Exercise Science Practicum 1 (12137.1)

Required texts

There are no recommended texts for this unit. The unit Canvas site and tutorials will be used to direct students towards useful resources as required.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Students must achieve a pass mark for all assessment items to pass Exercise Science Practicum 1 (12137). As all assessments are a pass/fail grade, no late submissions will be accepted unless prior approval has been granted by the unit convener and practicum coordinator.

Placement Progression Meetings

Students will be required to attend at least one meeting during semester with the Placement Coordinator to discuss their progress through the exercise science practicum. Bookings can be made via email directly with the Placement Coordinator (Caitlin Waser caitlin.waser@canberra.edu.au).

Placement sites may also implement their own evaluation process or competency requirements outside of those required for this unit. If this is the case, students should be made aware of the organisations requirements prior to the placement commencing. If the student feels that the placement site's requirements are unreasonable, they are to speak with the Placement Coordinator.

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.

Inclusion and engagement

Students registered with InclusionUC will require an additional reasonable adjustment plan for placement specific tasks. Please contact InclusionUC to complete this process. 

Participation requirements

All students must complete a minimum of 140 hours of exercise science practicum throughout Exercise Science Practicum 1 (12137). More information on the placement requirements for this unit can be found in the 'ESSA Practicum Standards', available on Canvas.

Required IT skills

It is expected that students will possess UC IT entry skills. 

In-unit costs

Students will be responsible for any costs incurred during their placement (e.g. travel costs, pre-placement requirements, name tag, polo shirt). Some placement sites may have specific requirements that will incur extra costs. 

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit involves industry placement and therefore, additional student responsibilities are required in addition to those described in this section.

Work-place learning requires strict adherence to professional practice principles and ethics. Client or patient confidentiality must always be maintained, including for assessment items. The professional nature of this unit encourages participation at all learning activities for the best chance of successfully completing this unit. Contact with a relevant industry body may be necessary to gain experience in the industry. Therefore, it is important that each student attends all appointments and meetings with their chosen organisation so they fully understand and are in agreement with the organisation's supervisor as to the aim and scope of the research and/or placement responsibilities. This unit is also essential in assisting you with establishing a network in the industry and in identifying future employment opportunities.

Students may be required to seek and source their own internship for the unit. Prior to commencing the internship, students must complete all pre-placement requirements as required by the university and their placement site/s. As a minimum, the pre-placement requirements will include a Working with Vulnerable People Check (WWVP), a certified copy of a National Police Check, and a current First Aid and CPR certification, which are all to be held for the duration of your placement. Students will be required to cover the costs associated with completing these requirements. In addition, during the course of this unit students undertaking any form of clinical placements will be required to complete immunisations, tuberculosis (TB) screening, and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations. More information on these requirements are available through the UC Placement Office. Students will be required to submit a placement learning agreement to Inplace, keep a detailed log of activities using the Smartabase platform, and demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription and delivery in accordance with the Exercise Science Practicum requirements.

Additional information

Additional placement information

Before commencing any placement, students MUST have completed the following pre-placement requirements, and documentation must be uploaded to Inplace:

• A certified copy of a National Police Check
• Working with Vulnerable People Check (WWVP)
• Current First Aid & CPR certification
• Completed 'Placement Learning Agreement' form
• Immunisations (in a clinical setting)

Once these documents have been uploaded to inplace, the placement coordinator will then approve the placement. Only after students have received an email confirming their placement has been approved should they commence. Any hours completed prior to approval will not count towards the requirements for this unit.

Each student will have access to the 'ESSA Practicum Guide' which outlines the placement requirements and acceptable activities to complete hours for the purpose of the Exercise Science Practicum. This document should be the first point of reference for students seeking information relating to the placement requirements of this unit. Additional documentation (i.e. Record of Student Engagement Form, Competency Checklist) will be available on Canvas. These documents must be completed and submitted to Smartabase within one month of completing placement. Placement sites may also implement their own evaluation process or competency checklist outside of those required for this unit. If this is the case, students should be made aware of the organisations requirements prior to the placement commencing. If the student feels that the placement site's requirements are unreasonable, they are to speak with the placement coordinator.

Students are required to maintain attendance in line with the schedule set out in the 'placement learning agreement'. Additional attendance may be requested by the placement site and must be agreed upon by both the site supervisor and the student before commencing. Any permanent changes to the hours outlined in the learning agreement must be reported to the placement coordinator. Full attendance, in line with the attendance schedule outlined in the placement learning agreement, is necessary to fulfil the placement. Any planned absence from the placement should be discussed with the placement site supervisor at least two (2) weeks prior to the planned absence.

If a student is absent from placement due to illness, they must inform their site supervisor as soon as possible. Any absence due to illness in excess of two days, must be reported to the placement coordinator and placement site supervisor by the student, and supported by a medical certificate. Time lost during the placement must be made up to ensure total hours and competencies are satisfied. This will be at the discretion of the placement coordinator.

Email and messaging protocols

Where possible, students with general questions about unit content and assessments should use the discussion forums within Canvas. Posts on the discussion forums should expect a reply or confirmation from the unit convener within two business days. Please do not use Canvas discussion forums to ask for assignment extensions, post about your personal circumstances, or seek feedback on your performance in this unit. If students would like to discuss these matters, they are to contact the unit convener directly via email. If students do need to send an email: The email must be sent from a student email account. Correspondence from personal email addresses will not be responded to and will be deleted.

• The subject line must include the unit code and the context of your message eg. '12137: Assessment 1 Submission'
• Address the lecturer/unit convener appropriately by name.
• State your question or request clearly and concisely.
• Sign off with your name. Emails not conforming with these conventions will not receive a reply.

If students choose to send an email, they can expect a reply within two business days.

• Semester 1, 2025, Placement, UC - Canberra, Bruce (228847)