Overview
In this unit, you will develop practical evidence-based positive psychology coaching skills for working with individual clients on positive behaviour change. Your practical coursework will include fundamental coaching skills for building a positive working alliance using active listening and skillful questioning. You will also use positive psychology theory and tools for working with clients to enhance positive emotions, explore character strengths, and build hope.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
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 - 2024
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).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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
Assessment Overview
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.
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.
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 Unit coordinator's observations.
Students appreciate the video feedback for their assessments and find this style of feedback helpful for learning.
Continue providing video assessment feedback.
Feedback from Unit coordinator's observations.
The workshops provide an interactive space in which students support each other's skill development.
Continue providing interactive, applied workshops.
Feedback from SUTE
Students find the unit relevant to their learning goals in undertaking positive psychology.
Continue connecting student learning content and tasks to real-world skills.
- Apply knowledge and skills from counselling, coaching and humanistic psychology to create and maintain a positive working alliance with clients in coaching sessions
- Apply positive psychology theories of change, tools and strategies to coaching individuals
- Apply critical knowledge of positive psychology concepts to adapt coaching techniques to diverse needs
N/A - no external accreditation.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||
2 - Practical Assessment - 35% | |||
3 - Practical Assessment - 35% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 - Knowledge | |||
2 - Communication | |||
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||
4 - Research | |||
5 - Self-management | |||
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||
7 - Leadership | |||
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.every@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Coaching Skills Fundamentals
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workshop 1: Coaching Skills Fundamentals and Active Constructive Responding
THURSDAY 7 March 2024 6.30-8.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Working with positive emotions: Fundamentals
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working with positive emotions: Taking it further
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Informal drop-in session
FRIDAY 22 March 2024, 12.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Goals: Fundamentals
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Goals and hope: Fundamentals
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workshop 2: Hope
THURSDAY 4 April 2024 6.30-8.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
No classes/material this week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Goals and motivation: Taking it further
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Informal drop-in session
FRIDAY 19 April 2024, 12.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Working with strengths: Naming and finding
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workshop 3: Strengths - finding and naming
THURSDAY 25 April 2024 6.30-8.30pm AEST
Hope Map Due: Week 7 Monday (22 Apr 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Working with strengths: Using the VIA and strengths development
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workshop 4: Strengths - debriefing and developing
THURSDAY 2 May 2024, 6.30-8.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Working with strengths: Taking it further
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Positive assessment in coaching: Taking it further
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Informal drop-in session
FRIDAY 17 May 2024, 12.30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Positive psychology coaching and diversity
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Taking a breath: Self-care and coaching
Chapter
Resources provided on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No exam
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
No exam
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical Assessment
For this assessment you will conduct a short (7 minute maximum) coaching session with another student from this unit to demonstrate your understanding and embodiment of:
- The foundational skills for building a positive working alliance (demonstrating unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, warmth, and congruence through verbal and non-verbal attending and responding);
- Active Constructive Responding.
Each student in the pair will take turns being the coach and coachee.
Preparation for this assessment
There are readings and video resources on these skills available on Moodle. We will be further developing these skills using role plays and group discussions in the first of the unit workshops.
Instructions for the coachee
Prior to the coaching session, the coachee chooses a positive experience in their lives (e.g., an achievement at work or in study or in their personal goals such as fitness, receiving an award, completing a project, being recognised in their community or for their volunteering, planning an important trip, achieving a life milestone).
Instructions for the coach
The coach will ask the coachee to share their positive event. The coach will use the skills for building a positive working alliance and Active Constructive Responding to encourage the coachee to fully share their positive experience.
The coaching session must include:
1. Non-verbals: body language (eyes, posture, facial expressions) and voice (tone and pace) to effectively to build the positive working alliance
2. Verbals: A minimum of 3 paraphrases, or 2 paraphrases and a summary to effectively build the positive working alliance
3. Active Constructive Responding: A minimum of 3 active constructive questions
Submission
You will submit an unedited video recording of the coaching session where you are the coach. The recording of the session in which you acted in the role of the coach must show both the coach and the coachee throughout the video.
The coaching session is a maximum of 7 minutes.
Week 4 Monday (25 Mar 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Vacation Week Monday (8 Apr 2024)
Assessment feedback will be returned 2 weeks from the date of assessment submission.
The submission of your coaching session as a coach will be evaluated on:
- Use of non-verbals: body language (physical position, eye contact, facial expression) and voice tone and pace to develop a positive working alliance
- Use of verbal skills of paraphrasing and summarizing to build positive working alliance
- Use of skillful Active Constructive questions to explore the positive aspects of the experience
- Adherence to time limit
- Apply knowledge and skills from counselling, coaching and humanistic psychology to create and maintain a positive working alliance with clients in coaching sessions
- Apply positive psychology theories of change, tools and strategies to coaching individuals
2 Practical Assessment
In this assessment, you will act in the role of a coach to create a Hope Map with your coachee, who will be another student from this unit.
Preparation for this assessment
There are resources for goal-setting and creating a Hope Map on Moodle. We will use role playing exercises and self-reflection activities and group discussions in the unit workshops to practice Hope Mapping with clients.
The coaching session
The coaching session involves the student acting as a coach guiding the coachee to develop a Hope Map which includes a SMART environmental sustainability goal.
Instructions for the coach
The Hope Map draws on goal-setting skills and combines these with an understanding of Snyder’s theory of hope. The coach should be familiar with this theoretical underpinning to lead their client to the development of a useable Hope Map which could support the client to reach an identified, realistic goal in a reasonable timeframe (a SMART goal).
The coach runs the session/s as a real-world coaching session (i.e., as if you were in a coach and client relationship, not doing an assessment).
The coach will outline the exercise and its purpose and provide the necessary resources for creating the Hope Map (e.g., use the whiteboard function in Zoom).
As coach you will:
- Guide the coachee to develop a goal that is focused on environmental sustainability.
- Guide the coachee to develop this goal using the SMART framework.
- Develop the Hope Map based on the SMART goal (pathways, obstacles, strengths, support).
- Design the final Hope Map in such a way that it supports the use of the map as a hope enhancing tool for the coachee using imagery, colour and layout.
Throughout the session/s you will draw on foundational coaching skills to build the positive working alliance.
Submission
You will submit the completed Hope Map that you developed in your role as coach
The completed Hope Map needs to include:
- One (1) SMART environmental sustainability goal
- Three (3) pathways to that goal
- One (1) obstacle for each of the 3 pathways (so, 3 obstacles in total)
- A way to overcome each of these obstacles (so, 3 ways to overcome obstacles in total)
- Two (2) identified strengths which will support the client to reach their goal
- Two (2) support person/animal/natural space/practice identified
- One (1) way of measuring progress towards the goal
There is no word limit, but the recommended length of the Hope Map is one page which could be an A3 size page or an A4 page in landscape. This is so it works as a hope reminding tool – if it can be posted somewhere visible and is easily accessible then this will boost people’s likelihood of using it and the likelihood of it increasing hope.
Week 7 Monday (22 Apr 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 9 Monday (6 May 2024)
Assessment feedback will be returned 2 weeks from the date of assessment submission.
The submission will be evaluated on:
- Application of goal-setting theories and research (SMART framework and the role of eudaimonic goals in boosting wellbeing) to develop a sustainability goal with the client
- Application of theories and research on goal-setting and hope to map pathways, obstacles, strengths and supports, and measures of progress for the client's goal
- Application of theories on hope enhancement to create an accessible, engaging resource for client to support ongoing experiences of hope
- Apply knowledge and skills from counselling, coaching and humanistic psychology to create and maintain a positive working alliance with clients in coaching sessions
- Apply positive psychology theories of change, tools and strategies to coaching individuals
- Apply critical knowledge of positive psychology concepts to adapt coaching techniques to diverse needs
3 Practical Assessment
In Assessment 3 you will develop a client resource that you could use as part of a debriefing session with a client after they have completed the VIA (Values in Action) survey. We are focussing on some of the more challenging strengths – the ones that have hidden beauty lurking underneath their names!
Preparation for this assessment
There are resources about strengths on Moodle. We will use brainstorming and group discussions in the third and fourth workshops to explore how to find new names for strengths, definitions of strengths and how we may debrief with clients about negative perceptions of strengths.
Task Instructions
You will choose one strength from a list of the lesser-known strengths that clients may perceive negatively or not understand:. The list is provided in your Unit Assessment Guide.
You will create a client handout on this strength that you would give to them to take home as part of your debriefing that would help them see this strength clearly and positively.
The client handout will include:
1. An evocative, insightful alternative name for this strength. This new name will capture the strength’s essence and help clients begin the process of seeing this strength in new, more positive ways.
2. A definition of the strength. Using peer-reviewed research write a definition of this strength (i.e., what it is). In your definition, be sure to respond to common myths and misconceptions about this strength.
3. Identify three positive impacts of the strength on wellbeing. For this, you will use peer-reviewed research to identify evidence-based relationships between this strength and wellbeing outcomes.
4. Include a Holistic Strengths Map. Your HSM will outline how this strength is expressed in intrapersonal, interpersonal, emotional, and cognitive domains.
5. Include two role models and/or cultural resources. These might include books, movies, public figures, communities, animals which show how this strength exists in the world.
6. Include an evidence-based exercise for developing this strength. The exercise will be one which has demonstrated efficacy in the research literature. It also needs to be suitable for clients with a wide-range of learning needs and in different life circumstances.
7. A list of all sources in a Reference List in APA formatting. Include a full reference list. In the text itself, you can use footnotes rather than in-text citations generally used in APA – this will make the resource more readable for a lay audience.
As this will be a client handout, make it accessible and supportive of diverse clients’ learning.
Accessible:
Use clear and simple language, imagery, and layout.
Use images and resources which include intersectional experiences (i.e., do not use language and resources exclusive to white, straight, cis-gendered, able-bodied, middle-class people).
Supports diverse people’s learning:
Use fonts, colours, and images that are congruent with the strength (i.e. they provide a coherent support for understanding the strength promoting learning through visual and metaphorical pathways)
Make the resource engaging, i.e., something that the client’s will be inspired/excited by (e.g., fun, humorous, artistic, soothing)
Present research findings in lay language.
Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (3 June 2024)
Assessment feedback will be returned 2 weeks from the date of assessment submission.
The submission will be evaluated on:
- Depth and breadth of understanding of the strength.
- Skilful use of quality research evidence and cultural resources to describe and illustrate the strength.
- Application of principles of learning modes, accessibility and cultural sensitivity in the design of the strengths resource.
- Apply knowledge and skills from counselling, coaching and humanistic psychology to create and maintain a positive working alliance with clients in coaching sessions
- Apply positive psychology theories of change, tools and strategies to coaching individuals
- Apply critical knowledge of positive psychology concepts to adapt coaching techniques to diverse needs
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.
What can you do to act with integrity?
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