Outline

Overview

Students will work in teams to develop and implement a structured self-directed fieldwork project over the course of the semester in partnership with a community organisation. Student teams will be supported to work independently and attend regular peer and academic supervision sessions on-campus. The project will focus on enabling participation within diverse communities relevant to OT practice. In this unit study students will develop project management skills, demonstrate their application of professional reasoning and develop competency in four key OT enablement skills.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	OCCP5239
Academic unit	Participation Sciences
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	OCCP5237 and OCCP5238
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Michelle Villeneuve, michelle.villeneuve@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Lynette Mackenzie, lynette.mackenzie@sydney.edu.au
	Olivia Jackson, olivia.jackson@sydney.edu.au
	Michelle Villeneuve, michelle.villeneuve@sydney.edu.au
	Kate Thomson, kate.thomson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Attendance	Placement Attendance Attendance at classes and activities that contribute to placement hours.	0%	Ongoing	Weeks 1-16 OR ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final Project Brief Group Assessment Report - project brief	10%	Week 05 Due date: 19 Mar 2024 at 11:59	2 pages max
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Professional Development Goals SMART Goals for Professional Development	30%	Week 06 Due date: 29 Mar 2024 at 11:59	400 - 500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Oral Presentation Learning Activity - during class. Exact times to be scheduled.	0%	Week 12 Due date: 14 May 2024 at 13:00	in-class presentation on project.
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Professional Development Self-Assessment Report on individual professional development in relation to SMART goals	30%	Week 12 Due date: 14 May 2024 at 11:59	500 - 800 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	High Quality Project Deliverable Group Delivery of project output	30%	Week 13 Due date: 24 May 2024 at 11:59	Variable depending on type of project
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Brief Description of Assessments 5239

Please be informed that this is a fieldwork unit and therefore simple extensions are not permitted. The weighted and non-weighted assessments (individual and group) follow strict timelines to ensure successful completion of this project-based fieldwork placement and enable student advancement in the course.

Graded:

Project Scope: The target audience for this assessment is the community partner and your own project group. This assessment is iterative and will develop through dialogue with the community partner about the project logic, timelines, and contributions of the student group and any other stakeholders involved in the project. Documentation is an important part of facilitating dialogue about the project scope. Student groups will be supported by learning activities to do the following:

Project teams will describe the project scope in brief (writing, powerpoint, video, or other medium is acceptable).
This will include a visual logic model of the project intended theory of action.
The program logic will incorporate both research-based and practice-informed evidence linked to the community fieldwork practice context. Over the course of the placement, ongoing research will strengthen the program plan and logic.
Early in the project, the program logic and brief will clarify (a) the project outcomes and impact, (b) consider the processes to achieve those outcomes (e.g., specific activities; inputs/resources; environmental context; including opportunities and constraints), and (c) propose a project output (deliverable).
Later in the project, the final project logic will clarify in a one-page visual the relationships between the project components - it will become elegant over time and through dialogue and engagement with the project and project stakeholders.
A Gantt Chart will outline the key activities, task dependencies, timeline for completion, and assignment of responsibilities to each team member. The Gantt Chart can track individual and team contributions and ensure there is a balance of effort across the project tasks and throughout the placement duration.

Student groups will use the project logic and Gantt Chart to dialogue with their community partner to:

mutually shape the project scope and expectations for the project output/deliverable over the first 4 weeks of placement, and
reflect on the scope of the project in relation to the community fieldwork context and the vision, mission, values of the organisation.
continue to use the clarified project logic as a tool to guide the project and facilitate feedback from the community partner.

This is not a test - it is a living document that should support genuine engagement between the student group and their community partner/stakeholders. The proces should support development of a shared focus for the project. When the project scope has been defined and clarified, students will submit the final project brief. This can be submitted anytime up until Week 6. Recognise that it will continue to evolve and strengthen through use after submission - that's okay becuase it is a living document. The submitted project brief in week 6 can be used by individual students to support planning for professional development and, later in semester can help to reflect on contributions, progress, project strengths, challenges, etc. The instructors will use the submitted project brief to support dialogue with students about their professional goals and self-assessment of their achievement.

Professional Development Goals: Individual students will reflect on their role and (potential/anticipated) contributions to the project, including consideration of their strengths/competencies, and set 3 measurable goals for professional development. This will be submitted in Week 5 and discussed in an individual mentoring session with the instructor in Week 5/6.

High Quality Deliverable: Student groups will submit their high quality deliverable for assessment by the unit instructors. The project will be assessed based on the Project Scope document submitted earlier in the semester. The high quality deliverable must be submitted by Friday of Week 13. More details on the deliverable will be provided in Canvas.

Professional Development Self-Assessment: Individual students will report their own professional development as a result of engaging with their group and community partner in a community fieldwork project placement (actual/outcomes). Students will reflect on their achievement of their profesisonal development goals, with evidence from their role and contribution to the project placement. This will be submitted in Week 12 and discussed in an individual mentoring session with the instructor in Week 12/13.

Feedback Only:

In-Class Professional Presentation: Project teams will present their project orally and receive feedback from peers, instructors and community fieldwork/stakeholders. These presentations will be held online in Week 12 to accommodate multiple simultaneous presentation sessions. Student groups will invite their community partners to attend.

Delivery of Project Output (Deliverable) & Presentation to Community Partner/Stakeholders: Each student team will develop and submit a professional project deliverable to their community partner and provide evidence of project completion and closure with the community partner. Each team will formally present the deliverable to the Community Partner and relevant stakeholders. The format, nature, and timing of these presentations and handover of the deliverables will vary by fieldwork site and project. Note, this is the same deliverable submitted for grading.

OCCP 5239 Project-based Community Fieldwork Placement: Feedback Form: Student groups will be provided with a feedback form that they will use to seek feedback from the community organisation/project supervisor. Individual students will use this feedback to support self-assessment and reflection for their Professional Development Self-Assessment.

Important information:

Students must complete all the assessment tasks to pass the entire unit. Failure to complete and submit any assessment item will result in being awarded a Fail grade, regardless of cumulative marks in the unit of study.

Students must pass Professional Development Goals and Self-Assessment at set criteria to pass this unit of study.

Students are responsible to meet fieldwork requirements including WHS checklist and timesheets. Other fieldwork requirements will be shared via Canvas.

Commensurate with fieldwork requirements, an automatic fail will be awarded for this unit of study if a student breaches client/patient/organisational privacy.

Placement Attendance: Students are required to obtain 200 fieldwork hours over the duration of this community-based project placement, and sustain a minimum of 12 hours each week. This will be achieved through a combination of compulsory participation in weekly classes, independent study via individual and group-based project work, and direct engagement with the community partner. The format and nature of engagement with community partners (e.g., onsite, online, other) will vary by fieldwork site and project.

Use of generative AI tools

You can use generative AI as part of your research and discovery process. You must critically analyse the AI response against other research and prioritise what you learn in the latter in drafting your final report/presentation/deliverable. You must submit an appendix describing how you have used AI in your work, including a brief commentary/critique of its usefulness (maximum 250 words, not counted toward word count for assignment). If you have not used generative AI, make this clear in your appendix and briefly explain why not.

You are allowed to use Grammarly to check your grammar and spelling. Use it carefully, as its suggestions can change the meaning of sentences. You should use it to teach you to become a better writer, not just unthinkingly follow its dictates. Grammarly can be very helpful to shift your writing from predominantly passive to active sentences.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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.

Learning support

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Unit, Project-based fieldwork - How does this unit work? Working with a community partner. Getting started with team formation and orientation to the project-based fieldwork placement site.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	Project Initiation: Getting started with your community partner and their stakeholders. Insights from the field. Community-Centred Engagement - competencies for occupational therapy practice at the community level. Setting professional development goals, benchmarking current performance and tracking progress across the placement. Identifying sources of feedback on professional development and integrating them into professional development plan.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 03	Project Logic as a Tool for project design - mapping the relationship between intended outcomes and project activities (including inputs, outputs, and anticipating factors that may support or constrain the project).	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 04	Applying project logic and assigning team roles using Gantt Chart as a tool for project management. Assessing task dependencies and managing project timelines. Teamwork and collaborative action for high quality outputs. Communicating the project plan with community partners.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 05	Using Research Evidence: Evidence-based process for Asking, Searching, Appraising, Using evidence in to produce a high quality project. Recognising where our emerging OT expertise fits into the process of using evidence. Evaluating progress with professional development goals.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 06	Applying Research Evidence to projects. Assessing knowledge gaps and developing goals and actions to achieve a high quality project while developing professional knowledge, skills, competencies for work with community partner.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 07	Recognising practice wisdom and using it to shape how research evidence is applied to the development of a high quality project. Appreciative Inquiry strategies for working with community partners to identify and use practice wisdom to inform project processes and improve outputs.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 08	Using learnings from our developmental process to make improvements. Recognising that things change because we know more than when we started and using those learnings to refine the project logic by using evidence, practice wisdom, and critical reasoning together to improve our theory of action, project processes and the outputs of our effort.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 09	Evaluating progress using the project logic, evidence, external feedback, and self-assessment of professional development. Marking progress and acknowledging capabilities and areas for ongoing development of knowledge, skills, behaviours for working with community partners and delivering high quality projects.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 10	Preparing to exit a community partnership project while supporting sustainability of learning into the future. Building sustainability into the deliverable and supporting effective handover. Tips from the field. Application of strategies to individual project placements.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Project status update. Critical review of progress and emerging deliverable. Appraising project strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 12	Oral Presentations (held online 10 mins + 5 min Q&A; 15 min max time). Students will extend invitations to community partners. Presentations will take place in concurrent online forums.	Workshop (3 hr)
Week 13	Wrap up. Professional development feedback.	Workshop (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

This unit has minimum attendance requirements that include mandatory classes, academic mentoring, placement attendance, group and individual self-directed learning. The minimum total hours to be completed contributes 200 hours to the 1000 hours of practice education placements.

Students should refer to the timesheet guidelines which will be further detailed in the unit and provided to students via the Canvas site for this unit.

Timesheet and Community Partner Verification Form (Individual)

As per these attendance requirements, students must maintain a complete and accurate timesheet in Sonia as per the guidelines provided. Students must also each submit the signed form verifying each occasion of their attendance at their placement site. This must be completed and submitted by Friday of Week 14.

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.

Required readings

See eReserve on Canvas for details.

Learning outcomes

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. Demonstrate professional behaviours and self-management skills appropriate to the expectations of the university and fieldwork settings.
LO2. Demonstrate development of individual self-management and team collaboration in relation to the application of program theory of change to project-based fieldwork.
LO3. Integrate data from multiple sources to self-assess competence in occupational therapy enablement with communities and use feedback to improve individual contributions, team processes, and products (e.g., output/deliverable)
LO4. Apply evidence-informed and practice-based evidence to project design, development and/or implementation in a real-life practice context and work with community partners evaluate the strengths and limitations of both project processes and outputs/products.

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
Learning outcomes

Australian occupational therapy competency standards 2018 -

Competency code	Taught, Practiced or Assessed	Competency standard
1.10		Practises within limits of her/his own level of competence and expertise
1.13		Manages resources, time and workload accountably and effectively
1.16		Contributes to education and professional practice development of peers and students, and
1.9		Identifies and manages the influence of her/his values and culture on practice
2.1		Applies current and evidence-informed knowledge of occupational therapy and other appropriate and relevant theory in practice
2.10		Maintains digital literacy for practice.
2.2		Applies theory and frameworks of occupation to professional practice and decision-making
2.3		Identifies and applies best available evidence in professional practice and decision-making
2.5		Maintains current knowledge for cultural responsiveness to all groups in the practice setting
2.6		Maintains and improves currency of knowledge, skills and new evidence for practice by adhering to the requirements for continuing professional development
2.7		Implements a specific learning and development plan when moving to a new area of practice or returning to practice
2.8		Reflects on practice to inform current and future reasoning and decision-making and the integration of theory and evidence into practice
2.9		Maintains knowledge of relevant resources and technologies, and
3.12		Uses effective collaborative, multidisciplinary and interprofessional approaches for decision-making and planning
3.14		Contributes to quality improvement and service development.
3.2		Performs appropriate information gathering and assessment when identifying a client’s status and functioning, strengths, occupational performance and goals
3.3		Collaborates with the client and relevant others to determine the priorities and occupational therapy goals
3.4		Develops a plan with the client and relevant others to meet identified occupational therapy goals
3.8		Identifies and uses practice guidelines and protocols suitable to the practice setting or work environment
4.1		Communicates openly, respectfully and effectively
4.10		Seeks and responds to feedback, modifying communication and/or practice accordingly, and
4.11		Identifies and articulates the rationale for practice to clients and relevant others.
4.2		Adapts written, verbal and non-verbal communication appropriate to the client and practice context
4.4		Uses culturally responsive, safe and relevant communication tools and strategies
4.5		Complies with legal and procedural requirements for the responsible and accurate documentation, sharing and storage of professional information and records of practice
4.7		Obtains informed consent for practice and information-sharing from the client or legal guardian
4.9		Uses effective communication skills to initiate and end relationships with clients and relevant others

Responding to student feedback

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

This unit has been developed with feedback from students enrolled in 2023. A specific improvement is reducing group size and increasing application of learning during small group work in each successive week of this unit.

Additional information

Student Administration Manual

This unit of study outline MUST be read in conjunction with the Student Administration Manual on the Faculty of Health Sciences Current Students webpage: http://sydney.edu.au/health-sciences/current-students/coursework/student-administration-manual.shtml

All students are required to familiarise themselves with their academic responsibilities, and the academic policies governing their enrolment and progression. The Faculty of Health Sciences student administration manual provides a direct link to the University of Sydney’s Coursework policy and Faculty provisions.

The Work Integrated Learning Canvas site also provides information specific to Faculty of Health Sciences placements such as essential preparation, forms and policies.

https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/9121

All students are required to familiarise themselves with their academic responsibilities, and the academic policies and protocols governing their placements.

When considering applications and appeals relating to these matters, it will be assumed that students understand their academic responsibilities and are familiar with these key policies and procedures.

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities. Consistent with WHS legislation, you are required to complete a WHS induction on your first visit to your placement site, and if relevant at any time you attend to work in another setting. To guide (not prescribe) what you and your supervisor should include in such an induction, you should use the WHS Checklist available on the placements website (http://sydney.edu.au/health-sciences/placements/essential_preparation/work_health_safety/index.shtml). You are required to evidence your completion of your induction by uploading a scanned copy of the completed and signed form to Sonia. This is an essential requirement that has legal ramifications and is consistent with the professional behaviour expectations required of you to demonstrate attainment of the learning outcome 1.

Students must also meet all pre-placement requirements as outlined on the University of Sydney Course-specific Checks and Clearances website (http://sydney.edu.au/current_students/enrolment/course_check.shtml). Please ensure an up-to-date declaration (in SONIA). The declaration confirms that students have read the key documents related to privacy and confidentiality, codes of conduct, NSW Health policies and general communication/email etiquette. NSW Health and other sites may require students to undertake mandatory orientation and induction modules as relevant to the specific placement site. This is an important part of meeting mandatory attendance requirements and can contribute fieldwork hours and should be included in the log of hours.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

OCCP5239: Community Based OT Fieldwork

Semester 1, 2024 [Professional practice] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect