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Unit of study_

EXSS3045: Professional Practice

Semester 1, 2020 [Professional practice] - Cumberland, Sydney

The aim of this unit is to engage students in practical experiences relevant to exercise science. These experiences should reinforce theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired through university studies. Students complete at least 140 hours of supervised practicum in relevant areas such as design, delivery and evaluation of exercise interventions as well as exercise science projects in a community health area. Students participate in an on-campus placement which allows them to build their skill and confidence prior to undertaking an allocated placement at a site which is usually located off-campus.

Unit details and rules

Unit code EXSS3045
Academic unit Movement Sciences
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
EXSS3023
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Amanda Semaan, amanda.semaan@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Placement Attendance
Student attendance
0% Ongoing Dependent on placement requirements
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Placement Performance
Assessment of student performance
0% Week 13 Ongoing as per placement requirements
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Placement Completion of required paperwork
Submitted logbook, supervisor and feedback forms
0% Week 13 n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1

Assessment summary

  • Student performance while on placement: Placement supervisors will use the Student Placement Assessment form to assess students’ performance. Students will have an opportunity to formally discuss with their supervisors their progression towards meeting the required standard of performance (‘satisfactory’) at their mid-placement assessment. A detailed explanation of the student assessment process is contained in the student manual and on the Student Placement Assessment form. The Student Placement Assessment form must be submitted following the completion of your placement and no later than Friday, week 13 of the semester in which you are enrolled in EXSS3045.
  • Attendance while on placement: Students are expected to attend all scheduled placement days except where special circumstances exist. Refer to the WIL Canvas site for information about absences from placement and the correct procedures to follow in the event of absence. Please note that the simulated learning activity will be part of a placement and that the attendance criteria also apply to this activity.
  • Completion of required paperwork: Students are required to submit copies of their logbooks, supervisor forms and a feedback form following the completion of placement via the electronic dropbox available on the e-learning site. Blank versions of the logbook and forms are available on the WIL Canvas site. Please refer to the e-learning site for examples of how to complete logbooks to the standard required by ESSA.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The following assessment criteria are used for performance work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Comprehensive and outstanding technical control and musical integrity in relation to developmental expectations. Musical individuality consistently projected to create a persuasive personal representation of the work. Performance flair indicative of soloist standard. A mark of 95 or above indicates extraordinary technical virtuosity and musical artistry.

Distinction

75 - 84

Excellent technical, musical and stylistic achievement. Consistently coherent and expressive performance. Some personal interpretation of the work suggesting soloist potential. 

Credit

65 - 74

Confident technique with evidence of solid musicality and some stylistic achievement. Occasional lapses indicative of unresolved technical, artistic and/or stylistic issues. Projects potential for further development.

Pass

50 - 64

Satisfactory level of preparation and musical engagement. Some inconsistencies in musicianship, style and/or technique. Musical imagination and overall performance sense developing though some insecurity in this area.

Fail

0 - 49

Unsatisfactory technical achievement and/or unsatisfactory level of musical and artistic engagement. Limitations may be of such a scale and consistency as to call into question the student’s future direction in the programme.

The following assessment criteria are used for written work in this unit of study:

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Demonstrates high level of initiative in research and reading; sophisticated critical analysis of evidence; high level engagement with theoretical issues, innovative use of reading/research material and impressive command of underlying debates and assumptions; properly documented and written with style, originality and precision.

Distinction

75 - 84

Demonstrates initiative in research and wide, appropriate reading; complex understanding of question and ability to critically review material in relation to underlying assumptions and values; analyses material in relation to empirical and theoretical contexts; properly documented; clear, well-developed structure and argument with some signs of literary style.

Credit

65 - 74

Evidence of broader understanding than pass level; offers synthesis with some critical evaluation of material; coherent argument using a range of relevant evidence; some evidence of independent thought, good referencing. A high credit (70-74) shows some evidence of ability to problematise and think conceptually.

Pass

50 - 64

Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading/research; relevant material; tendency to descriptive summary rather than critical argument; makes a reasonable attempt to avoid paraphrasing; reasonably coherent structure; often has weaknesses in particular areas, especially in terms of narrow or underdeveloped treatment of question; acceptable documentation.

Fail

0 - 49

Work may fail for any or all of the following reasons: Unacceptable paraphrasing; irrelevance of content; poor spelling; poor presentation; grammar or structure so sloppy it cannot be understood; failure to demonstrate understanding of content; insufficient or overlong word length.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance at preparation lectures and/or tutorials: Students are expected to attend, in their entirety, all briefing and preparation sessions scheduled in the semesters prior to placements commencing. All sessions are mandatory. These sessions will be scheduled into students’ timetables and reminder notices will be posted via Canvas. Failure to attend may result in a student not commencing placement.


Attendance at the placement site: Learning in a professional environment is a key feature of this unit of study. Students will be allocated to a placement site for up to 37.5 hours per week in one of various blocks throughout the year. Placements are mostly within the Sydney Metropolitan area; however, you should expect that you might be allocated a placement outside this area. You will be required to work a variety of hours during your placement depending on the site. Typically students work Monday to Friday within the hours of 8am and 5pm. However, some placements may require unusual work hours, such as early morning, evenings or weekends. This is to be expected because these types of hours are standard for some sectors of the industry. The total hours of placement will vary depending on the site, but will likely be in the range of 140-170 hours.


Students are expected to attend all scheduled placement days, and to make up any days missed due to leave (sick, religious observance requirements, bereavement or other forms of leave, public holidays, or staff leave). Students normally would not attend placement if their nominated supervisor is taking a rostered day off, unless the supervisor has made arrangements for someone else at the site to supervise the student. The timing of make-up days is to be organised by the relevant WIL academic (Amanda Semaan) who will negotiate arrangements with the placement site.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. behaving in a professionally and socially responsible manner
  • LO2. communicating effectively with clients, colleagues and others
  • LO3. thinking critically and independently
  • LO4. functioning effectively in a team environment
  • LO5. demonstrating exercise science-related knowledge and skills that are relevant to the work environment.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Students feedback from UoS Survey has been reviewed and considered.

Disclaimer

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