SPME 430 SYLLABUS

PROFESSOR: Michael Feltner, Ph.D.
OFFICE: RAC 104
PHONE: (310) 506-4312
EMAIL: michael.feltner@pepperdine.edu

OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE GOALS

• Understand the mechanical principles governing human motion

• Understand the role of the scientific method in the development of knowledge within biomechanics

• Develop a curiosity and interest in biomechanics, exercise science and and all science.

• Understand the role of muscular, mechanical and other factors in creating human locomotion

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Understand the concepts used to describe the linear and angular motion (kinematics) of the human body.

• Understand the causal mechanisms (kinetics) used to create the linear and angular motions of the human body.

• Demonstrate the ability to apply the concepts stated and implied in #1 and #2 in novel situations.

• Understand the principles governing the mechanics of deformable bodies.

• Apply the scientific method to the solution of a novel biomechanical research question.

Research Methods/Presentation Skills Requirement

SPME 430 serves in partial fulfillment of the Research Methods/Presentation Skills requirement of the Pepperdine University General Education program.  Specifically, SPME 430 will fulfill the research methods component of the Research Methods/Presentation Skills requirement.  (SPME 360, Physiology of Exercise, will fulfill the presentation skills component of the Research Methods/Presentation Skills requirement). 

SPME 430 will teach students the research process in biomechanics through a semester length collaborative and independent research project that will be conducted in the laboratory section of the course.  The project culminates with the preparation of a poster presentation identical to those given at regional and national biomechanics conferences. 

The project serves to fulfill the following objectives.

• Students will become proficient in experimental design as the project question is formalized.
• Students will become proficient in the use of the library and scientific databases.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to read and synthesize biomechanical literature.
• Students will critically evaluate prior scientific investigations in biomechanics.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency with the common procedures of data collection in 3D videography, force plate/ground reaction force measurement, and electromyography.
• Students will apply handwritten and computerized methods of data analysis and reduction in biomechanics.
• Students will interpret their experimental data using descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Students will learn various methods to prepare figures and tables for use in a scientific manuscript.
• Students will demonstrate competency in the language of biomechanics and in written expression of this language through the preparation of a poster presentation describing their experimental study.

Details for each of these objectives will be provided during class and laboratory instruction and via the class web site.

CLASS TIME:

TEXTBOOKS: The following text is required:

SPME 430 - Biomechanics of Human Movement

Selected Readings

In addition, numerous scientific articles and supplemental readings will be used. These items will be available in Payson Library. You also will find your Anatomy (SPME/BIOL 230), Physics (PHYS102), and Kinesiology (SPME 330) textbooks an excellent review source, as well as any mathematics textbooks that you may have (MATH 104 or MATH 210).
 

PREREQUISITES:

1. SPME 330/400 (Functional Anatomy & Kinesiology)
2. PHYS 102 (Basic Physics I) with a grade of C- or better. This will be checked!

3. MATH 210 (Calculus I)

You must have completed these classes BEFORE enrolling in this course.

LECTURE TOPICS:  The lecture topics and readings are found at this link.

LABORATORY TOPICS:  The lab topics are found at this link.  Laboratory handouts may be downloaded from the Lab Handouts menu on the class home page.

CLASS PROJECT:  The class research project is described in detail here.

GRADING: In the semester, you will have two exams and a final examination. Each class builds upon the material covered in the previous class, and thus all exams may be thought of as being comprehensive. In addition to the exams, your grade will be based upon the other sources listed below.

The percentage of each assignment is listed below:

EXAM #1	25 %	or	25%	or	22%	or	22%
EXAM #2	25 %	or	25%	or	22%	or	22%
LAB ASSIGNMENTS	4 %		4%		4%		4%
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS	2 %	or	0 %	or	2%	or	0%
FINAL EXAM	4 %	or	6 %	or	10%	or	12%
PROJECT	40 %		40%		40%		40%
TOTAL	100 %		100%		100%		100%

You have two options regarding how your final grade is computed.

1. Exam Percentages.  You may weight the first two in-class exams at 22% or 25%. If you weight these two exams at 22%, your final exam will be weighted 10-12%, depending on your homework weighting.  If you weight the two in-class exams at 25%,  your final exam will be weighted 4-6%, depending on your homework weighting.   You must inform me of your exam weighting on April 24, 2009.

2. Homework Percentage.  You may choose to complete or ignore the homework assignments.  If you choose to complete the homework assignments, your average homework grade will be be weighted 2% of your total course grade and your final exam weighting will be reduced by 2%.  You must inform me of your exam weighting on April 24, 2009.

Project Components:       

The final grade will be assigned according to the following percentile scores:

I reserve the right to adjust this scale downward at my own discretion. However, at no point during the semester will the scale be increased or made harder. (I have never found it necessary to adjust this scale.)

MAKEUP EXAMS: In order to take a makeup exam, I must be notified prior to the class in which the exam will be administered. At this time, we will work out the necessary details. If this procedure is not followed, you will receive a 0 (ZERO) on the exam. Makeup exams are only granted for unusual circumstances. Exams in other classes, trips home, parties, vacations, etc. are NOT valid reasons for requesting a makeup exam. Notification requires that you a) contact me at in advance of the examination, b) we have a face-to-face discussion of your situation, and c) we agree upon plan for you to complete the makeup examination. An email or voicemail message without a response from me does NOT excuse you from an examination or assignment.

LAB ASSIGNMENTS: Assignments are due at the time announced in the laboratory session. If the assignment is not turned in on time, you will receive a 0 (ZERO) for the assignment. If you can not attend a lab, it is your responsibility to get the assignment and complete the work by the time that it is due.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS: They will not be accepted. This includes the Homework, Lab Assignments and anything related to the Project.

ATTENDANCE: There is no attendance policy. However, unless you have a strong quantitative background and a thorough understanding of Newtonian Mechanics, an absence in this course may be harmful to your grade. Additionally, due to the volume of material, you will find it extremely difficult to recover from even one absence. Therefore, I strongly suggest that you attend every class and laboratory session. If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain the notes and any handouts provided from another student in the class.
 

WITHDRAWAL: The final date to withdraw from the class with a grade of W is 3/11/2009.
The final date to withdraw from the class with a grade of WP or WF is 4/17/2009.

If you withdraw from the class, notify me immediately. You will receive a grade of 0 for all work that is not completed until I am notified that you have dropped the class. Any grades of 0 will be used to compute your class average and to determine you WP/WF status.

INCOMPLETES: They will be issued only in the case of an extreme emergency.

DISABLED STUDENTS:  The Disability Services Office (located in TCC Room 264, x6500) offers a variety of services and accommodations to students with a documented disability (physical, learning, or psychological) needing academic accommodations. In order to initiate services, students should contact the Disability Services Office at the beginning of the semester.  All discussions will remain confidential. If a student does not request accommodation or provide documentation, no accommodations will be provided.

"DEAD WEEK": Dead week prohibits major examinations, papers or presentations during the last week of the semester. However, it does not prohibit introducing new material in lectures or the administering of laboratory examinations.

EXAM REVIEW POLICY: Due to confirmed abuses of my previous policy that allowed students to review and make notes of their prior exams for PERSONAL use, this system has been abolished. Possession or use of a previous students exam notes, assignments or term papers will constitute an ethics violation (see below). As a result, course examinations will NOT be returned to the student and you may NOT make notes regarding prior exams. Students may review previous exams during office hours, during exam review hours held by the Teaching Assistant, or at other specially announced times. Extra exam review times will NOT be added prior to the final examination. Thus you should adopt a practice of reviewing your exams immediately after they are graded. I cannot guarantee that you will have access to your exams if you wait until the end of the semester to review them.

When you review a previously completed exam, you may NOT take notes or use any type of device to record or document the exam material. Violation of this rule will constitute an ethics violation on the exam.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

ETHICS VIOLATIONS: Hopefully they will not occur. If they do, you will fail the class.

What constitutes an ethics violation?

Cheating on an examination.
Plagiarism of material to complete an assignment.
Possession or use of a previous student's exam(s), exam notes, assignments or term paper.
Taking notes, recording or documenting any material on a course examination.
Any attempt to record and/or transmit exam material and that violates the integrity of the exam for use in future courses.
Violations are described in the Seaver College Code of Academic Integrity contained within the Seaver College Student Handbook.

We expect all students to know, understand, adhere to and enforce the Seaver College Code of Academic Ethics. If you cannot abide by the policies stated in the code, you should be elsewhere.

EXTRA CREDIT: There is none. No exceptions.

Response to the Christian Mission of Pepperdine University:  Pepperdine University affirms that, "... that truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, must be pursued relentlessly in every discipline ...".  In this course, we seek to relentlessly seek the scientific truth and understanding of the causal factors of human motion.  Is this pursuit of truth and understanding a Christian pursuit?  Clearly it is not, as individuals of all faiths and religious beliefs undertake inquiry in biomechanics.  Is this pursuit of truth and understanding inconsistent with the Christian mission of Pepperdine and Christian faith?  Clearly it is not, as biomechanics and the scientific method forces us to think critically, to make judgments and to conduct all inquiry using the highest ethical principles.  Ethical behavior and critical thinking are equally important for Christians and non-Christians alike and the biblical teachings of Christianity provide a solid construct for ethical decision-making.  As we conduct the project in this course, I encourage you to reflect on the number of "subjective" decisions you make and the ethical principles that guided these decisions.  Feel free to discuss these issues with me as they arise.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings" (Proverbs 25:2).  As we seek to learn a small portion of the fantastic and intricate function of the human body through the study of biomechanics, we participate in a royal undertaking.  

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES: All students are responsible for downloading and reviewing the Natural Science Division Emergency Procedures.

REGULATORY NOTICE: Warning: Natural Science's laboratories contain and certain class experiments or procedures will expose you to chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and other reproductive harm at levels which require a warning. For more information, contact your instructor or the Office of Regulatory Affairs at extension 4702.