Exercise Sciences 663

Instructor

Matt SeeleyClassroom Location: 204 RB & 124 RB (Biomechanics Laboratory)
Office Location: 120F Richards Building
Office Phone: 801.422.4970
Email: matthewkseeley@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm

Course Description & Purpose

This course is designed to help students learn how to collect, analyze, interpret, and present certain kinds of biomechanical data: (1) surface electromyography, (2) ground reaction force, and (3) joint kinetic data. While learning how to use some of the instruments in the biomechanics lab, students will become better prepared to make biomechanical measurements and better understand the forces and motions involved in human movement. Students will learn how to perform some calculations related to the analysis of collected data. Students will understand precisely what data are collected and the physical phenomena those data represent.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will:

• Understand general concepts that are related to collection and analysis of some biomechanical data. These concepts include: analog to digital conversion, sampling rate, frequency analysis, signal noise and filters, and some other signal processing techniques and issues.
• Understand how to collect and analyze electromyography data, to better understand neuromuscular activity during human motion.
• Understand how to use force platforms to better understand forces that are involved during human motion.
• Know how to combine motion analysis and force platform data, and perform inverse dynamics calculations to more fully understand the mechanics of human motion.

Assessment Breakdown

Projects

You will complete four small projects during the term. Each of these projects are designed to help you accomplish the course learning outcomes. Project 1 will be an individual assignment, while Projects 2-4 will be completed in groups. Project 1 will consist of some mathematical calculations and presentations of collected data. Projects 2 (EMG), 3 (force platform), and 4 (joint kinematics and kinetics) will describe small research projects that have attempted to answer research questions of your choosing. You will be required to describe Projects 2 and 3 in the format of an abstract that could be submitted for presentation at the American Society of Biomechanics Annual Meeting (sample abstracts). A rubric describing how these abstracts will be graded can be found here: abstract rubric. For Project 4, you will present the data collected for Project 4 in the way that you would do at the aforementioned professional meeting. Here is a sample presentation.

Scientific Writing Tips

Exams

A comprehensive exam will be given on Thursday, June 18, from 3:00 to 4:50 pm. Plan now to take the exam at this time.

Tentative Course Schedule

Tentative Course Calendar

Other Policies

Academic Honesty:

The first injunction of the BYU Honor Code is the call to “be honest.” Students come to the university not only to improve their minds, gain knowledge, and develop skills that will assist them in their life’s work, but also to build character. President David O. McKay taught that “character is the highest aim of education” (The Aims of a BYU Education, p. 6). It is the purpose of the BYU Academic Honesty Policy to assist in fulfilling that aim. BYU students should seek to be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

PREVENTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT:

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs, admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. BYU’s policy against sexual harassment extends not only to employees of the university, but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895 or 367-5689 (24-hours); or contact the Honor Code Office at 422-2847.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere, which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability which may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC) Office (422-2767). Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified, documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with the student and instructor by the UAC Office. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Equal Employment Office at 422-5895, D-285 ASB.

DIVERSITY:

A classroom is similar to the workplace. In the workplace, it is illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or age. Furthermore, we believe Christ would never belittle anyone based on their race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or age. Therefore, we feel strongly that no one in a classroom should be belittled for any reason. If you experience such an offense in any class in this Department (caused either by the instructor or a fellow student), we strongly encourage you to contact the Department Chair.

DRESS AND GROOMING:

“The dress and grooming of both men and women should always be modest, neat, and clean consistent with the dignity adherent to representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and any of its institutions of higher education.” Students understand and have committed to obey this policy, thus instructors or other students should never be placed in the uncomfortable situation of having to remind someone of adhering to the sacred honor they have pledged.