Principles of Dysphagia PG (10267.1)

Please note these are the 2025 details for this unit
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Principles of Dysphagia PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Intensive
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Speech Pathology Post Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit provides the theoretical knowledge underpinning assessment and management of swallowing disorders across the lifespan. Students will gain an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the normal swallow and the etiological factors associated with swallowing disorders. The unit prepares students to conduct clinical assessment and select appropriate evidence-based approaches to management.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Describe normal and disordered swallowing across the lifespan;
2. Understand the associated etiological factors related to swallowing disorders;
3. Select appropriate informal and formal assessments for infants, children and adults;
4. Analyse and interpret assessment results, and identify referral requirements;
5. Apply evidence-based practice and ICF principles in planning and developing treatment and management plans for individuals with swallowing disorders across the lifespan; and
6. Discuss long-term outcomes and set goals for intervention in conjunction with the client's desired outcomes, their cultural expectation, the interdisciplinary team and the client's health literacy.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - apply their knowledge to working with Indigenous Australians in socially just ways


Prerequisites

10266 Foundations of Communication Science PG

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Winter Term 26 May 2025 Intensive Dr Jacqui McKechnie
2026 Bruce, Canberra Winter Term 08 June 2026 Intensive Dr Jacqui McKechnie
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Recommended Textbooks:

Groher, M.E. & Crary, M. A (2016) Dysphagia: Clinical Management in Adults and Children (2nd Edition). St Louis Missouri:  Elsevier

Cichero, J. A., & Murdoch, B. E. (Eds.) (2006) Dysphagia: Foundation, Theory and Practice. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons

Both textbooks will be available electronically in the Reading List on CANVAS. 

Additional relevant readings and resources will be available for each CANVAS Module. 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit, except for Studiosity Writing Feedback Plus.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

  1. the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
  2. the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
  3. the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

The GenAI for Students Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Moderation: Assessments will be moderated in accordance with the Faculty of Health Moderation Guidelines before they are returned to the students.

Special assessment requirements

To pass this unit students must obtain an overall mark of 50% for the unit and have passed the case study assessment.  

Students who do not pass their first submission of the case study assignment and receive a mark 45 - 49%  will have one opportunity to resubmit the assignment. Students who pass their resubmission will receive a pass mark (50%) as their final mark for the assessment. Students who do not pass their resubmission and those who who receive an initial mark < 45% will be required to retake the unit when next offered. 

Supplementary assessment

Students are not entitled to a supplementary assessment for any of the assignments in this unit.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

This unit involves pre-recorded lectures as well as real-time tutorials/workshops. The content of the lectures and the tutorials will NOT overlap. Students are strongly advised to have engaged with the pre-recorded lectures and any pre-reading or pre-workshop learning tasks before attending the weekly workshop.

Participation requirements

Students are required to attend the intensives (Week 14 Semester 1 & Week 1 Semester 2) in person, unless there are extenuating circumstances and they have notified the unit convenor prior.

Students are expected to attend at least 80% of the workshops for this unit, either in person or online (6 of the 7).

Required IT skills

This unit involves online meetings in real time using the Blackboard Collaborate tool. Blackboard Collaborate provides a virtual classroom or meeting room where you can communicate in real time with your lecturer and other students. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, please visit the LearnOnline Student Help and click on the link to Blackboard Collaborate.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

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