Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Education PG (10325.2)

Please note these are the 2024 details for this unit
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Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Education PG
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
Intensive
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Education
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Academic Program Area - Education Post Graduate Level Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit explores positive psychology and wellbeing education for the enhancement of both student and staff wellbeing. We look at the larger context of teacher burnout and the high rates of mental health issues and suicide ideation in students. Wellbeing school initiatives, such as positive education, values education, and various mental health programs, are investigated with a view of developing a personal philosophy and pedagogy based upon evidence-based best practice.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to identify and demonstrate understandings of:
1. Cultural and contextual issues impacting on student and staff wellbeing in educational settings;
2. Pedagogy and curriculum development for promoting student and staff resilience and wellbeing;
3. Remedial principles and practices for dealing with compromised student and staff resilience and wellbeing; and
4. Applying the above as whole-school programs and to educational settings in general.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
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 - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

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 On-campus Dr Thomas Nielsen
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Intensive Dr Thomas Nielsen
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Dr Thomas Nielsen
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Intensive Dr Thomas Nielsen
Not available

Required texts

There is no required textbook for this unit. All readings will be made available online. Some examples of required readings are listed below (please see the Canvas site Reading List for the entire list):

Carr, Alan ; Cullen, Katie ; Keeney, Cora ; Canning, Ciaran ; Mooney, Olwyn ; Chinseallaigh, Ellen ; O'Dowd, Annie (2021) Effectiveness of positive psychology interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The journal of positive psychology. Volume: 16, Issue: 6.

 Nielsen, T. W. & Ma, J. S. (2018) Connecting Social and Natural Ecologies Through a Curriculum of Giving for Student Wellbeing and Engagement. Australian Journal of Environmental Education. Volume: 34, Issue: 3.

Zakszeski, Brittany ; Rutherford, Laura (2021) Mind the Gap: A Systematic Review of Research on Restorative Practices in Schools. School psychology review. Volume: 50, Issue: 2-3.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Approval of extenuating circumstances will be dependent upon the production of supporting documentation and at the discretion of the unit convener.

All assessment items required to be submitted online must be submitted via the appropriate Canvas drop box. It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, or if no submission has been made by the due date and time, a standard late penalty of 10% of the total marks possible for the task may be applied per day, for three days, after which the submission will receive a score of ‘0' in keeping with UC's Assessment Policy.

Special assessment requirements

Requirement percentage for passing unit

Normally an aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the unit.

Information regarding use of AI

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 its use for that assessment;
  2. The student uses it in the way that the assessment instructions allow for;
  3. The student fully acknowledges its use, with appropriate citations and references. Each referencing guide provided by the Library provides advice on how to appropriately reference the use of GenAI in-text.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not allowed for that assessment. If students are unsure, they should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

Students should be aware that the University of Canberra utilises GenAI detection software. Suspected instances of unauthorised GenAI use may lead to a ‘Learning Validation Conversation' designed to provide assurance that a student is able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills to meet required learning outcomes. Students who are suspected of having misused GenAI in assessment may be required to attend a summary inquiry for suspected misconduct. 

It is strongly recommended that students keep records of the development process for all works submitted for assessment, or drafts of work submitted for a work-in-progress review, in a learning portfolio of equivalent. Failure to provide evidence of the development process for assessment may influence a suspicion of GenAI misuse or other forms of academic misconduct. 

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

Provision of valid documentation and use of text-matching software.

1.Please note that the University takes student conduct very seriously. All documentation provided to University staff must be valid and the provision of fraudulent documentation carries with it potentially serious consequences, including suspension and/or exclusion from the University. Note that all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the Associate Dean for Education (ADE) as a prescribed authority for investigation.

2. Note that the University supported text matching software is Turnitin, which is now available for this unit via Canvas. For further information, please see the description of how to use the Turnitin tool in the UCLearn (Canvas) Staff Support site.

3. The use of Turnitin is the default position of the University. Should a reason be put forward for deviation from this position, please discuss with ADE.

4. Students should be aware that submission of fraudulent documentation will have potential serious consequences including suspension and/or exclusion from the University and all allegations of student misconduct will be referred to the ADE for investigation as a prescribed authority.

5. Please also be aware that the text match percentage and associated 'traffic light' colour code that the checker produces is only indicative of whether academic misconduct (e.g. plagiarism) has occurred. Turnitin is not a 'plagiarism checker', but a means of matching the text in an assignment submission to other student assignments, journal articles and websites. A 'red' text-match score of 50% or above does not automatically mean that academic misconduct has occurred, as the matches may be correctly cited and referenced quotations that constitute a legitimate element of an assignment submission. Similarly, a 'green' text match of 10% or lower does not automatically mean that no academic misconduct has occured, only that a low percentage of an assignment submission has been matched to pre-existing sources. It is possible that, within a low or 'green' text match score, text has still been plagiarised and may constitute evidence of academic misconduct. Unit conveners may report a suspected case of academic misconduct to the Associate Dean Education, regardless of the text match score identified by Turnitin.

 

 

 

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

The workload requirements for this unit consist of a lecture (1 hour) and a workshop (2 hours) per week (equating to approximately 30 hours). The planning of the remaining 120 hours, making up the 150 hours for the semester, is the responsibility of each student, and should be divided between the reading of assigned papers and unit materials (e.g., approximately 30 hours), and working on assignment tasks (e.g., approximately 90 hours).

Participation requirements

Activity in the face-to-face classes is required in order to demonstrate the achievement of understanding related to the learning outcomes in this unit (see section 2a).

Required IT skills

University of Canberra Entry level IT skills is sufficient.

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None.

Additional information

Drawing on multi-disciplinary empirical evidence and research traditions, the theoretical foundations of this unit is based on Dr. Thomas Nielsen's research on identifying evidence-based principles and strategies from a wide variaty of values and wellbeing education initiatives across cultures and belief systems (see e.g. https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/publications/reviewing-values-and-wellbeing-education-pedagogical-compass-or-f )