MDWF12001 - Midwifery – Past and Present

General Information

Unit Synopsis

Contemporary midwifery is a product of its historical roots, social and political influences. You will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of these factors and how they have shaped contemporary midwifery practice. In this course, you will explore the role of the midwife and the theories and philosophy underpinning contemporary midwifery practice in national and international settings.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 1
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 1 - 2018

Term 1 - 2018 Profile
Distance
Term 1 - 2019 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2020 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2021 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 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Group Discussion 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Written Assessment 40%

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 - 2021 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 4.3 (on a 5 point Likert scale), based on a 17.65% 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: SUTE
Feedback
I felt this unit was organised well and the feedback given was returned very quickly. I felt really well supported when I was unsure.
Recommendation
Continue to provide timely assistance, guidance and feedback to students.
Action Taken
Continue to provide timely assistance, guidance and feedback to students.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Lectures were very informative. Assignment break downs were great! The best aspect of this unit was the online discussions and reading materials. I found this helpful and also enjoyed the content.
Recommendation
Continue to provide interesting material and assessment items such as the online discussion to stimulate learning and engagement.
Action Taken
Continue to provide interesting material and assessment items such as the online discussion to stimulate learning and engagement.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The unit coordinator was very prompt replying to my emails when asking her questions or clarifying the content of assignments etc. This made studying easier considering this degree is online and I live so far away from the main campus. The layout of the Moodle page and the overall set up of the content was easy to navigate through each week.
Recommendation
Continue to be supportive, available and accessible to students.
Action Taken
Continue to be supportive, available and accessible to students.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
There is so much information on the study pages and web that I wish I had more time to go through it. Therefore, with time to come, I’m hoping to continue this research and develop more from it. Some of the weeks content is massive- maybe breaking it down a little could be more beneficial.
Recommendation
Format study guides and information into smaller digestible portions of information wherever possible.
Action Taken
Format study guides and information into smaller digestible portions of information wherever possible.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
I would have found it easier if the actual assessment tasks and how they were asked to be set out matched the rubrics a little more. I found that example assignments confused me too especially when they didn't match our assignment task exactly.
Recommendation
Develop assessments, rubrics, essay guides and other such resources to provide clearer guidance.
Action Taken
Develop assessments, rubrics, essay guides and other such resources to provide clearer guidance. Exemplar essays were also provided to assist students.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
* lectures were read from the slides and straight from the textbook * the content was not associated with clinical practice, there were no or limited examples of its use in practice * the assessment criteria were very wordy and difficult to ascertain specifically what was required by the marker/educator
Recommendation
This Unit is written in alignment with foundational chapters from the prescribed Australian midwifery textbook. Assignments and lectures are organised and delivered to highlight pertinent textbook content that is scaffolded to assessments. The unit coordinator used lectures as an opportunity to closely guide students towards the relevant text and highlight pertinent knowledge. This was done in conjunction with detailed assessment tasks, guides, and rubrics. This Unit is not a clinical practice unit and covers theoretical topics including both the Australian and International legislative and professional frameworks that underscore professional contemporary midwifery practice across multiple models of care. The assessments were written with consideration of these frameworks at the core of the task, and in alignment with the unit's learning outcomes for each assessment. All assessments were peer-reviewed by the midwifery academic team and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences review process. Students were provided examples of exemplar essays, detailed rubrics, and assessment tasks, and detailed essay guides to assist with structure and content for each assessment. The unit coordinator also encouraged students to use Studiosity, submit draft assignments for review and provided an opportunity for zoom meetings to discuss assessments. Students were provided with an assessment orientation at the Term 1 face to face residential school on the Brisbane campus. The unit coordinator responded to all Moodle discussion forums and student emails in a fast and timely manner. This unit is in teach out mode and this is the final offering, however, the unit coordinator will take this feedback on board and provide more succinct instructions to future midwifery students.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The unit coordinator has done an excellent job at delivering the course content. You can tell she is very passionate about what she is speaking about. I have really enjoyed the course. * Excellent amount of feedback from the unit coordinator on assessments * Very prompt responses from the unit coordinator when sent emails * The unit coordinator is very intelligent and genuinely loves the subject * Marked assessments were returned very promptly, that pushes you to want to ask why and learn more.
Recommendation
Continue to provide my best efforts to provide students with timely support, guidance, and relevant up to date information.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Examine the historical roots and social and political influences on contemporary midwifery.
  2. Explain the role of the midwife.
  3. Critique the theories and philosophy underpinning contemporary midwifery practice in national and international settings.

NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice

Standard 1: Promotes evidence-based maternal health and wellbeing.

Standard 2: Engages in respectful partnerships and professional relationships.

Standard 3: Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice.

Standard 4: Undertakes comprehensive assessments.

Standard 5: Develops plans for midwifery practice.

Standard 6: Provides safe and quality midwifery practice.

Standard 7: Evaluates outcomes to improve midwifery practice.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Group Discussion
2 - Written Assessment
3 - Written Assessment
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Group Discussion
2 - Written Assessment
3 - Written Assessment