Knowledge and Learning in Professions

This subject is not offered in 2015.

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject will explore meta-frameworks for learning in all professions by distinguishing between different forms of knowledge, the relationships these have to practice across a broad array of fields, and the implications this has for learning. The focus is on the structures of knowledge and the way knowledge is produced in professions generally, rather than the content of knowledge in specific professions. It asks students to consider whether learning in academic disciplines and professions is the same, or whether differences in the structures of knowledge and the nature of practice require different approaches to learning. It distinguishes between professions that have emerged in the last 50 years and those that have an older lineage and queries whether they are different, and if so, how they are different. The subject will consider debates about the relationship between theory and practice in the development of expertise in work by comparing and contrasting those that emphasise process and experiential accounts of learning with those that emphasise the intrinsic role knowledge plays in the development of expertise. The implications for debates about professional education will be considered and students will be asked to contemplate the significance of these debates for their own future career development.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Debate theories about the structures of theoretical knowledge for professional practice and whether these can be distinguished from other forms of knowledge such as the academic disciplines on the one hand, and every day knowledge on the other
• Theorise about and debate the relationship between the emergence of professions, the development of professional knowledge and the relationship between professions and education
• Compare and contrast different theories about learning in the professions and the development of expertise and expert practice
• Consider the implications of debates about the nature of knowledge and professional learning for their own future career development

There are two assessment tasks:

• Essay of 2000 words focused on debates about the structures of knowledge and learning in the professions, due the Monday after the last day of the intensive teaching period, 50%
• Essay of 2000 words focused on debates about the development of expertise in the professions, due end of the assessment period, 50%

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs/online classes) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

Readings will be posted on the LMS

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

This subject should enable students to:

• be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
• examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a broad range of disciplines
• initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces
• value different cultures
• be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
• accept social and civic responsibilities