Professional Practice in Ageing

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

340 hours

Core subjects required for the Master of Ageing course: Body of Ageing, Ageing in Society, Economics of Ageing and Ethics of Ageing.

Students are expected to have undertaken the majority of the Master of Ageing coursework prior to enrolling in this subject.

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 Unit website.

This subject is one of two subject options available within the Master of Ageing that will be accepted as part of the capstone experience. Both capstone subjects draw on and integrate disciplinary knowledge and skills to build up the foundational subjects in the course and provide a culminating experience.

Students extend the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course into a professional practice setting to further their learning whilst addressing actual issues. It requires autonomy and expert
judgement in the application of specialised knowledge and skills acquired previously in the course.

This subject is designed to be taken by students who want to consolidate their training in the course via an advanced professional work placement. Students will solve problems that arise in practical settings and professional contexts to develop an integrated understanding of knowledge and practice. Students will undertake a supervised professional work placement with an appropriate organisation, approved by the subject coordinator, as well as participate in online discussions and assessments throughout the subject.

Each professional practice experience will be individually tailored and negotiated by the student, the host organisation and the subject coordinator. Students will apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges that will contribute to their development of specialist and professional skill set in the ageing field.

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

• Plan and execute a professionally focused project.
• Apply, integrate and synthesise knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to tackle real-world challenges that address ageing.
• Analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to issues identified within the assigned projects for the professional practice experience.
• Demonstrate problem-solving whilst working with potentially unstructured and incomplete information.
• Critically review and reflect upon key professional attributed sought by employers, such as clear communication and interpersonal skills, project management skills, team work and initiative.
• Produce original work in an appropriate format which demonstrates analytical, research and problem-solving skills.

• Weekly contribution to online discussions held throughout the Term (10%)
• 1,000 word outline of the proposed projects, including project background, aims, methodology and timeline. due at the end of the 1st week of Term 3 (10%)
• 15 minute oral presentation with peer reviewed structured feedback due end of Term 3 (20%)
• 1,000 word critical reflective piece detailing the challenges faced, reflections on the development of key professional attributes and on project outline set out at the beginning of the Term due at the end of Term 4 (10%)
• 5,000 words or equivalent project report due at the end of Term 4 (50%)

Hurdle Requirement: Workplace supervisor assessment of the student’s completion of the assigned project set due at the end of Term 4

Students will have access to electronic copies of relevant readings and resources.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students will be provided with the opportunity to practice and reinforce:

• Capacity for Initiative, autonomy and organisational skills;
• Finding, evaluating and using relevant information;
• Flexibility, adaptability and time management skills as a result of their participation in the workplace;
• Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written) in a professional workplace and to work with and interact with a wide range of people inside and outside the host organisations, including working in teams;
• Understand organisational culture and ethics, work practices, and the diversity of workplaces;
• Demonstrate analytical, problem-solving research, and report-writing skills;
• Capacity for lifelong learning, self-reliance and professional development.