Unit Synopsis
In this unit, you will explore issues that impact on professional practice, and apply prior learning of paediatric and adult clinical practice to complex and contemporary contexts. You will integrate theoretical and empirical research in the field of speech pathology and debate ethical dilemmas. Professional and interprofessional competencies will be investigated in the context of speech pathology practice.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 4 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Pre-Requisites:
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 - 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. Oral Examination | 0% |
| 2. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | 0% |
This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
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: Instructor reflection, formal and informal student feedback
Enhance the clarity and detail of the Assessment 1 and 2 rubrics to better communicate expectations to students
It is recommended that additional detail be incorporated into the Assessment 1 and 2 rubrics to improve understanding of expectations around task requirements and help students better understand how their work will be evaluated.
In response to previous feedback, both assessment rubrics were updated in 2026 to provide more explicit guidance and clearer assessment expectations. Students were also offered additional Q&A sessions in the lead up to the assessments, providing opportunities to ask questions, seek clarification, and receive practical tips to help them prepare successfully.
Source: Formal student SUTE feedback
Increase the explicit connection between clinical topics and their real-world application to help students better understand their relevance to professional practice
It is recommended that the real-world relevance of clinical topics be made more explicit within the unit content and assessment tasks to strengthen the connection between theory and professional practice.
In 2026, the unit incorporated a greater number of guest lecturers with current clinical expertise to strengthen links between unit content and contemporary professional practice. In addition, podcasts and recorded presentations from recognised experts in the field were integrated throughout the unit to provide students with exposure to real-world clinical perspectives and experiences. These enhancements were designed to make the relevance of theoretical concepts to speech pathology practice more explicit and engaging.
Source: Student SUTE comments
In response to student feedback, improve the non-assessed sections of the Assessment 1 and 2 rubrics by adding clearer, stepwise guidance and more detailed instructions to support understanding of task expectations.
It is recommended that the non-assessed sections of the Assessment 1 and Assessment 2 rubrics be enhanced with clearer, more detailed step-by-step instructions to better communicate task requirements and expectations. Additional assessment briefings and Q&A opportunities could further support students in understanding assessment requirements and completing tasks successfully.
In Progress
Source: Student SUTE comments
Students reported concerns regarding recent changes to referencing and academic integrity requirements and indicated that greater clarity was needed to understand the expectations and their rationale.
It is recommended that referencing and academic integrity expectations be discussed explicitly at the commencement of the unit, including the rationale for course-wide requirements, to promote a clear and consistent understanding of academic expectations and reduce potential confusion.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Integrate ethical principles into clinical decision making
- Analyse and interpret assessment data for children and adults with communication and/or swallowing goals and needs
- Create and implement holistic management plans to optimise communication
- Evaluate the role and scope of practice of speech pathologists and other professionals involved in the interprofessional care of people with diverse needs
- Justify decisions using clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice within the context of paediatric and adult speech pathology practice
The learning outcomes in this unit contribute to the development of clinical and professional competencies as outlined by Speech Pathology Australia's Professional standards.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Oral Examination | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) | • | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • | • |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | • | • |
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | • | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | • | • | • | • |
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • | • | ||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | • | • | • | • |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |