There are four elements to this assessment task (Parts A to D), as outlined below.

* Parts A and B are to be submitted as a group, and Parts C and D are to be submitted individually.

PART A- Group contract*- Due by Week 5, Friday 11 August, 11.59pm AEST

Groups work best when all members understand and agree to expectations. As such, groups will be required to develop and agree to a group contract (often referred to as a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] or Team Charter) in the early stages of their capstone project. The group contract will need to clearly articulate relevant aspects such as the aim of the project, the role of members, a communication plan, a schedule of meetings, a code of conduct (e.g., plagiarism), and timelines/deadlines for completion. A basic MOU template is provided in Moodle but groups are encouraged to develop one that best reflects their group (there are many exemplars online). 

PART B- Group presentation*- To be presented live (via Zoom) in the workshop session in Week 12 (Thursday 5 October, 10am AEST)

A series of real-world problems will be made available. You must choose one of these as the focus of your capstone project. These problems will be proposed by an external partner (e.g. local or state government department, not-for-profit organisation, research group, community group, mental health provider), and represent a significant issue currently faced in the community. Working in small groups as scientist-practitioners, you will be required to present an evidence-based feasible solution to the problem. This project represents an opportunity to practice your group work skills and apply your theoretical understanding of human behaviour to practical ‘real life’ applications that you are likely to face in the workplace.

Groups of approximately 4 will be randomly allocated by the unit coordinator based on the topic selected. Topics will be made available in week 1, and groups allocated by the end of week 2 of the term. Active participation in the group task is expected from week 3 to week 12. Your contribution to the group task and your ability to work within the group will also be assessed by your peers (see Assessment Part 1c). Please ensure you are prepared for this, and actively communicate with your group members throughout the term.

The outcome should resemble a research proposal or pitch, detailing an innovative way to address the problem. For example, to design an evaluation or intervention that the partner organisation might be able to implement. Solutions must be evidenced-based and feasible. The proposal must be presented in a visual form, as if you are presenting the solution as either (a) employees of the partner organisation presenting to management who have tasked you with finding a solution to this problem, or (b) as external providers seeking to win a grant or tender to carry out this work that is being offered by the partner organisation.

Your group’s pitch will be presented live (in real-time) via Zoom in week 12. The partner organisation will be present to receive the pitch and provide feedback. Presenting in person and confidently articulating your ideas and responding to questions represent critical skills required for working in many organisations, and this project seeks to emulate this environment.

The format of the presentation is flexible, and will largely reflect the nature of the problem and solution. Some suggested parts of the pitch might include the background/literature review on the issue, a project logic, a service model, an evaluation plan, a timeline and a budget. The process used to come to the solution may also form an important part of the pitch.

Presentations should be around 10-12 minutes with an additional 8 min for questions from the audience (presenters will be cut off at 13 minutes). Each member of the group is required to present a component of the presentation. The week 12 workshop will be a conference-style event, so you will need to plan your schedules to be available to attend the event (a schedule of presentations will be developed later in the term). You will need to seek approval and make arrangements with the Unit Coordinator if one or more of the group is not able to be in attendance. In this instance, available group members should be present for the question time component of the presentation. Formal feedback relating to the presentation will be given by the unit coordinator and informal feedback from the organisational partner.

You will be working closely with the partner organisation throughout the term. Depending on the availability of the partner organisations, there will be at least three planned ‘touch points’ across the term. These represent an opportunity for groups to engage with representatives from the organisation to ask questions and obtain feedback before the delivery of the final product.

PART C- Self and peer evaluation of group work- Due by Week 13, Friday 13 October, 11.59pm AEST

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 in relation 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 six criteria will be made available on Moodle for completing this task.

PART D- Personal reflection- Due by Week 13, Friday 13 October, 11.59pm AEST

You will be required to write a brief reflection in relation to your engagement and experience with the major group project- including such things as engagement with the project, team processes, engagement with the industry representatives, broader professional issues, cultural safety, and how this experience has contributed to your own professional identity, values and future employability goals.

A personal reflection form, with five questions relating to your group work experience, will be made available in Moodle for completing this task. Each response should be between 200 and 400 words.

To achieve a pass for Assessment 1 you will need to achieve at least 70/100 overall. That is, the scores from parts A, B, C and D must total at least 70.

*Please note that Parts A and B will be given as a group grade. That is, all contributing members of the group will receive the same mark and feedback for the group contract and the group presentation.

Each part will be graded according to the criteria outlined below:

PART A- Group contract (15%)*

This component will be graded out of 15 marks. Groups must submit a group contract (in the form of an MoU or team charter) that addresses the following:

• Project goals and objectives (2 marks)
• The role of all group members (3 marks)
• A communication plan (e.g., mode of communication, a schedule of meetings, how issues will be addressed) (3 marks)
• Project timelines/deadlines for completion (3 marks)
• Identification of risks, assumptions, and obstacles that may be encountered and how these might be mitigated (3 marks)
• Be agreed upon by all members of the group (1 mark)

PART B- Group presentation (45%)*

This component will be graded out of 45 marks. Marks will be allocated according to the criteria outlined below.

1. Structure and flow (7 marks)
2. Content (22 marks)
3. Communication and engagement style (9 marks)
4. Collaboration (7 marks)

A more detailed marking rubric will be provided in Moodle. Informal feedback relating to the presentation will also be given to you from the partner organisation.

PART C- Self and peer evaluation of group work (15%)

This component will be graded out of 15 marks. Using the six criteria outlined below, you will evaluate each member of your group, as well as yourself, relating to group work and engagement in the group task. The unit coordinator will take the self and peer scores into account, and provide a weighted score. A more detailed evaluation form will be provided in Moodle.

Criteria

1. Participation in developing ideas and planning project (2.5 marks).
2. Willingness to discuss the ideas of others (2.5 marks).
3. Cooperation with other group members (2.5 marks).
4. Interest, engagement and enthusiasm in the project (2.5 marks).
5. Participation in leading/facilitating discussion (2.5 marks).
6. Quality of completed work (2.5 marks).

PART D- Personal reflection (25%)

This component will be graded out of 25 marks. Marks will be allocated according to the criteria outlined below. It is important that statements relating to experiences and opinions are supported with specific examples. For example, instead of saying ‘our final product was good’, articulate and give examples explaining why you thought it was good.

Your group (5 marks)

Q1. Summarise the makeup of your group, the topic/issue selected, engagement with the partner organisation, and provide a summary of the final pitch/product (e.g., what was the issue and the nature of your group's solution).

Reflection on experience (10 marks)

Q2. Personal contribution: Describe your personal role in the group, interest and enthusiasm in the project, participation in leading and facilitating discussion, and opinion about the quality of the final product. Provide specific examples. (5 marks).

Q3. Assessment of team experience: Describe how well your group cooperated, communicated, and made decisions, how the group handled challenges, the benefits of groupwork, and challenges of groupwork. Be sure to use specific examples. (5 marks).

Evidence of personal development (10 marks)

Q4. Articulate (using examples) at least one new understanding or insight you have gained about yourself and at least one new understanding about groupwork because of your experience. (5 marks)

Q5. Discusses at least one thing you would do the same and at least one thing you would do differently to improve your teamwork experience in the workplace (providing specific recommendations). (5 marks)

For this assessment task, you will be required to finalise your ePortfolio via the Portfolium website. As part of this process, you will be asked to reflect on your values and current competencies as a psychology graduate and future professional in the field of psychology.

Portfolium is an academic portfolio network allowing you to showcase your education and work accomplishments, and connect with other professionals and organisations. You will be given free access to this account for life. For students commencing the degree from 2021, the ePortfolio/Portfolium was first introduced as part of ‘PSYC11011- Personal and Professional Psychology’, and should have been updated throughout your degree. If you do not currently have a Portolium account/profile, you will need to establish one to complete the task. Resources for creating your portfolio will be provided to you in Moodle.

Use this task to curate an amazing version of yourself to show employers upon graduation. As such, it is important that your profile displays a consistent narrative, and highlights what is unique about you. There will be a minimum number of criteria you need to meet to achieve a pass.

• A Portfolium profile that includes your name, location, education, profile and background photo, and tagline text (2 marks)
• Highlight at least one accomplishment, achievement, certificate, award or experience (1 mark)
• Connection to at least 4 of your colleagues (e.g., from your group task, teaching staff) (1 mark)
• Upload a professional resume (1 mark)

Reflection on your career aspirations and core values (15 marks)

In the ‘Introduction’ section of your profile, write a mini biography/statement of at least 250 words, that:

• Provides appropriate insight into who you are, what you are currently doing, what you have done or where you have come from, why you are interested in psychology, and the career you wish to engage in when you finish your degree (7 marks)
• Do the free online values test https://personalvalu.es/ to find out your core values. Once you have completed the values test, reflect on how your employment aims match your core values (8 marks)

Reflection on your skills and knowledge from the psychology degree (30 marks)

This section requires you to be familiar with the course learning outcomes of your degree (e.g. CC43), and the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) Graduate competencies for undergraduate (level one)

1. A personal statement of at least 100 words, outlining your experience and engagement with the undergraduate degree, and your attainment of key graduate capabilities (e.g., skills and knowledge) (7 marks)
2. Provide an evaluation of at least 100 words of how successfully you have acquired these graduate capabilities, including a description of your strengths and weaknesses, and how this relates to your values and professional identity (8 marks)

1. Provide the title, unit code, and date studied.
2. Rewrite (paraphrase) the unit overview and unit learning outcomes into a short statement (1 paragraph) highlighting the key skills and knowledge you learned from the unit (15 marks)

1. Demonstration of your written communication skills on a topic related to psychology (e.g., essay)
2. Demonstration of your oral communication skills (e.g., oral presentation)
3. A research report or similar demonstrating your knowledge and application of psychological research methods (e.g., research report)
4. An example of when you have applied knowledge and skills of psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals
5. Demonstrate interpersonal skills and teamwork (e.g., a product from a group task- it can be the group presentation from this unit).

1. The piece of work (e.g., Word document, video file or link to YouTube, Powerpoint)
2. The project task/description
3. A brief reflection about what you learned from the experience (e.g. skills, knowledge, experience), and
4. Why/how this task and learning is relevant to psychology in the workplace or your future career. That is, link the project/artefact to your skills.