Lifespan Development and Communication

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
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Effective Term: 2025/20
Institute / School :Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Unit Title: Lifespan Development and Communication
Unit ID: HEASP1022
Credit Points: 15.00
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Co-requisite(s): Nil
Exclusion(s): (HEASP5022)
ASCED: 061707
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

This unit introduces students to the concept of human development across the lifespan with a focus on communication, feeding, and swallowing. Physical, cognitive and psychosocial development is examined in relation to major theorists and stages of the human lifespan, with a focus on the role of speech pathologists in monitoring and supporting communication, feeding and swallowing. Students will explore how to build and maintain a therapeutic alliance with speech pathology client(s) across life stages within the culturally diverse context of Australia. Students will reflect on enablers and barriers to effective communication within professional and academic contexts and apply communication techniques and strategies essential for effective oral and written communication with a range of audiences.

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component:
Supplementary Assessment:Yes
Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment
Course Level:
Level of Unit in CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                        
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                                
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Describe features of physical, cognitive, socio-emotional development in relation to communication, swallowing and feeding across major developmental periods throughout the human lifespan

K2.

Define major theoretical approaches of human development;

K3.

Analyze enablers and barriers to effective communication and how they impact our interaction with others, including culturally responsive and family centred practice

Skills:
S1.

Demonstrate skills in analysis of language samples from everyday communication contexts across the lifespan

S2.

Observe and record features of physical, cognitive, socio-emotional development in relation to communication, swallowing and feeding development

S3.

Demonstrate effective oral, written, and technology-based communication skills appropriate for health professionals in both individual and group contexts

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Apply knowledge and skills to analyse and monitor the development of communication, feeding and swallowing in case-based scenarios across life stages

A2.

Review and reflect on personal and professional communication to promote strategies for ongoing development as a student and a health professional

Unit Content:

Topics may include:

Lifespan Development

·        Theories of human development

·        Biological beginnings

·        Infancy

·        Early childhood,

·        Middle and late childhood

·        Adolescence

·        Early, middle and late adulthood

·        Death and dying

Communication, feeding, and swallowing development

·        Observation and record taking for speech pathology practice

·        Monitoring communication, swallowing and feeding development

·        The role of speech pathologists across the lifespan

·        Diversity in Australia

Therapeutic alliance

·        Models for exploring therapeutic alliance

·        Professional communication strategies and techniques

·        Professional frameworks for culturally responsive practice

·        Self-awareness and impact of our interactions with others

Academic skills

·        Public speaking and presentation skills

·        Critical and reflective thinking

·        Professional communication for a specific audience

·        Academic writing and referencing

·        Academic reading

Professional Standards for Speech Pathologist in Australia (2020), Code of Ethics 2020 (SPA, 2020), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culturally responsive capability framework (SPA, 2023), The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, OTBA Code of Conduct (2014) Australian Occupational Therapy Competency Standards (2018), National Quality and Safeguarding Framework (NQSF, 2018), National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (2017-2019) and National Aged Care Quality Standards (2019) have informed the syllabus/content of this unit.

Graduate Attributes:
Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.

FED TASK and descriptorDevelopment and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
Level
FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal

Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in:

• Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods

• Active listening for meaning and influencing 

• High-level empathy for others

• Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills

• Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams 

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 2
Leadership

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: 

• Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments

• Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth

• Inspiring and enabling others

• Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others

• Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems 

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity

Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in:

• Reflecting critically on complex problems

• Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information

• Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas

• Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry

• Proposing creative solutions in problem solving  

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy

Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: 

• Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level

• Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media 

• Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research

• Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups

• Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities 

1 - Yes
FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset

Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in:

• The responsible conduct of research

• Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts

• Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen

• Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable 

• Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life.  

1 - Yes
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeightingProfessional Standards
1. K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2

Weeks 1-3 online and class content

Online quiz

5-10%
2. K1, K2, K3, S3, A2

Students will construct and reflect on a presentation that explores professional communication in relation to speech pathology practice

Group Oral Presentation

20-30%
3. K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2

Weeks 1-12 online and class content

Written Examination

40-60%
Adopted Reference Style:
APA  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency