Overview
This unit is designed to help you, as a university student studying psychology, to build a set of evidence-based strategies to prepare you for your academic and professional life. You will receive practical instruction on how to effectively study at university; develop your written and oral communication skills; work effectively in groups; navigate the scientific literature; and apply American Psychological Association (APA) referencing conventions. Your communication, teamwork and research skills will be utilised in the design and preparation of a group presentation. You will also be introduced to career pathways in psychology-related disciplines, and given insight into the personal skills, capabilities and knowledge relevant to a career in psychology. The creation of a career portfolio will help you identify and market the transferable knowledge and skills that you will acquire throughout your degree.
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 1 - 2024
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 Deputy Dean (Learning and Teaching) Office
Including a must-pass grade of 60% for Assessment 2 needs to be amended due to this unit being a first year, first term unit.
Reduce the pass rate for Assessment 2 to 25/50 (50%).
Feedback from Deputy Dean (Learning and Teaching) Office
The assessments for this unit are all due at the end of the term and should be more evenly distributed.
Bring forward the due date for Assessment 3 (e-portfolio) from week 13 to week 5. This will require an adjustment to the schedule and content relating to portfolios.
Feedback from Student feedback, unit coordinator reflection, Deputy Dean (Learning and Teaching) Office
Allocating groups after the census date (week 4) does not allow enough time for groups to complete their task.
Allocate groups by the end of week 2 of the term. This will require an adjustment to the schedule and content relating to groupwork.
- Locate, evaluate and use scholarly sources of information in adherence with the American Psychological Association (APA) style.
- Communicate ideas effectively in written and oral form.
- Work collaboratively as part of a team.
- 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 | 4 | |
1 - Annotated bibliography - 30% | ||||
2 - Group Work - 50% | ||||
3 - Portfolio - 20% |
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 |
Textbooks
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
7th Edition (APA 7) (2019)
Authors: American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
US
ISBN: 9781433832161
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
This manual can be purchased in various formats (softcover, hardcover, spiral ringed book) and a concise guide. Any format will suffice so long as it is the 7th edition.
Purchasing the manual (especially in your first year of study) is recommended as it will be helpful for all units in psychology that you undertake. It is, however, possible to complete this unit and your degree in psychology using free online guides developed by university libraries as well as the APA.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom
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
Studying psychology
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Applying your psychology superpowers
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working in groups 1 (theory)
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Working in groups 2 (applications)
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Appropriate sources of information and how to find them
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
There is no online content or scheduled classes this week. You are encouraged to prioritise your health and wellbeing.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reading, critiquing, and integrating scientific literature
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The APA citation style
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Delivering effective presentations
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Writing for psychology 1
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Writing for psychology 2
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The psychology of effective studying
Chapter
Refer to Moodle website for required reading material and activities
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Career pathways in 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
This unit does not include an exam
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
A major component of this unit involves working in a small group. Active participation in the group task is expected from week 3 to week 11. Your contribution to the group task and your ability to work within the group will be assessed by your peers and the unit coordinator. Please make sure you are prepared for this, and actively communicate with your group members throughout the term.
1 Portfolio
For this assessment task, you will be required to set up and begin compiling an e-Portfolio using the Portfolium website (provided to you for at no cost for life).
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 organise 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 and comment or message them for advice.
After you have set up your portfolio in this unit, it is recommended that you update it throughout your undergraduate degree. Your final portfolio will be assessed again at the end of your third year before graduation (in the capstone unit, PSYC13026).
It is important that your profile displays a consistent narrative and highlights what is unique about you. Use this task to curate an amazing version of yourself to show employers upon entering the work force.
The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence to help assist you in writing and editing the contents of your portfolio (e.g., personal and skills statement or creating the background image) is encouraged.
Week 5 Friday (5 Apr 2024) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (26 Apr 2024)
Assessments will be returned as soon as possible after submission.
This assessment will be graded out of 20 marks. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
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Sign up to Portfolium, and set up a profile with your name, location, education, and current position (1)
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Upload an appropriate profile photo (1), as well as an eye-catching background photo (.5) and creative tagline text (.5)
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Write a personal statement between 100-300 words that provides appropriate insight into…
• what you are currently doing (.5)
• what you have done or where you have come from (.5)
• why you are interested in studying psychology (1)
• your aspirations for the future (1) -
Write a skills inventory statement between 100-300 words. List some skills that you currently possess that are relevant to psychology (1.5), as well as skills that you wish to develop (1.5). These can be soft skills (e.g., communication, empathy) or technical skills (e.g., statistics).
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On your profile, please enter details of at least one: work experience (e.g., job or position held), or an accomplishment (e.g., certificates, medals), or details of any volunteer work you have/or currently do (1). Include all relevant information relevant to the entry (1).
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Enter the details of your current degree (course) such as the course title, course code and years enrolled (.5). Include a short summary of the unit (you can use or adapt the course overview), and then outline all of the course learning outcomes (available from the handbook) (2)
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List at least one unit (subject) that you have completed at university (it can be this unit, and can be units taken at other institutions) (.5) Include the title, description (can be taken or modified from unit profile), date completed (term and year), and the unit’s learning outcomes (2).
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Upload at least one project that showcases a piece of academic work or personal project that you have completed (it can be an assessment from this unit). Include the document (.5) along with a description of the task (.5), a written description of what skill/s it highlights (1), and what you learned (1). This should be around 100-300 words.
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Connect to at least one other user (e.g., a classmate, group member). Please also add the unit coordinator (this reduces issues with viewing your profile).
More detailed instructions, guides and marking rubric will be provided on Moodle.
After creating your profile in Portfolium, provide the unit coordinator with an accessible link to your portfolio via the relevant submission portal in the Moodle Assessment Tile. The online version of your portfolio will be assessed. As such, please ensure that your profile privacy settings are either set to public, or that a private link is provided.
Unit Learning Outcome 4 of this unit is only assessed by this assessment. As such, to meet the learning outcomes, a minimum mark of 10/20 (50%) has been set for this task. That is, to pass the unit, you must achieve this minimum mark. Should you achieve less than 10/20, you may be permitted to re-attempt this task.
- Communicate ideas effectively in written and oral form.
- Create a professional ePortfolio that synthesises knowledge of self, careers and psychology disciplines to map academic, career and learning paths.
2 Annotated bibliography
In this assessment, you will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist in researching and summarising academic articles in psychology. You will create an annotated bibliography of 4 peer-reviewed journal articles, critically analysing their content and reflecting on the role of AI in your research process.
The objective of this task is to explore the impact and applications of AI in the discipline of psychology, and how these advancements are shaping research, therapy, and our understanding of human behaviour. The task presents an opportunity to link the research question to your career aspirations (e.g., if you intend to work as a clinical psychologist, select a research question relevant to that Australian Psychological Society (APS) area of endorsement).
Completing this task as an annotated bibliography provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your research skills by developing a research question, locating current and relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, critically evaluating them, and applying the APA referencing style.
To complete this assessment, you will need to identify four (4) journal articles relating to your proposed research question, provide a full correct reference (in APA 7th edition style) for each journal article, and write a brief 200-word summary (between 150-250), in your own words, outlining the key points from the article and the relevance to your chosen question. The reference (citation) is not considered part of the word count.
At the end of the AB, you will also need to write a short 300 word reflection (between 250-350) on how AI helped in the research process- including what AI tools you used, how you utilised AI to assist you, and the accuracy of AI in the summaries.
The annotated bibliography and reflection should be submitted with a cover sheet, and be presented using the APA guidelines for Annotated Bibliographies (a template will be provided for you on Moodle).
Clear step-by-step instructions for completing the task will be provided on Moodle.
Week 9 Monday (6 May 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024)
Assessments will be returned within two weeks of submission.
This assessment will be graded out of 30 marks. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
Annotations (20 marks)
- Selection of 4 relevant peer-reviewed journal articles (4 marks)
- Summary of each journal article (6 marks)
- Critical analysis and relevance of each journal article (6 marks)
- Within word limit (2 marks)*
- APA citation and formatting (2 marks)
Reflection (10 marks)
- Identification of AI tools (1 mark)
- Utilisation of AI (2 marks)
- Evaluation of AI accuracy (3 marks)
- Critical analysis of AI in psychological research (3 marks)
- Clarity, coherence and word count (1 mark)
*Note, word limit relates to each individual summary, not the overall word count.
A more detailed marking rubric and instructions will be provided on Moodle.
- Locate, evaluate and use scholarly sources of information in adherence with the American Psychological Association (APA) style.
- Communicate ideas effectively in written and oral form.
3 Group Work
The group task is a major component of this unit and represents 50% of the overall assessment. There are three elements to this task:
Part 3A: Group podcast (20/50)
For this task, you will be required to work in small groups (of approximately 5) to produce a podcast episode that addresses a topic of your groups choosing. This document provides a guide for selecting, preparing and submitting the podcast.
In your small groups, you must prepare a podcast exploring the topic or answering a research question.
The podcast episode must demonstrate your science communication skills; and must consider the intended audience. The duration of the presentation should be between 8-10 minutes.
You can film or record your podcast using Zoom, your mobile phone/s, webcam, digital video camera (handheld, DSLR, GoPro), PowerPoint, and MS Teams. A list of free and suitable methods for recording and editing your podcast will be provided. You are not expected to purchase any equipment/or spend any money on the production of this presentation.
In your podcast, your group will need to use language that is clear and appropriate for the intended audience, present your topic in a way that is engaging, shows a clear ‘narrative’ (and structure), and enhances the audience’s understanding and knowledge of the topic.
You must utilise information from the peer-reviewed scientific literature (e.g., for background information, discuss interventions, and support your arguments). As such, you must submit a script of your episode that includes in-text citations and a reference list that identifies the sources of information used. As a result, you do not need to spend time explaining or citing references, sources, or studies during the podcast (although it may be appropriate to do so at times). This will make the conversations more realistic and natural.
All members of the group need to be featured in the podcast in some way. It is expected that all group members should make a valuable (and equal) contribution to the final product (e.g., background research, scriptwriting, filming, editing, and graphic design). Group contributions will be assessed as part of Assessment 3B.
Groups work best when all members understand and agree to expectations. As such, groups will be encouraged to complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or group charter before beginning their group work to clearly articulate the aim of the project, the role of members, a communication plan, a code of conduct (e.g., plagiarism), and timelines. The MoU does not need to be submitted formally, but will be checked by the unit coordinator in one of the group check ins. It may also be something you reflect upon in your individual reflection piece. An MoU template is provided on the ‘Assessment 3’ Tile on Moodle. This should be adapted as required, or your group may wish to design your own (there are many exemplars online).
There will be several 'group check-ins' scheduled throughout the term, where the unit coordinator will contact groups to offer support, guidance, check suitability of topic, answer questions, check MoU, ensure group members are participating, and resolve conflicts. However, if any issues arise outside of these check-ins, it is important to let the unit coordinator know.
Further details and guides for completing this task are provided in an assessment handout on Moodle.
The podcast is to be completed and submitted as a group.
Part 3B: Group work self- and peer-evaluation (15/50)
Your ability to work in a group setting (communication, collaboration, commitment) will be assessed by yourself and your peers (group members). This will enable your group work skills to be evaluated and help ensure accountability relating to your role and contribution to the group task. This feedback will be used to evaluate teamwork skills and the eligibility of group members to pass the unit. As such, it is important to be as fair and honest as possible in your assessment. An evaluation form assessing five criteria will be made available on Moodle for completing this task.
The evaluation form is to be completed and submitted independently from the group. Individual evaluations will remain anonymous to the group.
Part 3C: Individual critical reflection (15/50)
For this assessment, you will be required to submit a 500-word (between 400-600) reflective essay relating to your experience working in a group during this task. Your experiences, insights and learnings will need to draw upon (reference) relevant theory and evidence on group dynamics and interpersonal skills covered during the unit. Further details are provided in the assessment handout on Moodle.
The reflection is to be completed independently from the group.
Week 11 Monday (20 May 2024) 9:00 am AEST
Part 3A due in week 11, Monday 20 May 2024 09.00AM AEST. Part 3B and 3C, due in week 12, Monday 27 May 09.00AM AEST.
Exam Week Monday (10 June 2024)
Assessments will be returned as soon as possible after submission, typically within two weeks.
This assessment will be graded out of 50 marks. Your overall mark for this assessment will be calculated by adding together the marks from 3A, 3B and 3C. The assessment criteria for each part are provided below, with additional instructions and details provided on Moodle.
Part 3A: Group podcast
This component will be graded out of 20 marks. You will be judged as a group. That is, all members of the group will receive the same mark. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
Content and structure (5 marks)
- Introduction and conclusion
- Logical sequence and flow
- Topic depth and analysis
Audio quality and editing (2 marks)
- Clarity and audio balance
- Editing and pacing
Group cohesion (2 marks)
- Contribution and unity
Research and credibility (6 marks)
- Critical evaluation and evidence
- Source integration and citation
Engagement and delivery (5 marks)
- Engagement and style
- Creativity and originality
- Time management
Part 3B: Group work self- and peer-evaluation
This component will be graded out of 15 marks. You will evaluate each member of your group and yourself on five criteria. Each criterion is worth 3 marks and will be based on a rating scale (available on Moodle) from 0.0 to 3.0. The unit coordinator will take the self and peer scores into account, and provide a weighted score for each criterion.
Criteria:
- Collaboration and fair contribution (How well did the member contribute to group tasks?)
- Communication and interpersonal skills (How effectively was the member communicating and working with others?)
- Problem-solving and conflict resolution (How did the member approach problems and conflicts within the group?)
- Time management and reliability (How well did the member manage time and meet deadlines?)
- Quality of work and initiative (What was the quality of the member's work, and did they take initiative?)
Part 3C: Individual critical reflection
This component will be graded out of 15 marks. Marks will be allocated according to each of the following criteria:
- Reflection on personal contribution (3 marks)
- Assessment of the group experience (3 marks)
- Evidence of personal development (3 marks)
- Connection to academic concepts (4 marks)
- Adherence to word count and presentation (2 marks)
Prepare your reflection using the APA 7th edition template for student papers and submit it as a Word document (a template will be provided to you in Moodle). This includes a cover page and reference list. Beyond this, the presentation of your reflection is flexible (e.g., the number and nature of headings/subtitles, paragraphs), so long as you are able to meet the marking criteria.
The group task (incorporating 3A, 3B and 3C) represents a must-pass item. Unit Learning Outcome 3 of this unit is only assessed by this one assessment. To ensure that you meet the learning outcome, a minimum mark of 25/50 (50%) has been set. As such, to pass the unit, you must achieve at least this mark collectively across Parts 3A, 3B and 3C. Should you achieve less than 25/50, given the nature of the task, there is no opportunity to receive a supplementary assessment (SA) for Parts 3A and 3B. However, you may be permitted to re-attempt the individual critical reflection (Part 3C).
- Locate, evaluate and use scholarly sources of information in adherence with the American Psychological Association (APA) style.
- Communicate ideas effectively in written and oral form.
- Work collaboratively as part of a team.
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.