Overview
Volunteering provides an opportunity to develop civic awareness and participation as well as developing personal skills of self-understanding, discretion and learning to work with others.This unit allows students to engage with communities in a way that encourages them to use their volunteering experiences to promote a deeper understanding of community as well as their role within their communities as professionals upon graduation. It encourages students to understand the theory that underpins volunteering activities and to apply this thinking to their own experiences. Students are expected to volunteer for a minimum of 25 hours with a community agency.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Successful completion of 48 credit points.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Evaluation
Students really enjoyed the structure of this unit and loved interacting with people in their community.
We'll continue to ask students to identify and negotiate their own volunteering opportunities. This encourages students to start their own service-learning journey, and by practical application build on their existing communication skills and knowledge.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Students felt the assessments were great. Some stating they walked away learning a lot about themselves and the community they live in.
We'll continue to encourage and support students through the volunteering of their time with a community based organisation, taking on board their reflections and feedback when making changes to the unit content and assessment.
- Evaluate the role volunteering plays in building communities.
- Apply the theory associated with volunteering in a community setting.
- Realistically reflect on learning resulting from volunteering experiences.
- Demonstrate communication and culturally competent skills and knowledge appropriate to the volunteer experience.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | ||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 10% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 65% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 0% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 10% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 25% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 65% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Learning through serving
Edition: Second (2013)
Authors: Cress, Collier, Reitenauer & Associates
Stylus
Sterling Sterling , Virginia , United States of America
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.mcnicol@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Module 1: Preparation for your community experience (Weeks 1-2)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 1-3 (pp. 9-47)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Module/Topic
Module 1: Preparation for your community experience (Weeks 1-2)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 1-3 (pp. 9-47)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 2: Establishing your community experience (Weeks 3-4)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 4-5 (pp. 51-91).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Volunteer Placement Negotiation Due: Week 3 Friday (26 Nov 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 2: Establishing your community experience (Weeks 3-4)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 4-5 (pp. 51-91)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 3: Learning from your community experience (Weeks 5-6)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapter 6-10 (pp. 95-159)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Formative Portfolio Due: Week 5 Friday (17 Dec 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 3: Learning from your community experience (Weeks 5-6)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapter 6-10 (pp. 95-159)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Essay Due: Week 9 Friday (21 Jan 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Tutorial (Zoom)
Module/Topic
Module 4: Reflecting on and evaluating your community experience (Weeks 7-12)
Chapter
Cress et al. (2013) Chapters 11-14 (pp. 163-205).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Portfolio Due: Week 12 Friday (11 Feb 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Some organisations may have a mandatory requirement for vaccination against COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases. If this is the case for the organisation you wish to volunteer with, you will be required to comply with their policies prior to commencing your volunteer experience.
1 Written Assessment
For this assessment, you will need to negotiate at least 25 hours of volunteer experience with a community-based organisation. The definition of a community-based organisation is provided on the Moodle site. The 25 hours can be undertaken in any format, for example, you could complete your 25 hours by committing to an hour a week, or an hour a day, the choice is yours. Your negotiation with your community-based organisation will require you to complete a Volunteer Experience Negotiation and a CQUniversity Risk Assessment, copies of both forms are available on the Moodle site. Both are to be completed with the assistance of the community-based organisation. Please note, University Insurance will not cover you unless your negotiation and risk assessment forms have been completed and approved by your Unit Coordinator prior to commencing your volunteer experience.
Week 3 Friday (26 Nov 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 5 Friday (17 Dec 2021)
This assessment has no weighting, it is a Pass/Fail. This assessment must be completed before you commence your volunteer service.
- Apply the theory associated with volunteering in a community setting.
- Communication
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Portfolio
You are required to undertake a number of prescribed activities allocated from your textbook for Modules 1 and 2. You must complete these and submit them in short answer format.
Prescribed activities include:
- Module 1: Exercises 1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 3.3, 3.5.
- Module 2: Exercises 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5.
Feedback provided in the marking of this formative portfolio will guide you in the completion of Modules 3 & 4, as part of the final portfolio. There is no prescribed format for this task but your portfolio should use relevant headings and subheadings to guide the reader. A Table of Contents and Executive Summary is not required. Use appropriate evidence to support your statements. (Length: N/A)
Week 5 Friday (17 Dec 2021) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (7 Jan 2022)
You will be assessed according to the following:
High Distinction: Evidence of deep reflection and/or comprehensive application of topic to own experiences.
Distinction: Evidence of considered and consistent reflection and/or application of topic to own experiences.
Credit: Evidence of broad reflection and/or application of topic to own experiences.
Pass: Evidence of some, but inconsistent, reflection and/or application of topic to own experiences.
Fail: Little or no evidence or reflection or application of topic to own experiences.
- Evaluate the role volunteering plays in building communities.
- Apply the theory associated with volunteering in a community setting.
- Realistically reflect on learning resulting from volunteering experiences.
- Demonstrate communication and culturally competent skills and knowledge appropriate to the volunteer experience.
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Written Assessment
Write an essay, evaluating the role of volunteering in building communities. Contrast the benefits and risks associated with service learning units for undergraduate students.
Use appropriate evidence to support your statements.
Length: 1500 words (10% under- 20% over is acceptable).
Week 9 Friday (21 Jan 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 11 Friday (4 Feb 2022)
Your essay will be marked according to: 1) consistency with academic writing protocols (5%); exploration of benefits (5%); exploration of risks (5%); tightness of argument (5%); quality of evidence (5%).
Please see the detailed marking rubric found on the Moodle site for a breakdown of the criteria according to grades.
- Evaluate the role volunteering plays in building communities.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
4 Portfolio
The final portfolio provides an overview of your key learning achieved during your volunteering experience. The portfolio will consist of two parts:
1) Prescribed activities - allocated from your textbook for Modules 3 and 4. You must complete these in short answer format.
Prescribed activities include:
- Module 3: Exercises 6.1, 7.1, 8.2, 8.5, 9.3, 10.5.
- Module 4: Exercises 11.3, 13.2, 14.3.
There is no prescribed format for part 1, but your prescribed activities should use relevant headings and subheadings to guide the reader. A Table of Contents and Executive Summary is not required. Use appropriate evidence to support your statements. (Length: N/A)
2) Critical reflection - a first person reflection on your volunteer experience. Your reflection should refer to your civic engagement in the context of all the prescribed exercises allocated from the textbook, connecting these exercises with your volunteer experience. Your reflection can be as a written essay (Length: 2000 words; 10% under- 20% over is acceptable), a video or an audio production (15-20 minutes), or any other format negotiated with the Unit Coordinator.
There is no prescribed format for part 2, but your portfolio should use relevant headings and subheadings to guide the reader. A Table of Contents and Executive Summary is not required. Use appropriate evidence to support your statements.
Week 12 Friday (11 Feb 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Results for final assessment are released following Certification of grades.
Your portfolio will be marked according to the following criteria: 1) Application of learning to community setting (25%); 2) Reflection on experiences (20%); 3) Communication and cultural competence (20%).
Please see the detailed marking rubric found on the Moodle site for a breakdown of the criteria according to grades.- Evaluate the role volunteering plays in building communities.
- Apply the theory associated with volunteering in a community setting.
- Realistically reflect on learning resulting from volunteering experiences.
- Demonstrate communication and culturally competent skills and knowledge appropriate to the volunteer experience.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Team Work
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
