Overview
This unit introduces you to fundamental aspects of physiotherapy practice, including physical examination, therapeutic exercise and utilising research skills to inform evidence-based practice. You will begin to acquire knowledge and skills in the assessment and prescription of resistance and aerobic training programs and develop skills in the observation, measurement and analysis of muscle and joint function. Your understanding of professional physiotherapy practice will be extended through undertaking an observational clinical placement.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
To enrol in this unit, you must be enrolled in the CB85 Course and meet the following requisites: Prerequisites: PSIO11004: Foundations of Physiotherapy Practice 1
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 2 - 2026
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 data, direct student feedback, self-reflection.
Students reported that videos demonstrating practical skills would better support the practice of core assessment skills (range of motion, muscle strength, and length tests).
It is recommended that teaching staff develop demonstration videos for muscle strength, range-of-motion and muscle length assessments to support student learning and skills practice.
Feedback from Unit evaluation data, direct student feedback, self-reflection.
Students want case studies to support the contextual application of the physiotherapy assessments being taught in this unit to help reinforce their learning.
It is recommended to include simple, non-pathology case studies that relate to the practical assessment skills taught and assessed in this unit.
- Demonstrate an understanding of energy systems, muscle and cardiorespiratory physiology, components of physical function and principles of therapeutic exercise program design
- Apply principles of evidence-based practice and client-centred care through research and application of the International classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework (ICF)
- Demonstrate effective skills in patient communication and risk management
- Demonstrate theoretical and applied knowledge in the assessment, prescription, monitoring, evaluation and documentation of resistance and aerobic training programs
- Demonstrate theoretical and applied knowledge of physical examination, including observation, palpation, functional tasks, range of movement, muscle strength and muscle length
- Demonstrate professional and ethical behaviours consistent with a physiotherapy practitioner.
Learning outcomes and assessment tasks have been mapped against and aligned with the Physiotherapy Practice Thresholds in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - In-class Test(s) - 35% | ||||||
| 2 - Group Work - 25% | ||||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||||
| 4 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 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 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||