Professional Practice 1 PG (10273.2)

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

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 (2023)

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Artificial intelligence

• Restricted - The use of GenAI is NOT allowed in completing any of the assessments in this unit. More detailed information can be found at GenAI and Assessment at UC

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

Special assessment requirements

All must pass assessments (end COMPASS, readiness for placement quiz, portfolio) must be passed in order to meet competency and pass the unit.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment

Refer to the Assessment Policy and Assessment Procedures

Students are not eligible for 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 Professional Practice Convener and Inclusion and Engagement. If you are experiencing difficulties whilst on your placement, please contact the Pofessional Practice Convener 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:

• Attend 100% of the intensive days.
• 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  in person or online. Workshops are not recorded due to their practical nature. Students are to notify the unit convener and lecturer before they 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 professional practice 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 Professional Practice 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). Hwever, accommodaton has been made to this iteration of the unit. Given student circumstancs placements will be 24 days.

Placements for this unit commence in June and may run until November.

• Semester 1, 2026, Placement, UC - Canberra, Bruce (234537)