INTRODUCTION TO BIOMECHANICS - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module is designed to introduce the basic principles of biomechanics. The module aims to help students understand how biomechanical principles seen in human movement link to ‘real-world’ sporting and clinical scenarios. 

Students will enter the module with an understanding of basic anatomy and how to describe human movement (gained from BMS1042 ‘Anatomy and Kinesiology’). The module will provide the knowledge of how this anatomy causes and affects motion (Kinetics) and how the corresponding movement can then be quantitatively described (Kinematics). 

Assessments in this module are designed to give students the opportunity to test the learnt theory in a practical manner, analyse the data produced and write up the findings in a scientific report  (building on skills previously gained from BMS1053 ‘Skill Acquisition & Research Methods’). 

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

SENINGTON Billy (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes: 

 

Practical:  

• 2D video analysis of human movement 

• Kinematic and Kinetic data collection of running 

• Force plate analysis of jumping 

• Measurement and estimation of centre of mass 

 

Theoretical: 

• Fundamental concepts in mechanics. 

• Calculation of the human body’s centre of mass position using anthropometric tables. 

• Kinematics of linear motion. 

• Position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration. 

• Free fall and ballistic projectile motion. 

• Newton’s laws of mechanics. 

• Ground reaction force in walking and running. 

• Analysis of the centre of mass motion in walking, running, and jumping. 

• Impulse and Momentum; Work, Energy, and Power. 

• Kinetic, Potential and Elastic energy of the human body. 

• Energy fluctuation during walking and running. 

• Experimental methods for the analysis of kinematics and kinetics of human motion. 

• Camera-based motion tracking, force plates and their applications for the analysis of walking, running, and jumping. 

• Moment of force and equilibrium of material objects. 

• Experimental measurement of the centre of gravity position using the reaction board method. 

• Joint moments, joint reaction forces, and muscle forces in equilibrium 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment for 'Running Biomechanics Practical Lab Report’ is a 'Report' (students will be provided with practical data to evaluate and discuss as a new report)

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the course content and practical capabilities. Students will have an opportunity to collect and analyse data, using a variety of biomechanical tools, and formulate lab reports to answer specific performance or injury-based research questions. 

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of: 

Running Biomechanics Practical Lab Report – 60% of module mark 

Force Plates and Jumping Theoretical Lab Report – 40% of module mark 

Both assessments test Learning Outcomes 1-4 

 

Formative assessment: 

Students have an opportunity to attend coursework feedback sessions giving verbal formative feedback on their work both before they hand in their work and after they have received their marks back. 

Written feedback is also provided on their work when they receive their marks. 

Module aims

• An understanding the core concepts of mechanics such as mass, force, velocity, acceleration, work, energy, and power.
• The skills needed to apply the fundamental laws of mechanics such as Newton's laws and conservation of energy to perform quantitative analysis of human body motion and equilibrium.
• The ability to practically apply the underpinning theoretical concepts to design experiments and analyse experimental data related to physical activity

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: 

Provide students with a variety of methods to learn the underlying theoretical concepts and their practical applications. Students will have a range of on-demand recorded content that will further their understanding of the concepts taught face to face. Each on-demand topic will support lecture, tutorial or practical sessions as either pre- or post-session support, allowing students to learn and explore ideas at their own pace. The theoretical and conceptual knowledge will be integrated into practical classes that are designed to deepen their understanding of the topic and to provide students with the practical and professional skills required to work in a sports and clinical biomechanical setting. Weekly tutorials will be scheduled to place the theoretical knowledge in a practical perspective and to allow students face-to-face supervision to work through overarching research and study skills that may provide barriers to discipline-specific learning. 

 

Throughout the module SurreyLearn will extensively be used to inform students and disseminate specific content such as lecture hand-outs and recordings, useful links and additional literature. SurreyLearn will also be used for communication between academics and students to effectively answer questions that are of relevance to all students. The learning and teaching methods include:  

Lectures 

Practical sessions 

Discussion-based tutorials 

Coursework guidance and feedback sessions 

On-demand content to support face-to-face learning 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS1046

Other information

Resourcefulness & resilience: The nature of the lab report assessments in this module are very open-ended (as would be the case post-graduation). Many students struggle with this wide scope. However, this naturally facilitates a resourceful mindset needed to draw upon a variety of sources of information, synthesise a specific and appropriate research question and develop a strategy to analyse and discuss the results in a targeted fashion to answer their question. 

Digital Capabilities: Students are supported with on-demand digital content that include 'follow along' data processing videos. Throughout the module the students are provided with multiple opportunities to work with specialist hardware and software, as well as improving skills in more universal programs such as dealing with big data sets in Excel and specialist formatting and additional features in word processing programs. 

Employability: The module provides underpinning knowledge and practical skills needed within the field of biomechanics and sport and exercise science. Many of these core proficiencies are directly transferable to workplaces outside of sport and exercise sciences discipline. Students are provided with opportunities to collaboratively and individually work on research projects within the module. 

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.