is the first module in a series of six (followed by ORTH 140, ORTH 237, ORTH 240, ORTH 330, ORTH 335) that occur in each semester of the programme to deliver the skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge for orthoptic practice. At the end of this module, successful students will be able to use the majority of orthoptic clinical tests in the investigation of patients. These skills will form the foundation for students learning how to investigate abnormal vision and ocular motility defects later in the course. The assessment of the module will consist of a written exam to demonstrate understanding of the theory that underpins orthoptic practice in addition to a practical exam that will ensure competence in the use of taught clinical skills. 

This module develops knowledge relating to the investigation of orthoptic patients within clinical practice. During this module, practical skills introduced in semester one will be recapped and then developed with additional skills relating to accommodative/convergence anomalies and refractive errors being introduced. Ultimately the module will equip the student with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable them to investigate all types of concomitant strabismus, accommodative anomalies and refractive corrections.   In order to develop and introduce these themes, the module will be delivered through a range of synchronous and asynchronous online lectures, online tutorials and clinical skills sessions. The sessions will not only introduce the students to the topic but also allow them to begin to start putting their theoretical knowledge in to practice.   The module will be assessed via a two hour written examination and a 45 minute practical examination in the University assessment period.

This module provides an introduction to the aetiologies, signs, symptoms and investigation of common ophthalmic disorders encountered during orthoptic clinical practise through a range of lectures and tutorials. Students will be introduced to the technologies that allow the diagnosis of these conditions, and the impact of genetics and biological processes on the eye. This is the first in a series of three modules (including ORTH 235 and ORTH 334) related to the wider topic of ophthalmology which students will encounter in orthoptic practice. The module assessment is comprised of two online examinations, one mid module (45 minutes duration), and one at the end of the module (90 minutes duration).

Through a range of lectures and tutorials, this module will develop the student’s knowledge of holistic healthcare issues and behavioural science theories that are relevant to clinical practice. The students will be introduced to issues that will directly influence their clinical practice, but are not fundamental orthoptic topics. They will develop an understanding of public health issues, national initiatives, psychological, behavioural and sociological aspects related to health care and recognition of the importance of their own health and wellbeing in relation to providing the best holistic care for all patients.  Students will be required to complete specific learning tasks through unscheduled hours prior to contact sessions to gain a level of background knowledge to enable them to contribute to discussion based contact sessions. Further self-directed activities may also be highlighted for students to consolidate knowledge further.  The module content will be assessed by a 1500 word assignment and an individual poster assessment at the end of the module during the university assessment period.​​​ ​  ​

Through a blended learning approach, this module provides students with the basis of ethics, professionalism and communication skills required for clinical practice as well as the necessary study skills for undergraduate study. During the module, students will develop a knowledge and understanding of professionalism, healthcare ethics, types and frameworks of communication and appropriate skills to support studying and academic writing at university. The module is assessed via a written assessment in the form of a 1500 word assignment.    ​

This module introduces students to the basic fundamental principles of physical, geometric and physiological optics, which underpin orthoptic practice. These principles are required for orthoptic practice delivered in subsequent modules across the programme (ORTH140, ORTH237, ORTH240, ORTH330 and ORTH335), as well as a module specific to refraction of patients in the final year (ORTH332).   On completion of the module, successful students will be able to apply geometric optical principles to various theoretical calculations and problems, including: reflection, refraction, prismatic effect and lens theory. They will also understand the eye as an “optical instrument”, the basis of refraction and the correction of refractive error. The module is delivered through a series of interactive lectures and tutorials that enable the student to work systematically through a series of concepts, applying principles to various theoretical situations. The student must be able to apply formulae, rearrange equations and ray trace in order solve optical questions. The aforementioned concepts are required when the physiological optic topics are explored later in the module. The assessment of the module is via a one and a half hour written exam, this will involve the student recalling information regarding physical optics, solving a series of geometrical optical problems, and demonstrating understanding of physiological optics.​​​  

This module develops the material delivered in the first year relating to concomitant strabismus, near vision anomalies, delayed visual maturation, and amblyopia. This module specifically explores the application of the investigation and management of these conditions. It is the third in a series of six modules that occur in each semester of the programme to deliver the skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge for Orthoptic practice. In order to develop the themes in the module, it will be delivered through a range of core lectures, tutorials to consolidate this knowledge and clinical skills sessions to enhance practical skills. Clinical placements will also be included in this module to allow students to put this new theoretical knowledge in to practice.  The assessment of the module will be a combination of an unseen written examination, a 30 minute practical examination, a summative clinical placement mark and a pass/fail reflective clinical portfolio.

Through a series of lectures, tutorials, clinical skills and clinical placements, this module develops the theory of orthoptic investigation and management to the investigation and management of incomitant strabismus related to mechanical, myogenic and neurological aetiologies. The module is the fourth in a series of six modules (including ORTH 137, ORTH 140, ORTH 237, ORTH 330, ORTH 335) that occur in each semester of the programme to deliver the fundamental skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge for orthoptic practice. It is underpinned by the relevant generalised neuro-aetiologies covered in the semester one Neurology module (ORTH236) and the relevant anatomy covered in the semester two Neuroanatomy and Osteology module (ORTH242).​ The assessment of the module will be a combination of an unseen 1hr written examination, a 45 minute practical examination, a summative clinical placement mark and a pass/fail reflective clinical portfolio.

​ This module will equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to use medicines under exemptions within the scope of orthoptic practice. This will include the practical and safe use of medicines, underpinning pharmacological theory and drug actions as well as the legal context of prescribing mechanisms. The module is organised to reflect the content of the British National Formulary (BNF) relevant to orthoptic and ophthalmological practice and to meet the standards set by the professional body (HCPC) to ensure that graduates are able to use stipulated medicines safely within the course of normal orthoptic practice.

The module is assessed by a written exam and by practical competencies all of which must be passed in order for the student to pass the module.

This module is the first dedicated module within the theme of research methods (including ORTH241 and ORTH310) that are delivered throughout the programme. It builds on concepts relating to clinical research first introduced in year one (ORTH140) and is designed to develop research skills, as well as introduce new concepts relating to the use of evidence. This will prepare the student for the research project in the second semester (ORTH241) and enable them to develop the necessary skills to review literature critically in year three (ORTH310).​

The students will be taught with a mix of traditional and e-lectures, each with a follow up tutorial where students will have the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of the content provided in the lecture.

The assessment of the module consists of two components within the same 1.5 hour online (on campus) exam: the first is an MCQ exam allowing students to demonstrate their learning of the new statistical and research methodology concepts taught to them. The second part is a short notes, seen exam of a research paper. The research paper will be provided to the students earlier in the semester. This exam will assess the ability of the students to understand a clinical paper, and apply their understanding of research methods and statistics to determine if the paper is of sufficient quality for use in clinical practice. Questions will further direct students to compare and contrast research findings between multiple sources, allowing students to develop skills in data synthesis. This will prepare them for their critical assignment in Orth 241 in Semester 2.

This module builds on the neuroanatomical knowledge from year one (ORTH139), to a more detailed understanding of neuroanatomy specifically relating to structures involved in visual processing and control of eye movements.   ​ ​

The module will address management options for clinical ophthalmological conditions. It will be the second in a series of three modules (including ORTH 142 and ORTH 334) that relate to wider ophthalmological conditions encountered in orthoptic practice. The module builds on the knowledge delivered in first year (ORTH142) where the signs, symptoms and investigation of the same conditions are covered. On completion of this module, students will be able to apply their knowledge of ophthalmic management to a wide range of conditions, identifying appropriate types of treatment for specific cases. This module will deliver the teaching material relating to management principles and the application of this knowledge to a range of specific conditions. This will be done through a combination of face to face teaching methods (seminars and tutorials) and online materials (electures and interactive learning tools to assess knowledge eg using Quizlet). University lecturers from orthoptics and ophthalmology will provide teaching relevant to their expertise. Specific clinical skills sessions will be incorporated to teach the students how to use the slit lamp.  The assessment of this module will be a combination of a short notes written paper and a clinical skills assessment using the slit lamp.

The module will provide an introduction to general neurological conditions. This will include the aetiologies/ pathogenesis and the medical management of the conditions covered. In addition the module will include the use of neuroimaging techniques to support content taught in semester two.  The module will be delivered through a range of face to face interactive tutorials and seminars, as well as electronic lectures. The module is assessed via a 90 minute short notes exam where the student will be required to detail the features and pathogenesis of neurological conditions and describe the features of various neuroimaging techniques.

This module focuses on the application of research. Students will plan a project in small groups, the same basic project idea will be allocated to all students but each group will have the opportunity to develop their own research protocol and make some evidence based decisions. Each group will be given a set of data from the project idea. At the start of the module there will be some lectures and tutorials to develop their project in small groups. The students will have the opportunity to develop the project plan and protocol in their groups and discuss with the tutors to critically evaluate their design. They will also spend time designing the spreadsheet for data collection before the data is given to them to refine and organise. Students will learn to analyse the data using appropriate statistical methods. Throughout the module there will be computer labs (either face-face or online) to support the students, from making evidence based decisions regarding the methodology, to data entry and subsequent statistical analysis and presentation of their data.​ A large component of this module will be planning the protocol and data analysis where students will be required to work in groups and collaborate with each other. Support is provided throughout the module to ensure appropriate decisions are being made, with either online or face-face small group tutorials where students can be guided in the development of their project and choices of statistical tests.

This module deepens knowledge with critical evaluation of the investigation and management of concomitant and incomitant strabismus and amblyopia. It is one of two modules in the final year ( and part of a series of six throughout the programme) that address content related to orthoptic theory and practice. During the course of the module, additional orthoptic theory will be delivered alongside the evidence base that underpins orthoptic clinical practice. On completion of the module, successful students will be able to critically evaluate their own clinical practice as well as critique the practice of the orthoptic profession more generally, supporting this with reference to published research. In order to develop these themes, the module will be delivered through a range of asynchronous re-cap lectures and on campus clinical skills sessions that reinforce material relating to fundamental orthoptic principles covered in Year One and specific orthoptic conditions covered in Year Two. As the module progresses, a combination of interactive synchronous seminars and tutorials will be utilised to develop the student’s ability to evaluate clinical practice and critique published literature relating to specific conditions and clinical practice in order to become a competent practitioner. The assessment of the module will be a combination of a clinical case scenario practical examination (computer based), an un-seen written examination and an oral presentation.​

Through acombination of lectures and clinical skills sessions, this module willenable students to develop their understanding of optics andrefraction introduced earlier in the course (ORTH138). Students willdevelop knowledge from modules in year one and two, inorder to learn subjective and objective refraction techniques, aswell as develop a detailed understanding of the optical principles thatunderpin clinical refraction and prescription of spectacles. The module willalso introduce students to low vision assessment, and the legal aspects ofprescribing optical corrections relevant to orthoptic clinical practice. Assessment of thismodule consists of a practical exam that tests the student’s ability to performsubjective and objective retinoscopy to a competent level, and a written examdesigned to assess detailed theoretical and legal aspects of the module.​​

This is the final module in a series of three throughout the undergraduate programme dedicated to the theme of research, including ORTH 238 and ORTH 241 as well as clinical research themed topics delivered in ORTH 140. It is the culmination of the series where students will choose a specific area of interest that they would like to pursue, in order to produce a comprehensive literature review of the evidence within that particular topic area. Students will be supported throughout by a specified supervisor who has a  particular interest within the student’s chosen field of study. At the end of the module, students will be able to competently search and critically evaluate the literature.​   This module is assessed by a 6000 word literature review.​  Students will select a topic from a list provided to them that are within orthoptic/ophthalmological practice in which they would like to conduct an in-depth literature review. Once identified, they are required to begin to conduct a literature search and along with guidance from their supervisor, identify a specific area/ research question that they would like to explore. Students must then produce a critical literature review of the relevant research in that area. Students are assigned an individual supervisor who will meet with them at set times throughout the course of conducting the review in order to provide written and verbal feedback on submitted draft work. Submission of drafts are the responsibility of each student. All submitted reviews are double marked and the pass mark for successful completion of the module is 40%.    

This module develops the content delivered in year two relating to the investigation and management of concomitant and incomitant strabismus and amblyopia. The module is one of two in the final year that are part of a series of six modules (including ORTH 137, ORTH140, ORTH237, ORTH240, ORTH330) that occur in each semester of the programme to deliver the fundamental skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge for orthoptic practice. On successful completion of the module students will be able to evaluate the investigation and management options for concomitant and incomitant strabismus in a clinical setting. The majority of the module will be time spent in a variety of clinical placement sites, with this experience being recorded by the student and clinical tutors using an electronic portfolio system. Cinical experiences will be consolidated at university through goal setting and review with academic advisors and small group tutorial discussions. The module will be assessed via a two part practical clinical examination, ongoing practical assessment on clinical placement and clinical portfolio.   Students will be expected to actively engage with clinical placement experiences by setting personal goals and objectives, writing up cases seen, reflecting on clinical practice and acting on feedback given by clinical tutors. Students will also be expected to continuously consult academic notes and text books in relation to cases seen to facilitate the integration of academic knowledge with clinical practise. As part of the reflection within this level 6 module, students will be required to refer to published literature where appropriate and evaluate their own practise with respect to that literature.  

This module is the final of three delivered across the programme (including ORTH 142 and ORTH 235) specifically related to areas of wider ophthalmic practice. Through a range of seminars, tutorials and discussions, the module will deliver material related to aspects of ophthalmological practice that orthoptists undertake as an extended or specialist role, including the importance of the multi-disciplinary team. They will also learn about ethical and legal frameworks, NHS policy and the significance of clinical governance that affect clinical practice. Teaching will be delivered by a range of external lecturers, experts in their areas, to ensure the students understand the relevance of the material to the specialist and advanced roles within clinical practice. This module will be assessed via a group presentation and a 1500 word assignment. The assignment will be related to personal development and incorporate aspects of professional and development responsibilities such as continued professional development and employability. The group presentation will allow students to apply NHS policy and frameworks to appraise the potential roles available to orthoptists in specialist and advanced areas.