Course Title: Professional Practices in Disability 1B

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Practices in Disability 1B

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
HWSS2088	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2008, Sem 2 2009, Sem 2 2010
HWSS2088	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	150H Health Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013

Course Coordinator: Assoc Professor Jeff Walkley

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7359

Course Coordinator Email: jeff.walkley@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Students will have successfully completed Professional Practices in Disability 1A

Course Description

Professional Practices in Disability 1B builds on the capabilities developed in Professional Practices in Disability 1A in terms of working as a professional in the disability sector. It extends previously introduced concepts around understanding individual’s communication needs, and encourages students to develop skills in relation to their own professional communication. There is also a strong focus in this course on developing students’ understanding of professional behaviour, ethics and evidenced-based practice. Students will complete a WIL placement in a community based environment that supports people with a disability, which will facilitate opportunities for students to engage in the development of professional behaviour and reflective practice.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

At the conclusion of this course, students who have attended lectures and tutorials, completed assigned readings and completed the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program are expected to be able to;
 

• Further develop their knowledge in relation to augmentative and alternative communication
• Reflect and make judgements about their own interactions and on the impact of their interactions in influencing the behaviour and responses of significant others (staff, clients, peers).
• Ask the “right” questions and identify the information required that ensures practices are supported by appropriate evidence.
• Develop an understanding of, and familiarity with, the ethics that guide professional practice in the disability sector
• Develop skills in relation to working with groups and working with families
• Develop their own communication skills generally, and in relation to communicating with people with disabilities
• Develop an understanding of professional and person-first communication
• Work collaboratively with mentors in order to enhance the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placemen

Overview of Learning Activities

• Weekly lectures (2 hours) and tutorials (1 hour)
• Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement
• Lectures will introduce students to the key concepts and theories pertinent to the disability sector and will encourage students to further explore concepts.
• Tutorials will give students an opportunity to discuss issues of relevance and develop practical skills related to the concepts introduced in lectures

Overview of Learning Resources

Materials will be made available online via the myRMIT site. Students are expected to check the myRMIT site for this course on a regular basis. Failure to do so may mean that students miss out on important information regarding assessment, lecture and tutorial content.

Overview of Assessment

Students will be able to demonstrate their learning through a variety of means including;

• Written work
• In class tests\
• Work-integrated learning placement