Professional Practice 2 PG (10275.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Professional Practice 2 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 on skills developed in the previous clinical placement. Students will have the opportunity to use theory, the ICF, and interpret and analyse evidence-based research to develop holistic client centred assessment and treatment plans. Students will develop approaching entry level clinical skills in assessment and treatment of communication and swallowing disorders and develop a further understanding of interdisciplinary practice.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Assess clients with increasingly complex communication and swallowing disorders using informal and formal tests/tasks, with some supervision, assessments to determine the need for speech pathology services;
2. Interpret assessment results to diagnose and treat clients with a range of communication disorders;
3. Develop holistic and client-centred therapy for children or adults with a variety of communication disorders that are supported by theory and the critical appraisal of research;
4. Apply the ICF to assessment and treatment of clients with a range of communication disorders; and
5. Evaluate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary practice.


Graduate attributes

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
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal 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
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
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
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - communicate and engage with Indigenous Australians in ethical and culturally respectful ways


Prerequisites

10271 Specialist Communication Disorders Across the Lifespan PG AND 10273 Professional Practice 1 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 Placement Ms Paige Marshall
2026 Bruce, Canberra Winter Term 08 June 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

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 Professional Practice Handbook (2025)

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

Late submission of graded assignments without an approved extension will result in a 10% deduction of the total marks available per day late or part thereof.

Special assessment requirements

All must pass assessments (Compass, Ethical Considerations Quiz, and Ethical Dilemma Essay & Reflection) must be passed in order to meet competency and pass the unit.

If you do not pass a component of an assignment, you will be provided with one opportunity to resubmit that assignment.  Students will have one week to resubmit the component that they did not pass in their initial attempt. If you fail the resubmission then you will be required to retake the whole unit when next offered.

Best efforts will be made to offer professional placements that take into consideration a students learning requirements and any adjustments they have in place. Placements are subject to clinical educator availability. You will be provided with an opportunity to decline a placement, however if you choose not to accept the placement your course progression will be delayed until a suitable alternative placement can be found.  

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.

 

Moderation

All assessment tasks are moderated in line with the University of Canberra moderation guidelines.

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/week) unless otherwise arranged with the Professional Practice Convener and Inclusion and Engagement or at the placement site request. If you are experiencing difficulties whilst on your placement, please contact the Professional Practice Convener and/or Unit Convener as soon as possible, and do not wait until the end of placement.

Participation requirements

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

  • Participate in all professional placement activities. Students, unless ill, must attend all placements 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 placement day.
  • Students are required to attend 80% of all the workshops for this unit.  This means that students must attend 3/4 of the workshops, either in person or through the virtual room. Workshops will not be recorded. Students are to notify the unit convener the day before the start of class, or before class if in exceptional circumstances.  Students must 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 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 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 Practice 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

Professional placements will run for 24 days (approximately 6 weeks depending on public holidays), for four-days a week (Mon-Thur). Placements will be provided across regional, rural and metropolitan locations across Australia. Students will be required to attend rural/regional or interstate placements and there is no guarantee that placements will be close to your place of residence. Travel and accommodation costs associated with placements must be met by the student.

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