Overview
This unit will introduce you to the various ways in which psychological theory, practice, and research can be applied to work, life, and study. It aims to help you build a set of evidence-based strategies to assist with your personal and professional development. You will hear from guest speakers who have expertise in specific areas of the psychology discipline such as health psychology, positive psychology, coaching, counselling, and social innovation. You will receive practical instruction on how to effectively study at university, how to develop your written communication skills (including essay writing), and how to use APA referencing style. You will be introduced to psychology-related professional practice requirements at CQUniversity, as well as the various career pathways related to the discipline of psychology.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
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 - 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 Have your say student feedback
The textbook was not well utilised in the unit.
A textbook will no longer be required for this unit. All resources and required readings will be provided within Moodle.
Feedback from Have your say student feedback
Students indicated that they wanted more focus during the lectures about the specific essay topics.
In addition to being covered in the lecture, a short video will be created for each essay topic that will provide specific detail and advice in relation to the theory or approach.
Feedback from Have your say student feedback
More clarity needed around the requirements for the annotated bibliography
A marking rubric for the annotated bibliography will be created and given to students, as will resources developed to provide further instruction and advice for completing the assessment (such as exemplars and frequently asked questions).
- Apply psychological theory and research to a range of research and/or everyday problems
- Communicate ideas effectively in writing and in adherence with APA style
- Create a professional ePortfolio that synthesises knowledge of self, careers and psychology disciplines to map academic, career and learning paths.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | |||
| 2 - Annotated bibliography - 20% | |||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||
| 4 - Portfolio - 0% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 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) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Annotated bibliography - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Portfolio - 0% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
The publication manual of the American Psychological Association
Edition: 7th (2019)
Authors: American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Washington Washington , USA
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3217-8
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
There is no prescribed textbook for this unit.
Resources relating to APA formatting will be provided on the unit's Moodle site. However, we strongly encourage you to obtain a copy of the APA publication manual at some point during your first year as it will be a valuable aid for the study of all undergraduate psychology units (including this one). In addition to being a comprehensive and definitive guide to referencing and formatting in APA, the book covers scholarly writing, grammar, and writing style.
Both paper and eBook versions can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code).
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
b.p.smith@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to university
The psychology of effective studying
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mechanisms of mindfulness
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Mindfulness based therapies
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Health psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Positive psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Effective writing skills for psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Coaching skills
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Ethics for everyday life
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Professional practice:
Applying your psychological skills and developing an ePortfolio
Pathways in psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Social innovation
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communication skills: Presentations and working in groups
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
- The psychology of effective studying
- Mindfulness
- Health psychology
- Positive psychology
- Effective writing skills for psychology
- Coaching skills
- Ethics for everyday life
- Professional practice
- Social innovation
- Communication skills
10
Other
Exam Week Monday (18 Oct 2021) 11:59 pm AEST
All quizzes to be completed via Moodle by the end date.
Exam Week Monday (18 Oct 2021)
Results will be available immediately after the completion of each quiz. The answers to the items will not be released.
There is a minimum mark of 50% for this assessment task. That is, to successfully pass this unit you must obtain at least 15/30 for this assessment.
- Apply psychological theory and research to a range of research and/or everyday problems
- Information Literacy
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Annotated bibliography
A list of applied psychological theories/skills/approaches/interventions discussed during lectures in this unit will be provided to you on Moodle. You will select one (1) of these approaches and apply it to a context in everyday life. That is, apply the theory/approach to a real-world problem or issue (e.g. How might approach x be used in the treatment of problem y). The focus (title) of your topic for the annotated bibliography and essay will reflect the nature of these two aspects (the theory/approach and how it relates to an applied issue/problem).
You must use the topic chosen for both Assessment 2 - Annotated Bibliography, and Assessment 3 - Essay.
For this assessment, you will be required to complete an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography presents an overview of research papers that are relevant to your topic and will be helpful for preparing Assessment 3 - Essay. This task provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your research skills in locating current and relevant peer-reviewed journal articles to the chosen topic, as well as your APA referencing skills.
You will need to identify five (5) relevant journal articles to your chosen topic, provide a full correct reference (in APA 7th style) for each journal article, and then write a brief summary, in your own words, outlining the key points from the article, and the relevance of each journal article to your essay.
Each summary should be between 100-200 words (total word count of 1000 words for the whole assessment). The annotated bibliography will be submitted through the Moodle website.
Week 5 Friday (13 Aug 2021) 11:59 pm AEST
To be submitted as a Word document through the Moodle website
Week 7 Friday (3 Sept 2021)
Assessments will be returned as soon as possible after submission (but no later than two weeks)
This assessment will be graded out of 20 marks. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
- Topic selection and proposed title (1 mark)
- Selection of 5 relevant peer-reviewed journal articles (5 marks)
- Summary of each journal article (6 marks)
- Quality of written communication (3 marks)
- APA formatting (3 marks)
- Within word limit (2 marks)
A detailed marking rubric will be provided on Moodle.
- Communicate ideas effectively in writing and in adherence with APA style
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
3 Written Assessment
For this assessment, you will be required to write an essay on the topic you selected for Assessment 1- the Annotated Bibliography. The essay provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your critical reading and thinking skills, and your ability to formulate a clear written assessment.
With your selected psychological theory or approach, write up a critical summary of how it is applied in everyday life. You must not simply discuss the theory or approach, but put it in some form of context. The focus of your essay will reflect the nature of these two aspects (the theory/approach and how it relates to an applied issue/problem).
Your essay does not require subheadings, but should be structured according to the following:
- What is it? (e.g., describe what it [theory or approach] is, and how it works)
- Context/scope (e.g., what population/people is it used with, and in what setting is it used)
- Evaluation (e.g., what are the pros/cons of the intervention or approach, is it effective, and in what contexts is it effective. Be critical of the literature)
- Conclusion
The essay should be between 1000-1500 words and include a minimum of ten (10) peer-reviewed journal articles (5 that were covered in your annotated bibliography, and at least 5 additional journal articles).
Week 12 Monday (4 Oct 2021) 11:59 pm AEST
To be submitted as a Word document through the Moodle website.
Exam Week Friday (22 Oct 2021)
This assessment will be graded out of 50 marks. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
- Selection, title and introduction of the theory or approach (6 marks)
- Discussion of the context and scope in which the theory or approach is applied (10 marks)
- Evaluation of the theory or approach (14 marks)
- Conclusion (5 marks)
- Quality of written communication (6 marks)
- APA formatting (5 marks)
- Inclusion of a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed journal articles (2 marks)
- Within word limit (2 marks)
A detailed marking rubric will be provided to you via Moodle.
- Apply psychological theory and research to a range of research and/or everyday problems
- Communicate ideas effectively in writing and in adherence with APA style
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
4 Portfolio
For this assessment task, you will be required to set up and begin compiling an ePortfolio via the Portfolium website.
Portfolium is an academic portfolio network allowing you to showcase your education and work accomplishments and connect with other professionals. Your Portfolium profile allows you to organize and display previous educational and professional content through a variety of media (videos, documents, images). Portfolium allows you to connect with people and companies you already know, as well as follow companies you are interested in. You can discover and apply for jobs and add specific pieces of content to showcase your qualifications. You can also view content posted by other users to discover how they accomplished their work, you can like their content, and comment or message them for advice.
You will need to set up and continually update your portfolio throughout your undergraduate degree. Your final portfolio will be assessed in a third-year unit before graduation.
Review/Exam Week Friday (15 Oct 2021) 11:59 pm AEST
You are to provide a link to your portfolio via Moodle by the deadline
Exam Week Friday (22 Oct 2021)
This is assessment is a non-graded pass. To achieve a pass, you are required to do the following:
- Set up an account
- Set up your profile (name, contact details, qualifications)
- Upload your resume
- Showcase one piece of academic work or personal project
- Highlight at least one achievement, award or experience
- Connect to at least one other user or group
- Link your ePortfolio to at least one social media platform (e.g. LinkedIn and Facebook)
- Provide the unit coordinator with the public link to your portfolio.
It is important that you set up your portfolio now as it will be formally assessed in a unit in a third year.
- Create a professional ePortfolio that synthesises knowledge of self, careers and psychology disciplines to map academic, career and learning paths.
- Communication
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
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?
