This course will prepare you for your professional psychology placement.
You will build your knowledge about therapist effectiveness, including managing therapeutic relationships and core interpersonal skills such as empathy. You will learn about the roles of psychologists, other professionals and support staff in various professional settings and the skills required for respectful and effective collaboration.
This course has an applied focus and will provide opportunities for you to participate in simulated learning exercises to practice and integrate the knowledge and skills you have acquired in psychological assessment and intervention.
The 40 hours of simulated learning experience in this course will contribute to the 300 hours practical experience required by APAC.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate mastery of theoretical knowledge and research evidence about safe and effective psychological practice.
2. Understand and apply current approaches to collaborative inter-professional practice.
3. Demonstrate competencies in interpersonal skills relevant to person-centered, collaborative professional practice.
4. Demonstrate competencies in skills required to plan and deliver a basic psychological intervention under supervision.

Research-Led Teaching

All lecturers will make use of evidence drawn from relevant disciplinary research to benefit student learning and outcomes. Some may share their own research findings with students. This will provide students with special insights into the specific topics discussed. Having access to lecturers who are also key leaders in the field may mean that the listed lecture sequence, that is, the lecture topics may change to another week in order to accommodate access to these experts.

Field Trips

Not applicable

Required Resources

Required readings and other resources will be listed or uploaded on Wattle throughout the course. These will be provided for each session (lectures and tutorials).

Students will need to bring laptops or other devices that have word processing capabilities, so they can write up simulated clinical notes, correspondence and other material during sessions.

Recommended Resources

Recommended student system requirements 

ANU courses commonly use a number of online resources and activities including:

• video material, similar to YouTube, for lectures and other instruction
• two-way video conferencing for interactive learning
• email and other messaging tools for communication
• interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities
• print and photo/scan for handwritten work
• home-based assessment.

To fully participate in ANU learning, students need:

• A computer or laptop. Mobile devices may work well but in some situations a computer/laptop may be more appropriate.
• Webcam
• Speakers and a microphone (e.g. headset)
• Reliable, stable internet connection. Broadband recommended. If using a mobile network or wi-fi then check performance is adequate.
• Suitable location with minimal interruptions and adequate privacy for classes and assessments.
• Printing, and photo/scanning equipment

For more information please see https://www.anu.edu.au/students/systems/recommended-student-system-requirements

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments on assignments.
• Verbal comments.
• Feedback to the whole class.
• To groups; and
• To individuals.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Students must pass all assessment tasks in order to pass the course. Students should ensure attendance requirements as outlined in the Master of Professional Psychology program handbook.

Referencing Requirements

Psychology uses the referencing style endorsed by the American Psychological Association:

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Student feedback to staff:

In addition to student feedback provided through ANU Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELTs) surveys, students may also be invited to provide course-specific feedback through a feedback survey developed by the lecturers within the Master of Professional Psychology program.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Introduction: Professional Psychology Practice	Prior to the first full day Simulated Clinic, hurdle requirements will be completed (Quiz 19/03 and OSCEs date TBC - indicative date late March). Students will also be required to demonstrate progress on immunity and other requirements for placements.
2	Psychological Assessment in Practice
3	Beginning Psychological Interventions
4	Physiological Interventions
5	Cognitive Interventions
6	Behavioral Interventions
7	Completing Therapy and Preparing for External Placement	Assessments due after final session:Case Report due 11/06Objective Structured Clinical Exam: date to be confirmed.

Tutorial Registration

Not applicable

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Participation in Simulated Professional Psychological Activities (hurdle)	60 %	*	24/05/2024	3,4
Quiz (CRS) (hurdle)	0 %	19/03/2024	20/03/2024	1,2
Simulated Case Report (hurdle)	40 %	11/06/2024	25/06/2024	1,2,3,4
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (CRS) (hurdle)	0 %	*	*	3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Given the highly applied nature of this course and the ongoing assessment of learning outcomes, students will be expected to attend all workshops in line with the standards of a professional training program. Workshops are not recorded and absences will result in missing critical learning experiences and activities for the student involved. Please note that the session hours in this course provide 40 of the 300 required practicum hours and must be completed in Semester 1.

In the case of unavoidable absence, students will be required to make alternative arrangements in advance with the course convenor and their team members to complete the required activities and to do so in a manner that is consistent with the professional behaviors expected in a psychology workplace. Relevant procedures will be outlined at the introductory session.

Examination(s)

There are no formal examinations for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Participation in Simulated Professional Psychological Activities (hurdle)

The six full-day sessions will provide students with opportunities to engage in diverse activities including simulated professional and inter-professional communication and collaboration, administrative tasks, application of ethical reasoning and scientist-practitioner research and conceptual skills as well as client-focused clinical assessment and interventions. Students are expected to participate fully in all activities and will receive ongoing formative assessment and feedback.

Hurdle requirement: 60%

Due Date: Ongoing through course

Assessment Task 2

Quiz (CRS) (hurdle)

This quiz is designed to ensure that students have sufficient understanding of the professional practice knowledge and skills that they will implement in the six full-day workshops. Students who do not pass this hurdle requirement will be asked to complete further assessment to ensure they are ready for simulated clinical activities.

Hurdle requirement: CRS

Due date: 19-03-2024 Information about the quiz will be provided in the introductory session.

Assessment Task 3

Simulated Case Report (hurdle)

The simulated case report provides an opportunity for students to become familiar with the format of clinical case reports which will be required when on external placement (PSYC8522) and lays the foundation for the capstone project (PSYC8520) in the second semester.

The simulated case report is a written report that describes the assessment, formulation, interventions and outcomes of the simulated clinical casework that students completed over the six full-day workshops. Students are expected to write up each section of the report as they complete the course activities. The report will be 2500 words and there will be additional appendices including an example of a case note and a simulated letter to another professional.

A template, detailed assignment requirements and a marking guide will be available on the course Wattle site.

Hurdle requirement: 40%

Due Date: 11-06-2024

Assessment Task 4

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (CRS) (hurdle)

The OSCE is a practical examination of clinical skill performance and competence focused on demonstrating that students are able to practice safely prior to participating in an external placement with clients. Detailed information about the OSCE requirements and preparatory learning experiences will be provided during courses sessions and on the course Wattle site.

Hurdle requirement: CRS

Indicative Date: Late March. Date to be confirmed.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Assignments are required to be submitted electronically via the Turnitin link attached to the Wattle site and will be returned approximately two to three weeks after the submission date.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Grading in the Master of Professional Psychology program reflects achievement of competencies as appropriate to developmental level. As such, students will be provided with grades indicating that competency has been met (Course Requirement Satisfied: CRS) or not met (Fail).

Failure to submit an assignment of a high standard which meets requirements for a passing grade (50%) will result in a student receiving feedback on the area/s requiring remediation and one opportunity for resubmission of the assignment to address these issues. This opportunity is provided only in circumstances where a genuine attempt to address the assignment requirements was determined to be made in the first submission. If the resubmission satisfactorily addresses the issues identified, a grade of CRS will be awarded for the task. The need to re-submit the same assignment twice due to inadequate performance will result in overall failure of the assessment piece, and thus the course, which will need to be repeated in a future offering.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students