CQUniversity Unit Profile
PSIO12004 Neurosciences Across the Lifespan
Neurosciences Across the Lifespan
All details in this unit profile for PSIO12004 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit focuses on the theoretical component of neuroscience and prepares you for the clinical application of this theory. You will study core concepts of neurosciences with the focus being on neuroanatomy and neurodevelopment. The neuroanatomy content includes the organisation and function of the nervous system, neuroplasticity, motor control and learning, and signs and symptoms in neural lesions. The neurodevelopmental content includes both normal and pathological development across the lifespan, with the knowledge and skills developed being central to the core concepts of paediatric physiotherapy. This unit introduces you to the practical physiotherapy skills required to perform a neurological assessment, with a specific focus on the assessment of key neurological impairments and neurodevelopment.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 2
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites: ALLH11005 Anatomy and Physiology for Health Professionals 1 ALLH11004 Anatomy and Physiology for Health Professionals 2 PSIO11004 Foundations of Physiotherapy Practice 1 PSIO11003 Foundations of Physiotherapy Practice 2

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 - 2019

Bundaberg
Rockhampton

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).

Class and Assessment Overview

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

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Online Quiz(zes)
Weighting: 25%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 40%
3. On-campus Activity
Weighting: Pass/Fail
4. Practical Assessment
Weighting: 35%

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.

Previous Student Feedback

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 Have your say, TASAC, student and staff correspondence.

Feedback

Technology issues negatively impacted teaching and learning experience.

Recommendation

Schedule lectures in dedicated lecture theatres, as these facilities are equipped with higher video and audio quality. Recommendation to review the use of cross-campus teaching for tutorials.

Feedback from Have your say, student and staff correspondence.

Feedback

Observational placements expectations and learning experiences were not clearly identified by students.

Recommendation

Review observational placement intended learning outcomes and requirements. Communicate and highlight expectations and alignment with learning outcomes at the start of the unit and immediately before these placements.

Feedback from Have your say, student and staff correspondence.

Feedback

Tutorial delivery across camera impacted on student engagement and learning outcomes.

Recommendation

Deliver all practical components separately on each campus with combined discussion around clinical reasoning as appropriate. Engage in teaching team planning meetings to provide consistent and equitable learning experiences on each campus.

Feedback from Have your say, student and staff correspondence.

Feedback

Assessment requirements were not clearly outlined and assessment feedback was not provided in a timely manner.

Recommendation

Assessment requirements will be clearly communicated. The scheduling of the written assessment task will be reviewed to enable feedback on performance to be provided prior to the OSCE. The OSCE assessment rubric will be reviewed, with a focus on modifications to the rubric and/or examiner training methods to ensure consistent expectations of students across all assessment constructs.

Feedback from Have your say, student and staff correspondence.

Feedback

Inconsistent content of lecture and Moodle learning resources.

Recommendation

Clinical state-wide resources such as the "general allied health paediatric principles e-learning module" and milestone checklists will be reviewed for potential inclusion in this unit. Unit content will be reviewed to ensure consistency between resources. Students will be made aware of apparent inconsistencies between normative data that may be reflective of normal variances between individuals.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Describe basic concepts of neurosciences, including organisation and function of the nervous system, plasticity, motor development, degeneration, motor control and learning, and signs and symptoms in neural lesions
  2. Demonstrate and discuss the assessment of specific neurological impairments and neurodevelopment
  3. Identify atypical motor development in babies and toddlers
  4. Discuss the pathological processes, the symptomatology, clinical course, medical and pharmacological management, and prognosis of common neurological conditions in children
  5. Identify and interpret how environmental and personal factors impact activity and participation of paediatric and geriatric patients with pathological neurodevelopment
  6. Develop, implement and evaluate interventions for children and older people with neurological conditions, based on contemporary evidence from the literature
  7. Identify and discuss the principles of Family Centred Care in the paediatric setting.

The Learning Outcomes and Assessment Tasks have been mapped against and aligned with the Physiotherapy Practice Thresholds of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25%
2 - Written Assessment - 40%
3 - Practical Assessment - 35%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25%
2 - Written Assessment - 40%
3 - On-campus Activity - 0%
4 - Practical Assessment - 35%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Neuroanatomy: An illustrated colour text

Edition: 6th edn (2019)
Authors: Crossman, A. & Neary, D.
Elsevier Churchill Livingstone
Edinburgh Edinburgh , UK
ISBN: 9780702074622
Binding: Paperback
Prescribed

Neurological Assessment: A Clinician's Guide

(2014)
Authors: Jones, K
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
London London , UK
ISBN: 978-0-7020-6302-2
Binding: Paperback
Supplementary

Campbell's Physical Therapy for Children

Edition: 5th edn (2017)
Authors: Palisano, R. J., Orlin, M. N.& Schreiber, J
Saunders Elsevier
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN: 9780323390187
Binding: Hardcover
Supplementary

Neuroanatomy in Clinical Context: An Atlas of Structures, Sections, Systems, and Syndromes

9th revised edition (2014)
Authors: Haines, D.E
Wolters Kluwer Health
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN: 9781451186253
Binding: Paperback

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Vanesa Bochkezanian Unit Coordinator
v.bochkezanian@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 15 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Introduction to PSIO12004 - Neurosciences Across the Lifespan

Development and Overview of the Nervous System

Neuroplasticity

Neuroanatomy: Gross Anatomy Overview

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 22 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Neuroanatomy: Support Systems (Blood Supply, Venous System, Ventricular System)

The Cerebral Cortex

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 3 Begin Date: 29 Jul 2019

Module/Topic

Motor and Somatosensory Systems

Brainstem and Cranial Nerves

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 05 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Spinal Cord

Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 5 Begin Date: 12 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Visual and Vestibular Systems

Revision

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Summative Assessment: Quiz 1


Supervised Online Quiz Due: Week 5 Thursday (15 Aug 2019) 8:00 am AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 19 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 6 Begin Date: 26 Aug 2019

Module/Topic

Overview of the First Years and Developmental Theories and Principles

Upper Limb Development

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Hurdle 3 (E-learning General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics - Clinical Skills  Development Service from Queensland Government)

Week 7 Begin Date: 02 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Musculoskeletal Development

Sensory Development and Motor Control

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle page for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

DDH Learning Module

Week 8 Begin Date: 09 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Development of Postural Control

Focus on Attaining Vertical Control

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 9 Begin Date: 16 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Neurodevelopmental Assessment

Paediatric Scenarios 

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle page for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 23 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Pathological Development

Ageing Overview

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Have Your Say - Unit Evaluation

Week 11 Begin Date: 30 Sep 2019

Module/Topic

Pathological Ageing: Dementia

Paediatric Simulation

Chapter

Crossman, A. & Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: an illustrated colour text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Jones, K. (2014). Neurological assessment: a clinician's guide. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Refer to Moodle for prescribed textbook chapters and additional resources.

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 12 Begin Date: 07 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Revision

Summative Assessment: Supervised Online Written Assessment (Quiz 2)

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Summative Assessment: Supervised Online Written Assessment (Quiz 2)

Summative Assessment: Hurdle 1 (Satisfactory Grade Observational Placement)

Summative Assessment: Hurdle 1 (Attendance)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Hurdle 3 (E-learning General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics - Clinical Skills Development Service from Queensland Government)

Have Your Say - Unit Evaluation


Supervised Online Written Examination Due: Week 12 Thursday (10 Oct 2019) 8:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 14 Oct 2019

Module/Topic


Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Summative Assessment: Practical Assessment (OSCE) may be scheduled within week 1 or week 2 of the CQUniversity Examination Period

Have Your Say - Unit Evaluation

Exam Week Begin Date: 21 Oct 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Summative Assessment: Practical Assessment (OSCE) may be scheduled within week 1 or week 2 of the CQUniversity Examination Period

Have Your Say - Unit Evaluation

Term Specific Information

In order to be eligible to pass this unit, students must attend up to 6 hours of observational placements, which could be in child-care centres, educational facilities, community-based events, non-profit organisations or similar.


Assessment Tasks

1 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title
Supervised Online Quiz

Task Description

There will be one online quiz:

  • Supervised Online Quiz (25%) will occur in week 5 on Thursday 15th August at 8am . It will assess content from weeks 1-5 inclusive.

This quiz will consist of up to 45 questions (worth up to 60 marks) and will have a time limit of up to 90 minutes. The questions will be identical for all students, however they will be randomly generated from a question bank so that the quizzes may appear differently for each student. This quiz is a closed book assessment which will be supervised by a CQU staff member and must be completed at the scheduled time on either Rockhampton or Bundaberg campus. Access to all resources other than the quiz itself is prohibited (e.g. books, notes, electronic devices or websites other than the quiz itself). It is recommended that a laptop be utilised for this assessment, however a tablet is permitted. The use of a mobile phone is not permitted for this assessment item.


Supervised online quiz will consist of some or all of the following categories:

  • Multiple choice questions
  • True/ false questions
  • Short answer questions
  • Fill in the missing word(s) questions
  • Questions relating to multimedia material (e.g. images, videos)

Refer to Moodle for further information and additional resources.


Number of Quizzes

1


Frequency of Quizzes

Other


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Thursday (15 Aug 2019) 8:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Results will be accessible on Moodle within two weeks of the submission date.


Weighting
25%

Assessment Criteria

All questions will be marked numerically and an overall percentage mark awarded.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe basic concepts of neurosciences, including organisation and function of the nervous system, plasticity, motor development, degeneration, motor control and learning, and signs and symptoms in neural lesions


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Team Work
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Supervised Online Written Examination

Task Description

There will be one supervised online written examination:

  • Supervised Online Written Examination (40%) will occur in week 12 on Thursday 10th October at 8am. It will assess content from weeks 1-11 inclusive.

This online written examination is in the format of an online quiz and will consist of up to 65 questions (worth up to 90 marks) and will have a time limit of up to 150 minutes. The questions will be identical for all students, however they will be randomly generated from a question bank so that the examinations may appear differently for each student. This examination is a closed book assessment which will be supervised by a CQU staff member and must be completed at the scheduled time on either Rockhampton or Bundaberg campus. Access to all resources other than the examination itself is prohibited (e.g. books, notes, electronic devices or websites other than the examination itself). It is recommended that a laptop be utilised for this assessment, however a tablet is permitted. The use of a mobile phone is not permitted for this assessment item.

Supervised online written examination will consist of some or all of the following categories:

  • Multiple choice questions
  • True/ false questions
  • Short answer questions
  • Fill in the missing word(s) questions
  • Questions relating to multimedia material (e.g. images, videos)

Refer to Moodle for further information and additional resources.



Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Thursday (10 Oct 2019) 8:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Results will be accessible on Moodle within two weeks of the submission date.


Weighting
40%

Minimum mark or grade
In order to be eligible to PASS the unit, you must achieve a PASS result (grade equal to or higher than 50%) for this assessment item.

Assessment Criteria

All questions will be marked numerically and an overall percentage mark awarded.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Describe basic concepts of neurosciences, including organisation and function of the nervous system, plasticity, motor development, degeneration, motor control and learning, and signs and symptoms in neural lesions
  • Demonstrate and discuss the assessment of specific neurological impairments and neurodevelopment
  • Identify atypical motor development in babies and toddlers
  • Discuss the pathological processes, the symptomatology, clinical course, medical and pharmacological management, and prognosis of common neurological conditions in children
  • Identify and interpret how environmental and personal factors impact activity and participation of paediatric and geriatric patients with pathological neurodevelopment
  • Develop, implement and evaluate interventions for children and older people with neurological conditions, based on contemporary evidence from the literature
  • Identify and discuss the principles of Family Centred Care in the paediatric setting.


Graduate Attributes
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Information Technology Competence

3 On-campus Activity

Assessment Title
Hurdle Assessments (P/F)

Task Description

There will be three hurdle assessments:

  • Hurdle 1 (Attainment of a Satisfactory Grade for the Observational Placement): This unit includes up to six (6) hours of observational learning. This clinical observation placement is designed to give you the opportunity to observe children interacting in a non-clinical environment. The location of these observational placements will be in child-care centres, educational facilities, community-based events, non-profit organisation or similar. These observational placements will be scheduled outside regular timetabled sessions. All pre-clinical requirements must be completed prior to the observational clinical placement and attendance at the placement is mandatory. Following your observational placement, feedback will be provided by the supervising physiotherapist to the Clinical Educator Coordinator on the following constructs of physiotherapy practice: professional behaviour, communication and assessment (observation). A satisfactory grade for the observational placement is required in order to be eligible to PASS this unit. Results for this hurdle will be available once all clinical observational placements are completed and satisfactory performance is confirmed by the clinical educator coordinator.

  • Hurdle 2 (Attendance): A minimum attendance rate of 85% for practical and tutorial sessions is required in order to be eligible to PASS this unit. This minimum attendance requirement is recommended by the Australian Physiotherapy Council. The monitoring of attendance will take into consideration legitimate requests for absence such as those outlined in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework) as reasons for requesting time extensions for submitting assessment tasks (e.g. medical or allied health, compassionate, misadventure and exceptional circumstances). Attendance rates for this hurdle will be calculated in week 12.
  • Hurdle 3: E-learning General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics - Clinical Skills  Development Service from Queensland Government. Completion of the E-learning General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics - Clinical Skills  Development Service from Queensland Government is required in order to be eligible to PASS this unit. The General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics (GAPP) eLearning program has been developed by the Clinical Skills Development Service in collaboration with the physiotherapy department at the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane. This course provides background knowledge about the key principles to paediatric care, establishing a framework in which allied health professionals and other healthcare providers can work to better meet the health needs of this vulnerable population. It addresses individual, system, societal, and legislative issues which set children apart from adults, and which need to be adopted in contemporary paediatric practice. It also sets the scene for health professionals to develop more discipline-specific knowledge and skills for management of children.This eLearning course was possible due to funding made available by Health Workforce Australia. A certificate provided upon completion must be submitted on Moodle to be eligible to pass this Unit. This online course can be accessed by this LINKhttps://central.csds.qld.edu.au/central/courses/155. This hurdle will be due on week 7 (Friday 6/09/2019 COB).

Refer to Moodle for further information and additional resources.


Assessment Due Date

Hurdle 3 due date: Week 7: (6/09/2019). Hurdle 1 and 2 due date: Week 12 (11/10/2019)


Return Date to Students

Weighting
Pass/Fail

Minimum mark or grade
In order to be eligible to PASS the unit, you must achieve a PASS result for each hurdle (i.e. PASS for hurdle 1 and PASS for hurdle 2).

Assessment Criteria

Hurdle 1: Attainment of a satisfactory grade on your observational placement is required to PASS this hurdle. You must PASS this hurdle in order to be eligible to PASS the unit.

Hurdle 2: An attendance rate of 85% at practical and tutorial sessions is required to PASS this hurdle. You must PASS this hurdle in order to be eligible to PASS the unit.

Hurdle 3: E-learning General Allied-Health Principles of Paediatrics - Clinical Skills  Development Service from Queensland Government. A certificate of completion must be submitted via Moddle in order to be eligible to PASS the unit.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy
  • Team Work
  • Information Technology Competence
  • Cross Cultural Competence
  • Ethical practice

4 Practical Assessment

Assessment Title
Practical assessment (OSCE)

Task Description

The Practical Assessment will be in the form of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and is intended to assess student performance of practical and clinical reasoning skills. The purpose of the practical assessment is to assess the student's ability to:

  • Design a safe, systematic and individualised paediatric neurosensory motor developmental assessment that demonstrates appropriate clinical reasoning and assessment item selection considering both video content and written parental concerns.
  • Perform specific paediatric assessment items taking into consideration the age and condition of the paediatric client.
  • Design a safe, systematic and individualised treatment plan with consideration of assessment findings along with patient and/or family goals and be able to justify intervention items with appropriate clinical reasoning .
  • Perform specific paediatric intervention taking into consideration the age and condition of the paediatric client

Each student will be provided with two scenarios:

The first scenario will be an initial assessment where the student will observe a short video of a paediatric client and be provided with the written concerns of the parent/guardian. The student will be required to outline an assessment plan that a is safe, systematic and individualised to the client in the video. Students will then be asked to demonstrate particular assessment items from the assessment plan to the examiner.

The second scenario will be an intervention scenario where the student is provided with a completed assessment template. Students will be required to use the assessment template to outline a safe, systematic and individualised intervention plan that is goal-oriented, evidence-based and demonstrates appropriate clinical reasoning. Students will then be asked to demonstrate particular intervention items from the intervention plan to the examiner.

The clinical notes and video will be provided to the student 30 minutes prior to the practical examination. The practical examination will have a time limit of up to 45 minutes.

For each clinical scenario, you may be requested to:

  • Demonstrate appropriate clinical reasoning, that is evidence-based to guide assessment/intervention item selection and takes into consideration the age and condition of the paediatric client.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of neurosensory motor development and common paediatric conditions.
  • Demonstrate effective communication and interaction with both the paediatric client and their parent/guardian.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of client-centred, family-centred, strength-based, culturally responsive practice embedded within paediatric frameworks such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)- Child and Youth Edition.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of age-appropriate assessment techniques (e.g. subjective examination, postural reactions, fine motor assessment, gross motor assessment, musculoskeletal assessment, sensory assessment, neurological assessment).
  • Demonstrate knowledge of age-appropriate intervention techniques (e.g. facilitating transitions and appropriate positions, challenging limits of stability, improving neurological/sensory/fine motor/gross motor functioning).

Students being examined should be attired in their full clinical uniform. Students will be using a doll to demonstrate assessment and intervention techniques on.

The examiner or an actor will play the role of the parent.

A timetable for the practical assessment will be published on Moodle at the end of Term 2.



Assessment Due Date

Examination Period


Return Date to Students

Results will be accessible on Moodle within two weeks of the submission date.


Weighting
35%

Minimum mark or grade
In order to be eligible to PASS the unit, you must achieve a PASS result for each case study (i.e. PASS for case study one and PASS for case study 2). Refer to the requirements to PASS the OSCE outlined in the Assessment Criteria section.

Assessment Criteria

The assessment rubric for this task is based on the Australian Standards for Physiotherapy, the Accreditation Standard set by the Australian Physiotherapy Council and The Assessment of Physiotherapy Practice Instrument. These quality frameworks are mapped against the CQUniversity Graduate Attributes and are intended to give a holistic understanding of standards expected for the assessment task. The rubric for this assessment will be based on the following categories and weightings:

Practical Assessment (OSCE) (35%)

  • Risk Management/ Safety (Pass/Fail)
  • Professional Behaviour (5%)
  • Communication (20%)
  • Analysis and Planning (25%)
  • Practical application of intervention (50%)

    Refer to Moodle for the assessment rubric.


    Requirements to PASS the Practical Assessment

    In order to be eligible to PASS the Practical Assessment you must:

    1) achieve a PASS result for the PASS/FAIL component of Risk Management/Safety for the Practical Assessment (OSCE).

    AND

    2) achieve 50% or higher in the graded component for each of the two parts (i.e. a minimum of 50% for Part 1 and a minimum of 50% for Part 2).

    If you do not meet the above criteria for each part, you will be eligible for one opportunity to re-sit the part(s) of the assessment task for which you have not met the requirements to PASS, provided you have achieved an overall grade equal to, or higher than 44.5% for your OSCE.

    Re-sit Conditions

    1. If you meet the eligibility criteria for a re-sit, you will be given only one opportunity to pass the practical assessment.

    2. The re-sit will be assessed by up to two examiners and will be of an equivalent format to the original assessment task.

    3. Where possible, the re-sit will be conducted within two weeks of the date of grade release for this assessment item.

    4. The assessment criteria of the re-sit will be identical to the original practical assessment.

    5. If you pass the re-sit you will receive a grade of exactly 50% for the practical assessment (i.e. 27.5% of the entire unit grade), irrespective of your achievement for the graded component. This is to ensure equity to those students who only had one attempt.

    6. If you do not meet the requirements to pass the re-sit, or to PASS the re-sit, you will receive a grade equal to your original OSCE grade and may be awarded a supplementary assessment in line with CQUniversity Policy.



    Referencing Style

    Submission
    Offline

    Learning Outcomes Assessed
    • Demonstrate and discuss the assessment of specific neurological impairments and neurodevelopment
    • Identify atypical motor development in babies and toddlers
    • Discuss the pathological processes, the symptomatology, clinical course, medical and pharmacological management, and prognosis of common neurological conditions in children
    • Identify and interpret how environmental and personal factors impact activity and participation of paediatric and geriatric patients with pathological neurodevelopment
    • Develop, implement and evaluate interventions for children and older people with neurological conditions, based on contemporary evidence from the literature
    • Identify and discuss the principles of Family Centred Care in the paediatric setting.


    Graduate Attributes
    • Communication
    • Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Information Literacy
    • Information Technology Competence
    • Cross Cultural Competence

    Academic Integrity Statement

    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?