Course Outline

EDU426 Professional Experience: The Professional Teacher

Course Coordinator:Linda Mahony (lmahony@usc.edu.au) School:School of Education and Tertiary Access

2024Semester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This capstone course consolidates your professional identity as a graduating teacher as you transition into your future career. A focus of this course is on your demonstration of competence in meeting the Professional Standards for Graduate Teachers. You will explicate and articulate links between the theory and practice that you have experienced in the secondary program. The 25 day Professional Experience provides an opportunity for you to refine your professional knowledge, professional practices and pedagogy.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required texts. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – A blended learning approach is used to deliver the workshop component of the course. The workshop is synchronous using technology-enabled learning and teaching experience that involves on-campus engagement and application of learning materials. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Orientation week workshop 4hrs Orientation week Once Only
Placement – You will undertake a 25-day Professional Experience (PEx) beginning in Week 8. 181.25hrs Week 8 Once Only
Online
Learning materials – You are required to engage and interact with asynchronous materials and activities accessed through Canvas modules, course readings and required texts. 1hr Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – The workshop is synchronous using technology-enabled learning (Zoom) and teaching experiences that involve collaborative engagement and the application of learning materials. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Orientation week workshop 4hrs Orientation week Once Only
Independent Study/Research – In addition to engaging with the learning materials and workshop sessions and completing the assessable tasks, you are required to engage in self-directed learning using the Canvas course modules and current research/reading via UniSC library databases and the required/recommended textbooks and resources. 2hrs Week 1 7 times
Placement – You will undertake a 25-day Professional Experience (PEx) beginning in Week 8. 181.25hrs Week 8 Once Only

Course Topics

  • Professional Knowledge (APST 1 & 2)
    • Context Based Teaching: know, understand and plan for teaching and learning based on a range of individual student needs.
  • Professional Practice (APST 3, 4 & 5)
    • Teaching and Learning Cycle: know, understand and apply context specific teaching and learning sequences.
  • Professional Engagement (APST 6 & 7) 
    • Professional Learning: know, understand and apply the APST to map professional learning opportunities, needs, influences and impacts on your teaching. 
    • Professional Ethics: know, understand and apply ethical obligations e.g. Queensland strategic priorities, Standards of Practice, Codes of Conduct and State and federal policy initiatives such as; Respectful Communities, Positive Behaviour for Learning, workforce impacts and drivers, teamwork, conflict resolution and promoting the public good.
    • Professional Communication: know, understand and apply effective communication within professional communities.
    • Professional Affiliation: know and understand the impacts of professional memberships on professional competency (Teacher and education links - Teaching contacts Qld |QCT).
    • Professional Reflection: conceptualise and articulate your ethical personal philosophy of learning and teaching.

What level is this course?

400 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... Professional Standard Mapping * Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
1 Apply ethical obligations as documented within the Code of Conduct and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) at the graduate level. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7.1, 7.2
2 Design, plan, implement and evaluate evidence based and context specific teaching and learning sequences. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2
3 Apply and reflect on context specific pedagogies, teaching strategies and assessment practices to support and report on student success. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2
4 Align evidence of your professional knowledge, practice and engagement to specific APST descriptors when planning for, responding to and providing evidence of the successful completion of your personal and professional learning obligations and needs. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
5 Evaluate the benefits and impacts of professional engagement needs and opportunities that support student success and your own professional knowledge and practice. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
6.3, 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
6 Apply effective oral and written communication skills, digital technology skills and academic literacies. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Engaged
2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
7 Articulate evidence-based beliefs about teaching and learning. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Engaged
1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4

* Competencies by Professional Body

CODE COMPETENCY
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
1 PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Know students and how they learn
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.
1.2 Understand how students learn: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching.
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds: Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability: Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
2 PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Know the content and how to teach it
2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
2.2 Content selection and organisation: Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting: Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies: Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students.
3 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
3.1 Establish challenging learning goals: Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics.
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs: Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies.
3.3 Use teaching strategies: Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.4 Select and use resources: Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
3.5 Use effective classroom communication: Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs: Demonstrate broad knowledge of strategies that can be used to evaluate teaching programs to improve student learning.
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process: Describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process.
4 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
4.1 Support student participation: Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities.
4.2 Manage classroom activities: Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour: Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.
4.4 Maintain student safety: Describe strategies that support students’ wellbeing and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements.
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically: Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.
5 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
5.1 Assess student learning: Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning: Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning
5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements: Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
5.4 Interpret student data: Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
5.5 Report on student achievement: Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/ carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement
6 PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT: Engage in professional learning
6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs: Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs.
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice: Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers
6.3 Engage with colleagues and improve practice: Seek and apply constructive feedback from supervisors and teachers to improve teaching practices.
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning: Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learning.
7 PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities: Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.
7.2 Comply with legislative, administrative and organisational requirements: Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage.
7.3 Engage with the parents/carers: Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities: Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice.

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

(EDU424 and enrolled in Program AE304, ED315 or SE303) and successful completion of LANTITE

Co-requisites

EDU415

Anti-requisites

EDU419; EDU425; EDU411

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Limited Grading (PNP)

Pass (PU), Fail (UF). All assessment tasks are required to be passed for successful completion of the course.

Details of early feedback on progress

Feedback will be provided for one portfolio annotation no later than the end of Week Three.
Feedback will be offered during the PEx as ongoing feedback and through the interim PEx report. 

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1a Quiz/zes Individual
A single quiz and signed 
Code of Conduct.
Week 1 Online Test (Quiz)
All 1b Activity Participation Individual
On-going throughout the duration of the course.
Refer to Format To be Negotiated
All 2 Artefact - Professional Individual
Official LANTITE Results AND/OR LANTITE plan (online form) - see Canvas.
Week 2 Online Submission
All 3 Portfolio Individual
A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 20 pieces of curated evidence aligned to eight Required APST Descriptors. 
Approximately 300-word statements for each of the 'Required' APST Descriptors.
Week 5 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 4 Placement performance Individual
25 days
Refer to Format SONIA
All 5 Oral and Written Piece Individual
See QTPA Task Information Booklet (Canvas, Assessment, Task 5: QTPA)
Refer to Format To be Negotiated
All - Assessment Task 1a:Code of Conduct and Quiz
Goal:
The goal of this task is to critically analyse and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Code of Conduct for the School of Education and Tertiary Access (SETA).
Product: Quiz/zes
Format:
This assessment task is due on Friday Week 1 at 4pm. 

After studying the Code of Conduct in class and independently, you will complete the Code of Conduct Quiz to demonstrate knowledge of the content and expectations.

When completing the Code of Conduct Quiz, you will also be asked to complete the Code of Conduct Agreement to acknowledge that you understand the SETA Code of Conduct and that you agree to abide by the expectations.

NB: This task must receive a Pass result to be eligible to proceed to Task 3: Professional Portfolio.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Application of knowledge and understanding of the professional expectations within the discipline specific Code of Conduct throughout the duration of the course.
1
2
Application of understanding of the requirement to adhere to the discipline-specific Code of Conduct throughout the duration of the course.
1
3
Application of knowledge and understanding of the requirement to enact personal behaviour that is in accordance with the discipline-specific Code of Conduct.
1
All - Assessment Task 1b:Code of Conduct Adherence
Goal:
The goal of this task is to reflectively operate within the SETA Code of Conduct expectations for the duration of the course (including the WILS experience in school).
Product: Activity Participation
Format:
You must conduct yourself in accordance with the SETA Code of Conduct for the duration of the course and operate within its guidelines for the duration of the course. This period of time includes the university-based activities (workshops, tutorials, Zoom sessions and discussion board) and the school-based components of this course. 
The SETA Code of Conduct is located in Canvas for this assessment task and in Sonia online.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Application of knowledge and understanding of professional ethical obligations evident through the professional adherence to the discipline-specific Code of Conduct throughout the duration of the course.
1
2
Application of knowledge and understanding of the requirement to enact personal behaviour that is in accordance with the discipline-specific Code of Conduct.
1
All - Assessment Task 2:LANTITE Evidence AND/OR Plan
Goal:
The goal of this task is to provide evidence of successful completion of the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) AND/OR evidence of a plan to achieve LANTITE success.
Product: Artefact - Professional
Format:
This assessment task is due on Friday Week Two at 4pm.

Both the literacy and numeracy components of LANTITE must be completed successfully to enable progression to graduation in your Initial Teacher Education program of study. For further information on LANTITE visit https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/

If you have achieved LANTITE success you need to upload evidence of this achievement to Canvas. This evidence MUST be in the form of your official results that you can download from your ACER online candidate account https://teacheredreg.acer.edu.au/). This evidence will demonstrate "Standard Achieved" for the literacy and/or numeracy tests.

If you have not yet successfully achieved success in the literacy and/or numeracy components of LANTITE, then you must submit a plan outlining your intended preparation and registration for LANTITE. Complete your LANTITE Plan via the online form available on Canvas, Assessment, Task 1: LANTITE Evidence or Plan.
NB: This task must receive a Pass result to be eligible to proceed to Task 3: Professional Portfolio.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Alignment of evidence of effective literacy skills by demonstrating “Standard Achieved” or a plan to achieve the standard for personal competency in literacy through successful completion of LANTITE.
4 6
2
Alignment of evidence of effective numeracy skills by demonstrating “Standard Achieved” or a plan to achieve the standard for personal competency in numeracy through successful completion of LANTITE.
4 6
All - Assessment Task 3:Professional e-Portfolio
Goal:
The goal of the task is for you to demonstrate your understanding of the APST Descriptors at the Graduate Career Stage, and align this understanding to evidence of your learning and experiences throughout your program of study.
Product: Portfolio
Format:
This assessment task is due on Monday Week 5 at 4pm. 

There are eight APST Descriptors that are not met within the Final Professional Experience Report (FPER) that are used to assess your final PEx. These APST are referred to as the 'Required APST Descriptors' for this portfolio. 

APST. 1.4 - Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
APST 1.6 - Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of legislative requirements and teaching strategies that support participation and learning of students with disability.
APST 2.4 - Demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
APST 3.7 - Describe a broad range of strategies for involving parents/carers in the educative process.
APST 4.3 - Demonstrate knowledge of practical approaches to manage challenging behaviour.
APST 5.3 - Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
APST 7.3 - Understand strategies for working effectively, sensitively and confidentially with parents/carers.
APST 7.4 - Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice.

This assessment task requires you to demonstrate that you know and understand the meaning of the above 'Required APST Descriptors' at the Graduate Career Stage, and that you can align evidence of your knowledge, understanding, and practice to these APST Descriptors. 

1. You will need to identify and curate evidence that demonstrates that you understand the meaning of the 'Required APST Descriptors'. You may include multiple items as evidence for each APST descriptor.

2. The evidence should be generated by you (or as a piece of group work) and should be drawn from your assessment items, PEx/ Employability Backpack experiences, professional learning and activities related to your university-based studies as a preservice teacher. 

3. You should write a statement of approximately 300 words for each APST Descriptor to demonstrate that you understand the meaning of the APST Descriptor and how it relates to your knowledge, understanding, and practice.

4. Include a list of references at the bottom of each annotation. 

NB: This assessment task must receive a PASS result to enable progression to Task 4 (PEx).
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Alignment of evidence of professional knowledge, practice and engagement by demonstrating competency in the required Australian Professional Standards Teachers (APST) at the graduate stage: 1.4, 1.6, 2.4, 3.7, 4.3, 5.3, 7.3, 7.4.
4
2
Application of effective written communication skills, digital technology skills and academic literacies including English expression, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
6
3
Synthesise relevant literature and policy to validate statements.
6 7
All - Assessment Task 4:Final Professional Experience Report (FPER)
Goal:
The goal of this Professional Experience (PEx) is to assess your professional competencies against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).
Product: Placement performance
Format:
Final report to be submitted on completion of PEx via Sonia online. 
Attendance at and completion of a Professional Experience (PEx) under the guidance of a Queensland registered teacher. 

Specific requirements and assessment criteria of the PEx are located in the PEx handbook located on Sonia.

NB: This assessment task must receive a PASS result to enable progression to Task 5 (QTPA).
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Alignment of evidence of professional knowledge by demonstrating competency in each of the Australian Professional Standards Teachers (APST) at the graduate stage during professional placement: APST 1, APST 2
2
2
Application of professional practice by demonstrating competency in each of the Australian Professional Standards Teachers (APST) at the graduate stage during professional placement: APST 3, APST 4, APST 5
3
3
Alignment of evidence and evaluation of professional engagement by demonstrating competency in each of the Australian Professional Standards Teachers (APST) at the graduate stage during professional placement APST 6, APST 7
4 5
All - Assessment Task 5:Quality Teaching Performance Assessment (QTPA)
Goal:
The goal of this task is to meet the requirements of the Quality Teaching Performance Assessment (QTPA).
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Format:
The QTPA forms two parts;
Part 1: Written Components A, B and C. This part is due five working days after completion of the PEx. 
Part 2: Oral Presentation/Component D will occur the week following the submission of your written components.

You will receive your QTPA timeline on completion of your PEx, including the date for your oral presentation. 

Please note: if you have PEx make up days these will need to be approved through the Education Placements team for an extension to QTPA submission to be applied. No further extensions are permitted. 

The QTPA is an assessment of your teaching performance within your final PEx. It is designed to measure your knowledge, skills and ability in relation to the Graduate level of the Australian Professional Standards for
Teachers. The QTPA is based on your planning, teaching and assessment practices during a learning sequence within your PEx.

Important: For further information on the requirements for the QTPA please refer to the QTPA support resources in Canvas: Assessment Task 5 - QTPA. Specifically, please refer to the Task Information Booklet.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Effectively document and articulate evaluation of personal beliefs about teaching and learning practices that are informed by theory/research evidence.
3 5 6 7
2
Effectively document an understanding of the teaching and learning context, evaluation of student achievement, the establishment of student learning goals and the planning of a teaching and learning sequence to support student learning.
1 2 3 6 7
3
Verbal articulation of designing and planning for student learning, implementation of teaching and learning sequence, and evaluation of the impact on student learning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4
Verbal articulation and evidence of the benefits of professional learning to professional knowledge and the impact to support student success.
5 6

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Required Allen, J. & White, S 2021 Learning to Teach in a New Era 2nd Cambridge

Specific requirements

Appropriate professional clothing to wear to Supervised Professional Placement. 
Current Blue Card.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Pre-service teachers undertaking this course will require access to computers to develop their Task 3: Professional e-Portfolio and Task 5: QTPA. Devices will be required during the Orientation Week workshop and during tutorials. Students will need to inform their tutor at least one week in advance if they require a device to be provided during tutorials times.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and a low level of health and safety risk exists. Some risks concerns may include working in an unknown environment as well as slip and trip hazards. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Limited Graded Course:

This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Institutional Operating Policy of UniSC.

In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.

Assessment: Submission penalties

You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au