Unit Outline

Upon successful completion of health, exercise and sports prescription the graduate can design, and modify as necessary, safe, appropriate and effective exercise programs, based on best practice, for the apparently healthy population, in a variety of environments that are aligned with the health, fitness and performance needs and goals of clients.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

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


1	Identify and describe the principles of current best practice for designing exercise programs, and explain why various exercise types confer health, fitness or performance benefits (as relevant) for the apparently healthy population.
2	Explain in simple, comprehensible language the risks of performing exercise and describe appropriate strategies to address these risks.
3	Design exercise programs that meet the needs of clients, in consideration of: current, best‐practice guidelines for performing exercise, the exercise tolerance, physical function and capacity, and motivation level of the client
4	Integrate knowledge of and skills in exercise prescription with other study areas of exercise science.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA232 and CXA237

Alterations as a result of student feedback

As a result of student feedback and external benchmarking of this Unit, more opportunity for feedback on prescription skills has been introduced through a workbook submission. The Unit has also included a work-integrated learning experience to enhance exercise delivery skills in real-world settings.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Practical Assessment	Week 6	20 %	LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Exercise Prescription Workbook	Week 11	15 %	LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Exercise Delivery	Week 13	5 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Exercise Program	Week 13	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 5:	Final Exam	Exam Period	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Practical Assessment

Task Description:

Practical Assessment: Students individually coach a client through the performance of an upper-body and lower-body resistance training exercise, selected at random by the student. Students must correctly demonstrate both exercises to the client, and then coach the client through the exercises using the appropriate 5-Step Coaching Method, provide correct spotting technique, and corrective feedback. This includes providing the client with the opportunity to perform an additional set of the exercise to ascertain effectiveness of provided feedback. Following the coaching process, Students will then be required to identify key technique elements and safety considerations for each exercise, name and describe the joint actions and activation of targeted muscles (both prime movers and stabilisers), provide an example of an alternative (regression, progression or variation) of the chosen exercises, and explain their justification for this alternative. Students will also be required to act as a client to be coached by another Student either before or after their individual assessment. This is a hurdle task, and students must pass this assessment. One resit is permitted.

Task Length:

30 minutes

Due Date:

Week 6

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate, explain and coach exercises in an effective and non‐technical manner using the 5-Step Coaching Method for a common upper and lower body resistance training exercise, including appropriate feedback for maintaining/correcting technique.	LO2, LO3
2	Knowledge of functional anatomy, correct resistance training technique (competency and safety), comprehension of how exercises challenge specific muscle groups, and how variations in movement influence target muscle/s.	LO2, LO3, LO4
3	Professionalism and communication.	LO2

Assessment Task 2: Exercise Prescription Workbook

Task Description:

Students will utilise weekly case-based scenarios during 6 x in-class Workshop sessions, to complete weekly exercise prescription tasks. These tasks will be compiled into a workbook submission, covering a range of exercise prescription tasks for differing modes of activity and exercise, including:
• Goal-setting
• Resistance training
• Aerobic endurance training
• Interval training
• Anaerobic training
• Metabolic calculations
Submissions will be made weekly, with each topic activity submitted separately.

Task Length:

6 x weekly exercise prescription tasks

Due Date:

Week 11

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Prescribe exercise programs that confer health, fitness or performance benefits (as relevant) for the apparently healthy population.	LO3
2	Student’s ability to develop SMART program goals that are to be informed by client desires/needs, fitness assessment data, needs analysis, guidelines for health, client motivation and other relevant factors.	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Exercise Delivery

Task Description:

Students will undertake work-integrated learning with a local School, delivering individualised exercise programs to youths. You will be required to attend a series of sessions at the School, with scheduling confirmed by the Unit Coordinator, to deliver exercise programs in group-based training settings, under the supervision of strength and conditioning coaches.

You will be assessed on your ability to deliver exercise in a safe and effective manner, conduct yourself in an appropriate and professional manner, and communicate effectively with a range of clients and peers.

Students must be PEP-compliant prior to undertaking this activity.

Task Length:

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

5 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Deliver exercise programs that confer health, fitness or performance benefits (as relevant) for the apparently healthy population.	LO1, LO3, LO4
2	Demonstrate appropriate professionalism and communication skills.	LO2

Assessment Task 4: Exercise Program

Task Description:

Students must design and present an effective, enjoyable and safe 12-week exercise program for their assigned case study client. This is an opportunity for students to clearly show evidence of the application of principles of training and exercise prescription. The assignment should contain the following elements:
• Program Goals – Develop and justify 2 or more SMART program goals (following the SMART goal-setting principles) that are informed by client desires/needs, fitness assessment data, needs analysis, guidelines for health, client motivation and other relevant factors (e.g. logistics, environmental and social considerations).
• Exercise Programming – Prescribe a 12-week exercise program that incorporates appropriate resistance training and conditioning elements (aerobic training and/or interval training and/or anaerobic training) that are suitable to your clients’ health status and program goals. This section is not included in the final word count.
• Scientific Justification – Provide justification to detail how relevant scientific literature has informed all elements of the exercise prescription (including mode, exercise choice, frequency, intensity, duration, volume, progression). This criterion relates to your use and interpretation of suitable scientific literature in developing the content and structure of the program. Your exercise prescription should be informed by primary scientific literature and best practice guidelines.
Presentation, Grammar and Referencing – Adherence to a suitable referencing style, presentation and submission guidelines and scientific writing (and English and grammar) convention.

Task Length:

3000 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Develop SMART program goals that are to be informed by client desires/needs, fitness assessment data, needs analysis, guidelines for health, client motivation and other relevant factors.	LO1, LO4
2	Program content and suitability of the prescription (FITTVPP), considering the exercise tolerance, physical function and capacity and motivation level of the client and be designed to meet the program goals.	LO3
3	Use and interpret suitable scientific literature in developing the content and structure of the program.	LO1, LO3
4	Adherence to a suitable referencing style, presentation and submission guidelines and scientific writing (and English and grammar) conventions.	LO2

Assessment Task 5: Final Exam

Task Description:

Invigilated, closed book written exam with a combination of multiple choice and short-to-medium length answer questions (some calculations required) that test your knowledge and ability to prescribe and understand the intricacies of exercise prescription and delivery, assessing Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Task Length:

3 hours

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.