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DCHA20003 - Cognitive and Sensory Changes and Age

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit explores how the human body changes as we age, including differentiating between normal ageing processes and those associated with disease. You will discover how ageing impacts individuals’ ability to communicate and participate socially and in service provision contexts. Having an understanding of the ageing process and the underlying physiological mechanisms will give you an essential foundation to work well with older people and create strategies to promote healthy ageing. This unit will encourage you to self-reflect on your own professional practice and generate evidence based solutions to enhance service provision.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 8
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 4
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the 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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2019

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2023 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2024 Profile
Online

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 40%
2. Written Assessment 10%
3. Presentation 50%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 36.36% response rate.

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.

Source: Head of College Nursing advised of the changes in Gerontology courses.
Feedback
In 2020 the Master of Gerontology Course was cancelled due to COVID 19 and subsequent staffing changes. This unit remained as an elective of the Graduate Certificate/Diploma of Gerontology
Recommendation
The unit changes were a result of unit development. Changes include unit update proposal with changes of title and unit outcomes.
Action Taken
The unit was reviewed and updated. The unit content was redeveloped as a result to changes to the unit outcomes.
Source: Assessment feedback from students via unit coordinator
Feedback
The portfolio task confused some students. The Unit Coordinator suggests the use of an exemplar would support student understanding.
Recommendation
Add an examplar
Action Taken
An exemplar was added to the unit material.
Source: Student feedback in student evaluation
Feedback
Changing staff in middle of course is inappropriate . No time to build relationship,
Recommendation
Suggest offering students a zoom to introduce themselves (new coordinator) at the commencement of the appointment, if this occurs in the future.
Action Taken
There was communication to students offered. This is an unusual situation, however may occur from time to time.
Source: Student feedback in student evaluation
Feedback
"I loved the written assessment task. It was practical and interesting. The modules and Jen's videos were informative and engaging. Jen has done a great job with the videos as it created a better learning environment and not just reading off a slide"
Recommendation
Continue to use practical and interesting assessment tasks and use video recordings to explain tasks
Action Taken
The practical and interesting assessment task have continued. Students have responded well to relatable activities, tasks and assessments.
Source: Student feedback in student evaluation
Feedback
" expand and explain your answers above.Quiz is the best aspect of this unit. Generally everyone makes mistake and learn from them. Initially I made mistakes and learned from it."
Recommendation
Students benefit from quizzes with two opportunities to submit. Students noted that it assisted learning.
Action Taken
The assessment modes are regularly reviewed.
Source: Feedback from Zoom meetings and discussions with students
Feedback
The coordinator for this unit received feedback from students that the activities, tasks and assessment items were practical and useful.
Recommendation
Continue to include activities, tasks and assessment items that students can relate to.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Differentiate between cognitive and sensory changes associated with the normal ageing processes and those related to chronic and acute illnesses
  2. Examine the implications of sensory and cognitive changes on communication
  3. Critically appraise common strategies used to manage communication difficulties against best practice principles
  4. Develop communication strategies to enhance and promote respect and personhood.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment • •
2 - Written Assessment • •
3 - Presentation • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Advanced Level
• Professional Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge • • • •
2 - Communication • • • •
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills • • • •
4 - Research • • • •
5 - Self-management •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility • •
7 - Leadership •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Advanced Level
• Professional Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 - Written Assessment • • • • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • • • • •
3 - Presentation • • • • •