SPCH13010 - Swallowing and Feeding Across the Lifespan

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will learn about the development of feeding and the progression of swallowing across the lifespan. You will advance your competency in the assessment, analysis, planning and treatment of swallowing and feeding difficulties across the lifespan. You will consider the aetiology, diagnosis and management of swallowing and feeding in the context of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Evidence based practice will provide the foundation for your learning in all stages of diagnosis and management.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-Requisites

ALLH12006 Evidence Based Practice for Health Professionals

SPCH12003 Functional Anatomy of the Head, Neck, and Thorax

SPCH12007 Speech Pathology Work Integrated Learning 1

SPCH13004 Language, Literacy, and Hearing in School-Aged Children

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 No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2025

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Rockhampton

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).

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 20%
2. Case Study 40%
3. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) 40%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 25.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 36.36% response rate.

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 evaluations and unit coordinator reflection
Feedback
Recorded lectures and online activities should be posted at least 1 week prior to tutorial.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the unit coordinator ensure all recorded lectures and online activities are available at least 1 week prior to tutorial.
Action Taken
All learning materials and online activities were made available on Moodle at least one week prior to each tutorial.
Source: Student evaluations
Feedback
Unit requirements were not clear.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the unit coordinator review the task descriptions and rubrics for all assessments, as well as individual quiz questions, and identify any areas where clarity could be further improved.
Action Taken
Assessment task descriptions were reviewed, and no issues regarding clarity were identified. To further support student understanding and preparation, expectations for each assessment task were discussed during tutorials prior to the respective due dates.
Source: Unit coordinator reflection
Feedback
Adding a third assessment was effective in engaging multiple learning styles and reducing the high stakes nature of two larger assessments.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the unit coordinator retain 3 assessments (quiz, case study, OSCE).
Action Taken
The three assessment tasks were retained for the 2025 SPCH13010 cohort, as they continue to align well with the unit’s learning outcomes and provide a balanced evaluation of student knowledge and skills.
Source: Student Unit Evaluation
Feedback
Student comments indicated that some video content contained significant gaps, freezing, or delays that affected playback quality.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the unit coordinator perform a quality assurance check to identify any recorded lecture issues such as gaps, freezing, or playback delays.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Student Unit Evaluation and Unit Coordinator Reflection
Feedback
Student feedback and instructor reflection suggested that hands-on learning experiences during tutorials enhance student engagement and support deeper understanding of course content.
Recommendation
It is recommended that tutorials continue to be designed to apply knowledge from lectures in a practical, hands-on manner.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Describe the mechanism of a safe swallow and its variation across the lifespan
  2. Analyse swallowing and feeding behaviour using both formal and informal assessment techniques, and make appropriate recommendations for the management and rehabilitation of swallowing and feeding difficulties
  3. Adapt communication to provide information and counselling to clients and others about swallowing and feeding difficulties and implications for safety, nutrition, and hydration
  4. Demonstrate ethical practice while making independent holistic decisions

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Online Quiz(zes) •
2 - Case Study • • •
3 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
5 - Team Work • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • •
8 - Ethical practice • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10