CQUniversity Unit Profile

ECHO13008 Advanced Cardiac Assessment Skills

Advanced Cardiac Assessment Skills

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All details in this unit profile for ECHO13008 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.

General Information

Overview

In this unit you will compare and contrast the methodology and outcomes of several advanced echocardiographic and cardiac catheterisation procedures and alternative cardiac testing modalities including MRI, CT and Nuclear medicine. You will apply this knowledge to a variety of common cardiovascular pathologies frequently first assessed with echocardiography, within the setting of best practice and patient safety. You will evaluate a variety of cardiac assessment data, formulating differential diagnoses and management strategies.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate

Unit Level: Level 3

Credit Points: 6

Student Contribution Band: 8

Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite ECHO12004 Cardiac Assessment Skills 1 OR ECHO12007 Cardiac Rhythm Assessment AND ECHO12003 Principles of Cardiac Assessment OR ECHO12008 Doppler Echocardiography AND ECHO12005 Cardiac Clinical Unit 2AND Co-requisite: ECHO13006 Adult Echocardiography

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2026

Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Website

This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Regional Campuses

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville

Metropolitan Campuses

Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Online Quiz(zes)

Weighting: 40%

2. Group Work

Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

CQUniversity Policies

All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

You may wish to view these policies:

Grades and Results Policy

Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)

Review of Grade Procedure

Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure

Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students

Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students

Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure

Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure

Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure

This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from SUTE data

Feedback

Several students felt it would be more beneficial to offer this unit prior to year 2 placement

Recommendation

Expanding the introduction provided in the unit orientation materials to explain why the unit is scheduled after Year 2 placement may help manage expectations. Emphasising the unit’s role in consolidating prior learning and applying it in a more complex clinical context could improve student understanding of its purpose within the broader course structure. The content is designed as an AQF Level 7 unit and builds on both earlier theory and clinical experience. The advanced imaging modalities and theoretical content rely on students having a clinical foundation for the material to be meaningful.

Feedback from Tutorials

Feedback

Students appreciated the use of real-world case studies; however, some were concerned that similar formats would be used in the quiz and felt they lacked the knowledge to answer those types of questions confidently.

Recommendation

Continue to use real-world case studies to help students apply theoretical knowledge to clinical scenarios. Clarify that these cases are designed as learning tools to support knowledge development, not as an assessment strategy. Ensure appropriate scaffolding is provided so students feel supported in interpreting pathology and understanding how advanced imaging modalities are used in the cardiac industry to assess cardiac pathology and guide diagnosis.

Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Discuss the clinical assessment and management strategy for a variety of cardiac conditions, with consideration of pathophysiological processes, best practice guidelines and patient safety
Compare and contrast the methodology and outcomes of various cardiac assessment modalities, identifying discordant data
Analyse case-based cardiac assessment data to formulate differential diagnoses
Demonstrate professional communication skills.

Linked to the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Register Standards for Cardiac Sonography:

Foundation Units of Competence

Unit 1: Deliver safe, patient centred service
Unit 2: Practice within professional and ethical frameworks
Unit 3: Locate, analyse and synthesise information to support evidence based practice
Unit 4: Contribute to workplace health and safety and quality assurance
Unit 5: Communicate effectively

Critical Practice Unit of Competence

Unit 8: Cardiac

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes

N/A Level

Introductory Level

Intermediate Level

Graduate Level

Professional Level

Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks	Learning Outcomes
	1	2	3	4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40%
2 - Group Work - 60%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes	Learning Outcomes
	1	2	3	4
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - First Nations Knowledges
11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Supplementary

ASE's Comprehensive Echocardiography

3rd Edition (2022)

Authors: Roberto M. Lang, Goldestein, Kronzon, Khandheria, Mor-avi

Elsevier

Philadelphia Philadelphia , USA

ISBN: 9780323698306

Binding: Hardcover

Supplementary

A Sonographer's Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease

Edition: First (2014)

Authors: Bonita Anderson

MGA Graphics

Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia

ISBN: 9780992322205

Binding: Hardcover

View textbooks at the CQUniversity Bookshop

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:

CQUniversity Student Email
Internet
Unit Website (Moodle)

Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts

See eReading list via Moodle

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online Quiz 1: Opens at 8:00 am (AEST) on Friday, 10th of April and closes at 8:00 pm (AEST) on Saturday, 11th of April.

Term Specific Information

Unit Coordinator and Contact Details
The Unit Coordinator for ECHO13008 is Sudeepthi Singarayar. The preferred method for contacting Sudeepthi is via the
Learning Community Q&A Forum located on the Moodle site for content-related questions. If the query is personal,
please email s.singarayar@cqu.edu.au or phone (02) 9324 5036. Sudeepthi's workdays are Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, and she is based at the Sydney Campus.

Unit Tutorials
This unit's tutorial will be delivered online using Zoom (the links required for accessing the tutorials are provided on
the Moodle site under the Virtual Classes tile). Tutorials are designed to complement the theories and principles presented in lectures. Note: Tutorials are recorded for educational purposes.

Unit Study Commitment
As per Australian educational standards, there is an expectation of 150 hours of engagement required to complete
learning and assessment tasks associated with this 6-credit point unit. (i.e. 12.5 hours per week). Weekly revision
material will be provided. No new lecture material will be presented from week 9 of the term. The final weeks will be used to prepare for your group and individual assessments.

Assessment Tasks

1 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title

Online Quiz(zes)

Task Description

The online quiz(zes) will assess your understanding of the content presented within this unit. Questions may be drawn from lectures, additional resources provided (e.g. prescribed readings) or tutorial presentations.

There are two quizzes; each quiz is weighted equally. Each quiz contributes 50% to the overall quiz grade.

Online Quiz 1

This quiz will assess the topics covered during module 1.

Online Quiz 2

This quiz will assess the topics covered during module 2.

Students will have 30 minutes to complete each quiz once started. This time frame includes perusal time.

Students are advised:

To have a calculator available.
Once the quiz is started, the online quiz cannot be paused or restarted.
Only one attempt is permitted.
The online quiz will automatically close and submit completed student answers once the allocated time has elapsed.
The duration of this quiz is tailored to promote recall of fact, rather than research of answers unknown.
You will be required to answer a variety of online questions. Questions may include multiple-choice, short answers and image interpretation format.
The number of marks allocated for each question will be indicated within the online quiz. Question marks are allocated based on the accuracy, depth and breadth of required responses.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

The 72 hour grace period does not apply to this assessment item.

Students are reminded that IT support from the University Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours. It is recommended that the online quiz is completed during business hours.

Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.

This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university examinations, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken by the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.

Please note that the online quiz must be completed before the due date listed below. In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after this date, and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five percent per day. Students will receive a mark of zero (or fail) for this assessment if you have not completed it by the scheduled date and time and do not have an approved extension.

Number of Quizzes

Frequency of Quizzes

Other

Assessment Due Date

Online Quiz 1 will open from 8:00 am (AEST) on Friday 10th of April and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) Saturday 11th of April. Online Quiz 2 will open from 8:00 am (AEST) on Friday 15th May and will close at 8:00 pm (AEST) Saturday 16th of May.

Return Date to Students

Results will be available two weeks after the assessment due date.

Weighting

40%

Minimum mark or grade

50%

Assessment Criteria

You will be required to answer a variety of online questions. Question responses will be assessed according to the student's:

Use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
Ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
Ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.

Referencing Style

Vancouver

Submission

Online

Submission Instructions

The online quiz will be accessible through the assessment tab on Moodle.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

Discuss the clinical assessment and management strategy for a variety of cardiac conditions, with consideration of pathophysiological processes, best practice guidelines and patient safety
Compare and contrast the methodology and outcomes of various cardiac assessment modalities, identifying discordant data
Analyse case-based cardiac assessment data to formulate differential diagnoses
Demonstrate professional communication skills.

2 Group Work

Assessment Title

Group Work

Task Description

Echocardiographers often present clinical cases at departmental events to fulfil their continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. To mirror the collaborative team environment that cardiac sonographers experience in the workplace, students will work together in small groups to complete this assessment task.

This task is designed to give you experience in preparing and delivering presentations to colleagues in your future career as a clinical cardiac sonographer. The target audience for this presentation will be fellow students and the unit coordinator.

The unit coordinator will determine the final number of students per group once enrolments are confirmed.

Each team member will individually research the allocated topic. You will then collaborate as a team to create a PowerPoint and a 10-minute recording to present your group's findings.

Level of GenAI use allowed:

You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have
developed and refined these ideas.

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment item.

The assessment comprises three components and contributes 60% to your final unit grade. Part A of this assessment task contributes 30% of this weighting, Part B contributes 20%, and Part C contributes 10%.

Part A: Individual component

You will be required to research the provided topic area and write a 500 (+/- 10%) patient case study.

Sections (with suggested word limits):

1. Case Summary (~50–70 words)

Summarise the patient scenario, including relevant history and presenting symptoms.
Include a definition of the disease.

2. Echocardiography Findings (~150 words)

Identify at least three key echo features.
Explain how each reflects cardiac pathology.

3. Differential Diagnosis (~100 words)

Suggest two alternative conditions that could present similarly.
Include one distinguishing feature per condition.

4. Multimodality Imaging (~100 words)

Choose one additional imaging modality (CMR, PET, CT, etc.).
Describe its findings and how it complements echocardiography.

5. Management & Next Steps (~50–70 words)

Suggest investigations or interventions.
Provide a brief clinical justification.

This case study can then be used to aid in the development of your group presentation. A minimum of 5 references should be included. References do not form part of individual word counts. Students will receive an individual mark for this task component.

Part B: PowerPoint and Recorded Presentation – Group Work

It is expected that you will share the work of this assessment task, Part B, equally between group members so that an even spread of input between group members is achieved. If any issues arise within the group, members of the group should contact the unit coordinator as soon as possible so that a resolution can be achieved. All oral presentations are to be submitted using Zoom video conferencing recording – in this way, no groups can be advantaged or disadvantaged by their IT skills.

Recorded Presentation

• The presentation must be no longer than 10 minutes in length (+/-1 minute).

• Define the disease or condition allocated.

• Discuss the diagnostic evaluation of the disease and how to differentiate it from conditions with similar echocardiographic findings.

• Echocardiography findings of the disease.

• Define other multi-modality imaging that can be used to diagnose the disease. Include at least two to three multi-modality imaging techniques. No more than three multi-modality imaging techniques.

• A script of what each team member is saying should be provided (this will not be marked).

• As this is meant to simulate a departmental presentation, video cameras should be used.

All team members will receive the same mark for this task component.

The PowerPoint slides should:

• Contain appropriate key information, diagrams, cardiac images, and referencing as required.

• Contain captions and tables that are clear and succinct.

• Not use abbreviations or acronyms without an initial explanation in the presentation.

• Should not be overloaded with written content or visual graphics, simplistic styling is recommended.

Part C: Self and Peer Assessment (SPA) tool

To assess each member's contribution to the group work, you will need to complete a self and peer assessment (SPA) tool. Each person within the group will score themselves and other team members for their degree of contribution to the group work activity.

All students will be required to individually complete a SPA tool. Students will be emailed a SPA Tool access link via email. SPA submission details are confidential and are not made available to other members of the group.

Assessment Due Date

Group Work Due 5:00 pm (AEST) Monday 1st June 2026.

Return Date to Students

Results will be available following the completion of the marking process, approximately two weeks after the assessment due date.

Weighting

60%

Minimum mark or grade

50 %

Assessment Criteria

The following assessment criteria cues should be considered by students when completing each task component.

Part A: Individual Component

Have you prioritised relevant information for inclusion?
Is the information included accurate and evidence-based with relevant references?
Does the information provided indicate that you understand the topic and the multi-modality technique that you have chosen?
Have you used relevant images?
Is your spelling and grammar exemplary?
Have you adhered to the correct referencing style?

The Group work marking rubric can be found on the unit's Moodle site.

Part B: PowerPoint and recorded presentation

Are your PowerPoint slides well collated with no breaches of academic integrity? Do not copy and paste information from other sources.
Is the information included accurate and evidence-based with relevant references?
Have you prioritised relevant information for inclusion?
Does your content indicate that you understand the topic?
Have you used images and graphics that are relevant and of satisfactory quality?
Have you taken into account your specific audience?
Do all speakers provide an engaging presentation, which is clearly audible?
Is your spelling and grammar exemplary?
Have you adhered to the correct referencing style and provided adequate acknowledgment to sources?
Do all speakers speak clearly?

Referencing Style

Vancouver

Submission

Online Group

Submission Instructions

Each student is to individually submit all parts of the assessment task. A step by step guide will be available on Moodle.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

Discuss the clinical assessment and management strategy for a variety of cardiac conditions, with consideration of pathophysiological processes, best practice guidelines and patient safety
Compare and contrast the methodology and outcomes of various cardiac assessment modalities, identifying discordant data
Analyse case-based cardiac assessment data to formulate differential diagnoses
Demonstrate professional communication skills.

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.