Module manager: Matthew Cotterill
Email: m.cotterill@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
See Programme Entry requirements
This module is not approved as an Elective
This online module provides an in-depth exploration of the practices, roles, and responsibilities in an assisted fertility clinic, focusing on essential laboratory techniques such as fertilisation, embryo culture, and quality assessment. Students will also investigate microbiology considerations, laboratory management, and the legal, ethical, and controversial topics that underpin these technologies.
Objectives:
1. Embryo Culture and Selection Techniques: The module aims to equip you with the ability to understand and critically evaluate techniques that are used for culturing healthy embryos and to make decisions on their suitability for clinical use.
2. Quality Management: The module aims to impart an understanding of quality management systems, emphasising their critical role in IVF laboratories.
3. Infection Control and Risk Management: You will acquire knowledge of infection control measures and will be skilled in evaluating potential risks within the IVF laboratory.
4. Ethics and Regulations in Embryology: You will be able to assess the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) act and code of practice in relation to the duties of an embryologist and discuss the wider ethical issues of infertility treatment.
5. Oocyte Quality: You will gain an understanding of the biology and clinical considerations of why oocyte quality must be optimal to achieve the best clinical outcomes.
Teaching Methods and Learning Activities
Teaching: You will access the online learning material for this module in addition to other university resources using Minerva which is the University’s portal and virtual learning environment. This module will be delivered via a combination of online module materials that you will work through, including interactive learning material, online media, self-test questions and other forms of interactive online content relevant to the module learning objectives. Your learning journey on this module is supported by the module manager in addition to other module tutors with whom you will interact with during a series of synchronous online sessions. You will also engage with asynchronous formative learning tasks within the module material that can be performed at a time that suits you.
How It Achieves the Objective: The online resources offer multiple avenues for in-depth explanation and demonstration and will provide a foundational understanding of key concepts and techniques for the module objectives, allowing you to study in an engaging way. Students are expected to engage in self-directed learning by utilising online materials to build their knowledge.
Synchronous online sessions offer a time for real-time interactions with the module tutors and also with your fellow students. These sessions are used to consolidate learning, answer questions, identify matters for immediate clarification or discuss specific points in detail, reinforcing your learning with activity-based approaches.
Asynchronous tasks drive engagement via formative tasks that can be performed at a time that is suitable for you.
During self-directed independent study time you will engage in wider reading in preparation for summative assessments (OSCEs) and undertake preparation for assessed course work assignments.
UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE MODULE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
1. Embryo Culture and Selection Techniques: Understand and evaluate embryo culture methods for heathy embryo development for their clinical suitability for assisted reproduction.
2. Quality Management: Develop understanding of quality management systems and protocols to ensure effective and compliant practices in IVF laboratories.
3. Infection Control and Risk Management: Identify and mitigate infection risks while implementing and improving risk management strategies in IVF laboratory settings.
4. Ethics and Regulations in Embryology: Evaluate HFEA guidelines and ethical frameworks to ensure responsible and compliant embryology practices.
UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE MODULE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
1. Academic Skills: Understand and evaluate techniques in embryo culture, quality management, and infection control for evidence-based reasoning to inform clinical and laboratory decisions.
2. Work-Ready Skills: Effectively communicate complex scientific concepts in oral presentations, manage tasks to meet deadlines, and demonstrate independent learning by reflecting on personal progress and addressing knowledge gaps.
3. Technical Skills: Implement quality management systems in laboratory settings, ensuring compliance with established standards and protocols to maintain operational excellence.
4. Enterprise Skills: Evaluate ethically sound, evidence-based decisions in clinical embryology, with a focus on embryo selection, culture, and laboratory quality management.
This module examines the essential practices, roles, and responsibilities within an assisted fertility clinic, focusing on laboratory techniques such as fertilisation, embryo culture, and quality assessment. Students will explore the implementation of quality management systems and infection control protocols to maintain compliance and mitigate risks in the IVF laboratory. Additionally, the module investigates the microbiological aspects of laboratory practices and addresses key legal, ethical, and regulatory considerations, with an emphasis on the HFEA guidelines and ethical decision-making in embryology.
Teaching is delivered online and via resources available via Minerva. Formative assessments, including MCQs and FOSCE sessions, will enable students to consolidate their understanding, preparing them for the summative OSCE assessment.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-line Learning | 10 | 3.5 | 35 |
| Drop-in Session | 2 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Seminar | 2 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Independent online learning hours | 59 | ||
| Private study hours | 50 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 41 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Formative Feedback Opportunities
A variety of formative feedback methods will be used to support your learning throughout the module providing you with continuous insights into your progress and helping to identify any areas for improvement. Each student is assigned an academic personal tutor, who in conjunction with the module manager will review progress on completed tasks in the online module material, the synchronous tasks, asynchronous tasks in order to identify cases where additional support is required.
1. Formative tasks in online module material: Formative assessment is included on the module via in-built questions, such as short answer questions (SAQs) or multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that are built into the online module material. These are a way of assessing your progress and development on the module. Formative MCQs and SAQs and other question types support the development of your understanding of the wider module content and are used for scaffolding your development towards the summative assessments, the Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCEs), by driving learning across the breadth of the module.
2. Formative tasks and feedback in asynchronous activities: These include interaction with Minerva tools such as asynchronous discussion board tasks, debates, blogs, and forms of questioning and quizzes, which will be used to drive learning in specific areas of the module and to drive engagement with the online learning material. During these asynchronous tasks, your contributions will be reviewed by module tutors who will provide comments, ideas and feedback to help drive learning. Your module tutors will use these asynchronous tasks to assess your comprehension, identify learning needs, and track academic progress during the progression of the module. Collectively, these tasks provide formative support and development towards the summative OSCEs.
3. Formative tasks and feedback in synchronous (live, online) sessions: Formative assessment and feedback is also included during synchronous online live sessions to cover the subjects within the module objectives. These sessions will be delivered via real-time communication software applications. In these tutor-led sessions, you will analyse and discuss various scenarios and questions related to the module content, and undertake formative tasks, providing an opportunity to assess and deepen your understanding via structured online discussions. Students will be encouraged to raise questions and participate in interactive discussions on the module content. Your contributions to online discussions will be noted for the purpose of encouraging regular engagement with the module material. These sessions provide formative support by consolidating academic skills in preparation for the summative online OSCEs.
4. Formative online OSCE (FOSCE) training: An online Formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (FOSCE) will assist you in preparation for the summative online OSCE for this module. This formative training session allows you to experience exposure to the online OSCE assessment format and to observe the typical nature of the module material within that assessment format. These sessions and provide a driver for you to revise, practice and refine your knowledge of module content and skills in preparation for the online summative OSCEs.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) | 0.0 Hrs 20 Mins | 100 |
| Mock OSCE | 0.0 Hrs 20 Mins | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 100 | |
A resit online OSCE will be offered for first attempt fails. For passes at the second attempt the module mark will be capped at 50%.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 28/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team