Unit Outline

This is a professional experience placement (PEP) unit, undertaken off campus in diagnostic pathology laboratories accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), or equivalent. Students are subject to the rules and regulations of your host laboratory, supervised by laboratory staff. Over a 12-week period, you will experience core and specialised areas within a modern diagnostic pathology laboratory. You will apply your university learning to real world laboratory practice and further develop practical laboratory skills and learning by observing and performing laboratory tasks. You will develop an holistic view of the role of the diagnostic pathology laboratory in the healthcare industry, with added focus on professional, social, ethical, and legal requirements associated with laboratory practice and patient care.

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	Demonstrate effective, responsible, and safe work practices and communication skills in a medical laboratory with a high-level of autonomy and accountability.
2	Integrate and apply principles and concepts of laboratory medicine to perform, analyse and interpret diagnostic laboratory tests and to solve analytical, procedural, or diagnostic problems.
3	Critically reflect on the effect of your work placement on your personal and professional learning, in the context of the expected social, ethical, and legal requirements associated with laboratory practice and patient care.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA632, CXA633, CXA642, CXA643, CXA652, CXA600, CXA601, CXA622
Co-requisite	CXA731 Medical Laboratory Practice AND CXA732 Medical Laboratory Placement 1

Alterations as a result of student feedback

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:	Online discussion posts	Refer to Assessment Description	5 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Portfolio – Review of weekly critical reflections	Refer to Assessment Description	15 %	LO1, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Reflective Portfolio	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Placement – laboratory supervisor assessment	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO2

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Online discussion posts

Task Description:

Online discussion posts.

Initial impressions: After your first day of placement, post a brief description of your placement location and your initial perceptions and expectations about your placement experience on the MyLO discussion board. Reply to at least one other posting, comparing your first impressions and expectations with your peers.
In the final week of your placement, post a description of how your presumptions have changed since your preplacement visit posting and whether your expectations were realised (with examples) and state your post placement plans. Reply to at least one other posting, comparing your placement experiences and postplacement plans with your peers

Task Length:

200 words each

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

5 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Analyse your expectations and aspirations for placement.	LO3
2	Analyse and evaluate your overall placement experience compared to your expectations.	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Portfolio – Review of weekly critical reflections

Task Description:

Portfolio – Review of weekly critical reflections.
Twice during your 12-week placement, you will review your critical reflections of the previous four weeks. You will identify similarities and differences between the submissions and reflect on what this reveals about your personal and professional growth in terms of your awareness of social, ethical, and legal requirements of laboratory practice and patient care.

Task Length:

1000 words for each critical review (2000 words total)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Compare, analyse, and evaluate your weekly reflections, supported by evidence.	LO3
2	Evaluate how your critical reflections contribute to your growing awareness of the ethical, social, and legal requirements associated with laboratory practice and patient care.	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 3: Reflective Portfolio

Task Description:

In your first week of placement for this unit, you will commence a portfolio, which consists of evidence of your placement experiences and how they relate to specified criteria based on the AIMS Competency-Based Standards for Medical Scientists (2009).

You will add your evidence of placement experiences into your assessment folder in MyLO each week in weeks 5 - 16.

In addition to the evidence of placement experiences, you are required to explain how your pieces of evidence meet the following criteria: communication skills, application of university learning, acquisition of new laboratory skills and learning.

You will also analyse and evaluate the significance of your portfolio submissions on your personal and professional development through a weekly critical reflection, as a form of self-evaluation, in preparation for post-graduate life.

Formative feedback: The coordinator will give formative feedback on the entries for weeks 1 & 2 to assist you in meeting the assessment criteria.

Task Length:

1000 words per submission (weeks 5 - 16)

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate communication skills (interpersonal & non-verbal) when communicating with laboratory staff and associated work professionals.	LO1
2	Application of university learning to the workplace.	LO2
3	Evidence of new laboratory skills and learning.	LO1, LO2
4	Evidence of critical thinking and/or problem-solving.	LO1, LO2
5	Evidence of meeting AIMS Competency-based Standards for Medical Scientists Units 7-10.	LO1, LO2
6	Critically reflect on the consequences of the learning experiences represented by your portfolio submission on your personal and professional growth towards becoming a responsible, accountable, and autonomous medical scientist.	LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 4: Placement – laboratory supervisor assessment

Task Description:

Placement – laboratory supervisor assessment.
Staff members responsible for student supervision will assess you at the end of each department rotation, on your technical aptitude, your theoretical knowledge (prior and newly acquired), your problem-solving skills and your professional attitude, using the competency checklists and assessment sheets available via the MyLO Assessment and resources folder.

Task Length:

Students will be assessed by their placement supervisor using a criterion referenced assessment table

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate effective, responsible, autonomous, and safe technical aptitude, by independent, correct use of laboratory equipment and adherence to correct procedure.	LO1, LO2
2	Display newly acquired, self-directed workplace skills and learning.	LO1
3	Demonstrate effective, responsible, and accountable professional attitude, e.g., punctuality, self-motivation & enthusiasm, recognising when additional expertise is needed, ethical behaviour (confidentiality, sensitivity, integrity).	LO1
4	Demonstrate effective, responsible, and accountable communication skills (interpersonal & non-verbal) when communicating with laboratory staff and associated work professionals.	LO1
5	Apply practical and theoretical knowledge to interpret procedural and diagnostic components encountered in the placement.	LO2
6	Apply practical and theoretical knowledge (newly acquired and prior) to solve analytical, procedural, or diagnostic problems.	LO2

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.