Module Study Guide

Academic Year 2023

Academic Partner: Marbella International University Centre

Module Code – General psychopathology

Level: 5
Credits: 10 UK Credits (5 ECTS)

Copyright © 2022 University of West London

Permission granted to reproduce solely for the purpose of teaching and learning at the University of West London and its approved academic partners.

You are provided with study materials for your personal use only. You must not share these with others or upload them to websites. Any student who is found to have shared materials, particularly for personal gain, will be subject to disciplinary action if appropriate.

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Key team contact details

Module Leader	Alena Kiriljuk,PhD
Subject Area & School/College	Psychology
Academic Partner Institution	Marbella International University Centre (MIUC)
Email	alena.kiriljuk@miuc.org
Phone	34633013037
Location	MIUC

 

Module Tutor	N/A
Email
Phone
Location

 

Module/Course Administrator	Jelena Krajacic
Email	jelena.krajacic@miuc.org
Phone	+34 952 86 00 00
Location	MIUC

 

Subject Librarian	Teresa Muñoz-Écija
Email	library@miuc.org
Phone	+34 952 86 00 00
Location	MIUC

The Course Leader overseeing this module is Ming-Jin Jiang, and can be contacted at ming-jin@miuc.org

The responsible for this module is Beata Froehlich, and can be contacted at beata@miuc.org

The External Examiner responsible for this module is Dr Keith Salmon (Reader, University of Hertfordshire) for International Business and International Relations courses and Dr. Ana Gaio (Programme Director MA Culture, Policy and Management, City University of London) for Marketing and Advertising course.

The Academic Partner Link-Tutor responsible for this module is Brenda Theodore-Marks (for International Business and International Relations courses) and Matilde Nardelli (for Marketing and Advertising course), and can be contacted at Brenda.Theodore-Marks@uwl.ac.uk and Matilde.Nardelli@uwl.ac.uk

1             Module overview

1.1      Introduction

Welcome to the General Psychopathology module, a core module for the BA in psychology.

This module will introduce the students to the fundamental aspects of psychopathology, understanding of causes of psychopathological phenomena, as well how these phenomena can be prevented, treated, managed, and mitigated. The students will be introduced to the application of theoretical knowledge in the practical context of interaction with clients and patients.

The module will also introduce the students to the practical approaches to and issues in psychopathology, including indirect observations of psychopathological phenomena, the complexities of interview techniques in this setting, relationships and interactions with the patients, as well as the structured analyses of observations and results.

1.2      Module summary content and aims

The module is composed mainly of seminars where you will be able to get the skills required to describe different regions of the brain, differentiate their function and evaluate their potential clinical relevance, compare and differentiate different methods of live macroscopic imaging of human brain structure and vasculature; interpret images ,identify, map and label key functional structures and pathways in the brain ,recognise, analyse and interpret microscopic brain structure identify sites of injury based on clinical signs and symptoms, brain images and patient history.

Expectations 

 

Specific expectations students can have of tutors: 

 

• Constructive formative feedback on draft for the assessment (not including written examination, oral assignment).
• Slides and learning materials made available on the learning platform.
• Assessment marks and summative feedback given within fifteen working days from the assessment submission deadline.

 

Specific expectations tutors will have of students:

 

• Attend all teaching and activity sessions.
• Behave professionally in classes and avoid disruption to class and other students.
• Inform module leader via email and fill out the absence notification/justification form online beforehand when not able to attend any classes.
• Participate and communicate professionally in class and with module leader.
• Attempt all assessments by submission deadline and communicate with the module leader if there are any extenuating circumstances to explore extensions requests and/or mitigation claims.

1.3      Learning outcomes to be assessed

At the end of the module, you will be able to:

LO1.   Understand the different elements involved in the definition of a psychopathology (Summative Assessment 1).

LO2.   Select, organise, and present relevant information in the format of a clinical case evaluation (Summative Assessment 1).

LO3.   Identify, map and label key functional structures and pathways in the brain (Summative Assessment 1).

1.4      Indicative Contact Hours

Teaching Contact Hours	56 hours
Independent Study Hours	44 hours
Placement Hours
Total Learning Hours	100 hours

2             Assessment and feedback

 

Type of Assessment	Word Count or equivalent	Weighting	Pass Mark	Indicative Submission week	Method of Submission & Date of Feedback (refer to BB)
Assessment 1	2000 words	40%	55	22-04-2023	Via MIUC LMS (NEO) & 15 working days after the assessment
Assessment 2	2500 words	30%	60	31-04-2023	Via MIUC LMS (NEO) & 15 working days after the assessment
Assessment 3	5-8 minutes	30%	55	8-06-2023	Via MIUC LMS (NEO) & 15 working days after the assessment

Assessment Support

 

Assessment (insert below type of assessment as per the table above)	Teaching Weeks in which Assessment Support Takes Place (enter each week no. in a new row)	Outline of Type and Form of Assessment Support to be Provided	Student Preparation Required Prior to or After the Support Session	How will the Support Session be Delivered
A 1 Develop a clinical case	Week 12	Feedback of the case	Assist a preparational class, grades will be put on NEO.	In-class
A 2 Critical thinking essay	Week 14	Feedback of the video		In-class
A 3 Video	Week 17	Feedback of the assessment		In-class

 

2.2      Assessment brief – formative assessments and learning outcomes.

2.2.1 Assessment 1: Project: Develop a clinical case.

The “Clinical case development” will require you to design and develop an evaluation analysis of the psychopathological abnormalities using the evaluation and applying DSM-5 meanings presented in class. Develop an Etiology , create and apply a therapy , identify an age group, potential complications, develop and describe main steps (pre-step. step 1 etc...). Develop a therapy in case of a ¨Zero response¨.

This assessment will be marked according to the following criteria.

• How well you can use DSM-5
• The diagnosis, anamnesis, and potential development of the disorder
• Psychodiagnostics styles (ABS analysis)

2.2.2 Assessment 2: Critical thinking essay

This assessment will be marked according to the following criteria.

Critical thinking essay shall be developed and written based on three important component, research, analysis, and evaluation of the chosen topic. The number of words shall be 2500 words. Citation and bibliography should be written in APA style.

2.2.2 Assessment 3: Video

This assessment will be marked according to the following criteria.

The third assessment is dedicated to the explanation of the chosen topic dedicated to the problematic area of the psychopathology.

• Do a presentation of the topic and record a video.
• Tone of the voice, control of the language, coherence
• Analysis of the chosen topic and evaluation
• Conclusion

 

2.3      Learning materials

The reading list for this module is available on the module page of MIUC learning platform .

Subject guides (subject-guides-libguides) are also available to help you find relevant information for assignments, with contact details of the Subject Librarian for your School.

 

Remember to log into MIUC LMS (NEO LMS) daily to receive all the latest news and support available at your module sites!

All students are automatically members of the MIUC Library and can use the services provided by the library and have free access to its collection.

 

The largest numbers of items for each discipline are monographs and reference works, which are Remember, all your work must have Academic Integrity; it must be an honest and fair submission, complying with all the requirements of the assessment, that properly references and credits any other people’s work you have used. Failure to meet these standards of behaviour and practice is academic misconduct, which can result in penalties being applied under the Academic Offences Regulations.

3             Things you need to know.

3.1      Our Expectations

You are expected to behave in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct, and treat others with kindness and respect whether at university or online. It’s important to consider your safety and the safety of others around you, especially how to stay safe online and ensure your communications are secure and appropriate.

Whether you are engaging with teaching and learning activities onsite or online, we expect the same level of commitment and engagement from you. If you are unable to attend scheduled onsite or online activities, or complete activities in the time frames set out, you should let your tutors know.

You should aim to meet assessment deadlines; if you are concerned that you will not be able to complete your assessments on time, you should talk to your tutors. Your engagement, whether online or onsite, will be tracked and if we see that you are not engaging, we will get in contact with you.

Please remember that your course team is here to support you so if you are having problems, let us know so we can work with you to find solutions and get you back on track as soon as possible. Give yourself the best possible chance to succeed by engaging with the full range of learning and teaching activities available to you.

3.2      Getting Support

Graduating with a UWL degree will open up a world of opportunities for you, but we understand that the journey to get there is not always easy – especially when you are combining studying with work, caring for others, or dealing with illness. That is why we offer lots of support to help you meet your full potential.

3.2.1     Personal Tutors, Module Leaders, Subject Librarians, and Course Leaders

Your Personal Tutor can help if you’re worried about your studies, need academic advice, or want to find the best way for you to succeed.

Your Module Leader can help if you’re struggling with work, don’t think you can meet a deadline, or there was something you didn’t understand or want to know more about.

Your Subject Librarian can help you with finding, evaluating, reading, and referencing sources. They offer drop-ins and workshops throughout the year.

Your Course Leader can help with any questions about the course you’re studying, such as any course-specific requirements or options.

3.2.2     Student Support

Students at MIUC will receive the following support:  

• MIUC provides every student coaching services for personal and professional development to unlock their potential and maximise their performance. Students will attend the individual sessions scheduled with Life Coach at the beginning of each semester.
• Personalised learning supported through the provision of materials, resources, and recorded lessons direct to students via VLE on the web.
• Workshops on academic skills offered throughout the semester. Besides regular workshops, students can also seek individual academic support (including research skills, ICT literacy) by making appointments with the workshop tutor.
• Through the personal tutorial system – the primary role of the personal tutor is to support students’ personal development planning together with the life coach. Tutors and life coach are always reachable in person and via email.
• Through the curriculum – all course team members are personal tutors and support the personal development process with their tutees.
• Through counselling service – MIUC offers counselling services to all students. Depending on an initial psychological evaluation, the university counsellor will develop the most effective treatment plan to adequately address any concerns at hand.
• Through internship support - internships can take place domestically or internationally. Students will learn to work individually, as well as in a team. They also will be exposed to a dynamic global environment that will help them learn to manage challenge and uncertainty in real world.
• Through extracurricular activities - Student Life Department offers students a wide variety of thrilling trips and extracurricular activities providing great opportunities for networking.

3.2.3     Meeting Deadlines

You should always try your best to submit your work on time. If you submit coursework late, within 10 calendar days of the deadline, then the maximum mark you will be able to get for that work will be the pass mark. Anything submitted after this would be counted as a non-submission.

We understand that there may be times when you experience circumstances outside of your control that mean you are not able to submit on time. It’s a good idea to talk your Module Leader if you’re not going to be able to submit on time so that they can support you and make you aware of any services that can help.

Where exceptional circumstances mean you’ll be submitting your coursework late, you can request an extension before your deadline. An extension means that the penalty for submitting up to 10 calendar days late will not apply.

If your circumstances are so serious that you are not able to submit at all or are unable to attend an in-person assessment like an exam or in-class test, then you can request mitigation for the assessment. Mitigation means that you can submit work at the next available attempt instead.

If you request an extension or mitigation before the deadline you can choose to self-certify, meaning that you do not have to provide evidence, so long as you provide a valid reason for the request. You can only self-certify three assessments per academic year. If you have used all your self-certification opportunities, or requested mitigation after the deadline, you will need to provide evidence of your exceptional circumstances for your request to be granted.

To apply for an Extension or Mitigation

• Extension https://forms.gle/RZyp1aBJWKwwU6wWA
• Mitigation https://forms.gle/iX8FEqUysGRqLHP36

3.2.4     When there’s an issue

If something’s negatively impacting your experience at university, you should raise this informally with your Module Leader or Course Leader.

We aims to ensure that any issues are resolved as quickly as possible to have minimum impact on your studies.

3.2.5     Module Evaluation Surveys

Towards the end of the module, you will be invited to provide some anonymous feedback to the Module Leader through an online survey. This is your opportunity to give direct feedback about the module through a series of questions and free text.

Your constructive feedback will help the Module Leader and teaching team to understand the module experience from your perspective and helps inform the development of the module. At the end of the survey period, a response to the survey will be available so that you can see the impact your voice has had.

• Research ethics guidance for students

3.3.1     What are ethics in research? Why does it matter?

All researchers, across all disciplines, should be mindful of ethical issues when planning, conducting, and reporting on their work. Doing so will ensure that the researcher respects the interests of all parties, mitigates risks to both participants and themself, and delivers research outcomes that are robust. To guide this, the University sets out principles of good research, and to better understand them, you should consult – and then adhere to – the six ‘University Research Integrity’ documents linked at uwloffice365live.sharepoint.com/Pages/Research.aspx

‘Ethical approval’ is required for all research, whether that is a short questionnaire devised by an undergraduate student or a multi-million-pound project carried out by a group of professional researchers – read on…

3.3.2     Which types of research might raise ethical issues?

Typically, ethical issues would be raised by research that involves the following:

• human participants
• vulnerable individuals or groups
• any personal data
• any type of clinical/physical intervention
• work conducted in a sensitive or potentially dangerous location
• security-sensitive information

Accordingly, associated ethical issues require appropriate planning. Even interviewing people (including your peers or friends) or collecting their data can incur ethical issues, and you must ensure that you have appropriate safeguards in place to protect both their welfare and data. You must also ensure that you will be protected if your research (even potentially) places you in a dangerous or stressful place or situation. ‘Desk-based’ research centred on journal articles and books is unlikely to pose acute ethical issues, but even then, the way that the researcher might select the articles and report outcomes require care and consideration.

3.3.3     How will UWL help me to understand and apply research ethics?

First and foremost, the topic of research ethics will be addressed by your tutor or supervisor as part of your module. It may also be part of your recommended reading. Different disciplines conduct a range of research using a variety of approaches, so your teaching will cover the ethical issues that are most likely to apply to your subject. If you have any questions about the design or conduct of research that you are planning, then you should seek guidance from the tutor or supervisor.

Secondly, UWL operates a risk-assessment system, employing the easy-to-complete ‘Research ethics and integrity risk assessment’ form. You are required to complete a copy of the form before commencing your project. This helps the University to identify and improve research projects that might raise ethical issues. Just as importantly, it will help you work through the potential ethical dimensions of your research in a structured and step-by-step manner and to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.

3.3.4     My research does NOT involve any of the above areas

You will still need to complete the form before commencing your project.

• Easy steps to ethical approval

3.4.1     Top tips

Develop your project proposal to an advanced stage before attempting to fill in the form. It will require you to provide details.

Discuss the ethical issues around your research plans with your supervisor at the earliest possible stage, and certainly in advance of filling in the form. Try to find an approach that will not incur any issues in the first place. If you form a proposal and only discover that there are issues close to the submission deadline, you will be required to reframe your work and this will take extra time, or possibly even compromise your grades.

3.4.2     Submit the form

To apply for ethics approval, you need to complete and submit the ‘Research ethics and integrity risk assessment form’ which can be found at tinyurl.com/u8zteb2f. This form is read-only, so click ‘Edit Document>Open in Desktop App’, then save a copy that you can edit for submission.

You should send the completed form along with relevant complimentary documents to your Supervisor/Module Leader/Tutor, who then needs to approve and sign it off.

Remember, the ethics application form must be submitted and approved before any research project starts and before any potential participants are approached. Failure to gain prior ethical approval is considered an academic offence.

At various points you will be asked to provide complementary documents. Your application cannot be processed without these. You are advised to first complete the project outline. Make sure you include the following where your project utilises these research methods and instruments:

1. The completed ‘Research ethics and risk assessment’ form
2. A completed Project Proposal
3. A participant-information sheet
4. An informed-consent form
5. A copy of interview questions and/or the questionnaires/data-collection-instruments you intend to use or, if you are not using such approaches, a statement of what will be used (as a Microsoft Word document, with your Application ID at the top)
6. A data management statement (the template for this is available at uwloffice365live.sharepoint.com/Pages/Research.aspx – simply add your name and Application ID at the end)

3.4.3     How it works

1. The School/College Ethics Panel (SCREP) will review your application – normally within two weeks of submission
2. You and your supervisor will be informed of the outcome by email
3. Outcomes will be one of the following categories:
   • Conditional approval subject to review and re-submission (you must make the changes specified by the panel before you can start)
   • Provisional approval subject to additional information and re-submission (you can start your project, but you will need to provide further information at a date determined by the School/College Ethics Panel)
   • Final approval (the approval is final, and you do not need to re-submit unless you make subsequent changes to the project)
   • Rejection (you must discuss issues raised with your supervisor)

Referral to University Research Ethics Committee where risk is identified that requires such referral.