Professional Practice 1 (Science) (11719.1)

Required texts

There are no required textbooks for this unit.

Recommended readings for each module will be provided on the unit's UCLearn (Canvas) site via the Reading List feature. Students are encouraged to refer, as needed, to resources used in Professional Orientation (Science) or equivalent units. Students are also encouraged to refer to online material accessible on databases relevant to their course (e.g. Pubmed for students studying Medical Science).

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Note regarding de-identified marking

Because of the personal nature of the Professionalism and Employability ePortfolio assessments, and collaborative components of the Collaborative Investigation Design, full anonymity is not possible for these submissions. Students can therefore use their names (instead of ID numbers) within ePortfolio submissions, but are encouraged to blank out any personal contact details they do not wish to disclose. For example, on the CV, a phone number might be included in the form "04XX XXX XXX." or addresses could be redacted. 

Special assessment requirements

In addition to achieving an overall mark of 50% or more:

1. Students must complete and provide proof of completion of the WIL Ready (Internship) modules.
2. Students must attend a minimum of 2 out of 3 of their timetabled workshops in Weeks 5, 6 and 9 to participate in WIL simulation activities. These activities are part of completing the Collaborative Investigation Design assessment. A deferred simulation will be available to students who have eligible, documented extenuating circumstances affecting their ability to engage in the simulation activities. This attendance requirement, or approved deferred activities, is a hurdle requirement that must be met to achieve a passing grade in this unit. 

The unit convenor reserves the right to question students on any of their submitted work for moderation and academic integrity purposes, which may result in an adjustment to the marks awarded for a specific task.

Academic integrity

Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.

To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.

Use of Text-Matching Software

The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.

Learner engagement

The contact hours for each student in this unit consist of 36 hours of workshops (11 x 3 hrs + 3 hrs spent viewing and undertaking activities associated with the pre-recorded lecture in Week 11, due to the public holiday). The remaining hours of expected workload should be distributed across the various assessment tasks and independent or group study. Please note that Collaborative Investigation Design will require defined groups to work together, either in person or online, outside of the timetabled workshop hours.

The estimated times on assessment tasks are 82 hours in order to navigate the expectations of assessments that are built on in this unit. 

This leaves a further 32 hours of independent study time (2.5 hours each week). To make the most of this unit, this time is expected to be spent on tasks such as: 

• Preparing for workshops
• Completing your PP1 goal (P&E ePortfolio tasks)
• Seeking assistance from library services or attending consultation sessions
• Attending optional UC professional development workshops
• Liaising with Teaching Team when needed (e.g. to ask questions, advise on how teams are progressing)
• Reflecting on workshops and taking notes to personalise learning experience and preserve PP1 learning materials
• Researching internships and research project options for PP2
• Consulting with UC Careers on improving employability skills and documents
• Chatting to colleagues in the unit to help one another make the most of the experience

Participation requirements

It is expected that all students will attend all their allocated weekly workshops. Workshops are delivered in an interactive style, and contain important information regarding assessmets. Announcements made in timetabled workshops are deemed to be made to the whole group.

There is a Special Assessment Requirement (hurdle requirement) for attending 2 out of 3 of the workshops in Weeks 5, 6 and 9, in order to engage with workplace simulation activities. See Special Assessment Requiremens (above) for details. 

If unable to attend a workshop, students can request to attend the other workshop by emailing PP1.Science@canberra.edu.au to check if there is availability. If missing a workshop due to an unforeseen absence, students are encouraged to supply supporting documentation (similar to an extension request) to Grace.Constable@canberra.edu.au to arrange a consultation time or link to a recording to catch up on what was covered. 

Required IT skills

Students should be familiar with searching for relevant peer-reviewed articles via electronic means (databases, search engines, library catalogues); the use of UCLearn (Canvas); and the use of spreadsheet and word processing software. Skills in introductory data analysis and representation (such as those obtained in Data Analysis Skills for Science (11723)) are beneficial. 

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves work integrated learning.

Additional information

Unforeseen circumstances  beyond the unit convenor's control could result in changes in the mode of delivery of workshops and/or assessments. Students will be advised if this occurs and appropriate alternatives will be arranged.

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