Professional Practice 1 PG (10273.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Professional Practice 1 PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Placement
 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 is a clinical placement unit that builds upon professional practice skills developed during the program. Intermediate clinical skills are developed over the placement. Students apply theoretical and ethical knowledge to assessment, analysis and treatment of adults and children with communication and swallowing disorders. Students will begin to develop an understanding of interprofessional practice.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Use theory and contextual factors, with support to make clinical decisions about client management;
2. Assess and treat clients with simple communication disorders based on the principles of the ICF, theory and evidence-based practice;
3. Demonstrate, with support, the ability to accommodate the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of clients in service delivery;
4. Reflect on, and modify their clinical practice to assist in competency development; and
5. Explain the principles of Interprofessional practice in different service delivery models.


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 - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
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 - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
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

10267 Principles of Dysphagia PG AND 11980 Speech Disorders Across the Life Span AND 11981 Paediatric Language and Literacy AND 11982 Aphasia and Cognitive Communication disorders
OR
10267 Principles of Dysphagia PG AND 10269 Speech and Language Disorders - Paediatrics PG AND 10270 Neurogenic Communication Disorders 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 Semester 1 03 February 2025 Placement Ms Paige Marshall
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Placement Ms Paige Marshall
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Placement Ms Paige Marshall
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Placement Ms Paige Marshall
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

All required readings are on the UCLearn Site, including:

Competency Based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathology (Entry Level) (2011). Speech Pathology Australia

Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists in Australia (2020). Speech Pathology Australia

Speech Pathology scope of practice in Australia (2024). Speech Pathology Australia

COMPASS® Competency Assessment in Speech Pathology Assessment Resource Manual (2017). Speech Pathology Australia

Reflection with COMPASS® Reflecting in relation to clinical learning. Speech Pathology Australia

University of Canberra Master of Speech Pathology Clinical Handbook (2024) (H5P link available on Canvas)

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

Students are permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as indicated in the assessment instructions for this unit.

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 Links to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

Late submission of assignments without an approved extension will result in the student having to redo the assignment with another case. 

Special assessment requirements

All must pass assessments (end COMPASS, readiness for placement quiz, case-based clinical report and reflection) must be passed in order to meet competency and pass the unit.

All must-submit assignments (clinical evidence portfolio for placement) must be submitted on time with the required number of annotations to pass the unit.

Students who do not pass a component of a course-work assignment (e.g. clinical report and reflection) and have received an initial mark between 45 and 49% will be provided with one opportunity to resubmit that assignment. Students whose initial mark is 44% or less have failed the assignment. Students will have one week to resubmit the component that they did not pass in their initial attempt. The maximum marks available for a resubmission is 50%. If you fail the resubmission then you will be required to retake the whole unit when next offered.

Supplementary assessment

Students are not allowed a supplementary assessment for this unit based on the University Assessment Procedures. Students will not receive another placement or an additional assessment.

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

Whilst on placement, students will be expected to juggle coursework demands in addition to placement requirements simultaneously. Placements are full-time (4-days a week) unless otherwise arranged with the Clinical Placement Coordinator and Inclusion and Engagement. If you are experiencing difficulties whilst on your placement, please contact the Clinical Placement Coordinator and/or Unit Convener as soon as possible, and do not wait until the end of the placement.

Participation requirements

To be successful in this unit, students are required to:

  • Participate in all clinical placement activities. Students, unless ill, must attend all placement days for the required length of time. If a student is ill, they are required to contact the unit convener and their clinical educator before the start of placement that day, preferably the day before. A medical certificate or supporting documentation for this absence must be provided before the start of the next clinical day.
  • Participate in 80% of all workshops for this unit (7 of the 9 scheduled workshops) in person or online. Workshops are not recorded due to their practical nature. Students are to notify the unit convener before the start of class to advise of their absences and provide supporting evidence as to why they are unable to attend.
  • Participate in discussion threads on UCLearn where activities are created and as instructed.

 

Required IT skills

This unit involves online meetings in real time using the Virtual Room in your UCLearn (Canvas) teaching site. UCLearn 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, go to the Virtual Room in your UCLearn site and 'Join Course Room'. This will trigger a tutorial to help familiarise you with the functionality of the virtual room.

Students who attend through the Virtual Room are strongly encouraged to turn on both their video and audio to participate fully in the workshop activities.

In-unit costs

Students may be required to travel to/from placement or stay in the region of their placement and student are expected to cover any associated travel or accommodation costs for placement.

Students are expected to cover travel costs associated with placement requirements (e.g. attending a home or school visit). Please contact the placement coordinator or unit convenor if you are experiencing difficulties with this whilst on placement.

Students are recommended not to book travel and accommodation that cannot be cancelled, as placements are subject to change at the last minute.

The placement office may be able to discuss accommodation support options with students. 

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves a clinical placement. Students must adhere to University policy during WIL activities, including the Student Conduct Rules 2018, the WIL Policy and WIL Procedure, and the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedure.

This unit has pre-placement requirements (e.g. Working with Vulnerable People registration, immunisation/s). You must complete Pre-Place: Preparation for Work Integrated Learning prior to commencement of your clinical placement. You can self-enrol in this module through the UC Learn site here.

You are also required to complete details in InPlace, refer to inplace.canberra.edu.au. If you have any queries related to InPlace please contact placement@canberra.edu.au.

Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

Client/patient confidentiality must always be maintained (see Clinical Education Handbook ), including for assessment items such as reports or essays. The professional nature of this unit also requires 100% participation at all learning activities (intensives and placement days).  For the successful completion of this unit (also see section 6c) students must complete all the placement assessments and additional assessments. If attendance requirements cannot be satisfied (e.g. timetable clash), it is recommended that you meet with your Unit Convener to schedule this unit for a future semester.

Additional information

Clinical placements will run for 32 days (approximately 8 weeks depending on public holidays), for four-days a week (Mon-Thur). 

Placements for this unit commence in January and run until May. 

Next step

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