Unit Synopsis
This unit provides an insight into medical ultrasound by exploring the role and global scope of practice of the medical sonographer and the use of ultrasound in medical imaging, the types of examinations available and the provision of safe patient care as an allied health professional. The aim of this unit is to provide introductory knowledge and skills that will support your learning throughout the Medical Sonography course. Simulation exercises will enable you to apply theory to practice.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
Term 1 - 2027 Profile
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 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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Online Quiz(zes) | 30% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 20% |
| 3. Practical Assessment | 0% |
| 4. Online Test | 50% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web 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.
Source: Student discussions and SUTE data
Students continued to enjoy the residential school in its current two-day format, finding it valuable for hands-on learning and peer interaction.
Where appropriate, maintain the structure of the two-day residential school to support practical skill development and foster student engagement.
The structure of the residential school as a two day format was maintained.
Source: Student discussions and SUTE data
Students appreciated the additional focused tutorials dedicated to each assessment, which helped guide study and provided timely support.
Where feasible, continue offering focused assessment tutorials to provide structured support and clarify expectations in the lead-up to submission dates.
A focused assessment support tutorial was provided for the written assessment, and an additional revision tutorial was conducted prior to the final online test during this offering.
Source: SUTE data
Students requested the inclusion of a broader range of third-year students from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences managing the demands of full-time study at a question and answer session held during the residential school.
Where possible, invite a diverse panel of third-year students to participate in future residential schools to share their experiences and strategies for managing full-time study alongside personal commitments.
Third-year students were invited to participate in the residential school, with attendance subject to their availability and existing commitments.
Source: UC reflections
A graded in class assessment item incorporated into the residential school may provide an authentic opportunity to demonstrate achievement of unit learning outcomes.
Consider implementing a graded in class assessment item during the compulsory residential school to support authentic (assured) evaluation of student learning.
In Progress
Source: UC reflections
The residential school may be more effectively positioned later in the teaching period, after students have engaged with a greater proportion of the unit content.
Consider scheduling the residential school later in the term to allow students sufficient time to consolidate foundational content and understanding prior to participating in residential school learning activities.
In Progress
Source: SUTE data
Students expressed a desire for additional guidance on locating and evaluating peer-reviewed literature for the written assessment.
Investigate the reintroduction of ALC support to provide students with additional guidance on academic writing, literature searching, and the use of peer-reviewed sources.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Discuss the role and scope of practice of the medical sonographer, including professional and legal frameworks
- Apply knowledge of ultrasound equipment, transducer / patient positioning and sonographic image appearance using appropriate medical and sonographic terminology
- Discuss the role of diagnostic medical ultrasound and how it relates to other diagnostic imaging modalities and picture archiving communication systems
- Demonstrate sonographic manual skill development in a simulated environment.
The learning outcomes for this unit relate to the requirements of general sonography courses under the Australasian Sonography Accreditation Registry (ASAR), Standards for the Accreditation of Sonographer Courses (SASC):
Foundation Units of Competence 1-5
Critical Practice Units of Competence 6-7, 9-10, 12-13
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) | • | • | • | |
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | ||
| 3 - Practical Assessment | • | • | ||
| 4 - Online Test | • | • | • | |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | ||
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | • | ||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | |||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |