PSYCHOL 7418 - MClinPsych (Defence) Res Project I

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

Empirically based clinical research projects of direct relevance to the field of Clinical Psychology will be pursued under the control of one or more supervisors appointed by the faculty (at least one of whom shall be a member of the School of Psychology). The research project must take the form of one or more of the following: a program evaluation study; a critical review, pilot study and full grant application; a critical review and a meta analysis; a critical review and a secondary data analysis; a traditional empirical research project; a literature review and an article suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed international scientific journal.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PSYCHOL 7418
    Course MClinPsych (Defence) Res Project I
    Coordinating Unit Psychology
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Arrange with supervisor
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites PSYCHOL 7402, PSYCHOL 7403, PSYCHOL 7407 and the submission of an ethics proposal (or equivalent)
    Restrictions Available to MClinPsych (Defence) students only
    Course Description Empirically based clinical research projects of direct relevance to the field of Clinical Psychology will be pursued under the control of one or more supervisors appointed by the faculty (at least one of whom shall be a member of the School of Psychology). The research project must take the form of one or more of the following:

    a program evaluation study; a critical review, pilot study and full grant application; a critical review and a meta analysis; a critical review and a secondary data analysis; a traditional empirical research project; a literature review and an article suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed international scientific journal.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mark Cescato

    School of Psychology Office
    Dr Mark Cescato
    Email: psychologyadmin@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    At the successful completion of this course students will be able to:

    1.    To review and analyse critically research in clinical psychology.
    2.    To acquire knowledge and competency in the design and completion of research studies in clinical psychology
    3.    To acquire and apply skills in critical analysis.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1,3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    2
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1,2,3
  • Learning Resources
    Recommended Resources
    The Library is a major resource centre for students. The Research Librarian for Psychology, Maureen Bell, provides some useful information through the Internet at http://libguides.adelaide.edu.au/psychology. The website contains a list of databases, links to tutorials and help with searching methods.

    For additional information please refer to the Master of Clinical Psychology (Defence) Program Handbook at the following link:
    http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/students/resource/handbooksforms.html
    Online Learning
    This course may use MyUni for one or more of the following:
    - Communication with students via Announcements and Discussion Board
    - Submission of assessment
    - Access to resources such as additional readings
    - Self-directed learning activities

    Link to MyUni: https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/

    Templates and forms relevant to this placement are also available in the Master of Clinical Psychology (Defence) Placement Handbook at the time of enrolment at the following link:

    http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/students/resource/handbookforms.html


  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The Supervisor and trainee correspond regularly in formal scheduled supervision meetings. The amount of supervision required will depend on the development needs of the trainee and the stage of progression of the research project.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    1)    Research Project summary (1000 words)
    2)    A Gantt chart which indicates key steps of the project and their approximate duration and dates of commencement and completion
    3)    A statement from the student’s internal supervisor in support of the student’s submission

    These tasks should constitute approximately 312 hours of a student’s workload in any given semester.
    Learning Activities Summary
    As this subject involves research no formal lectures are mandated. The Learning Activities depend upon the nature of the research project and developmental needs of the trainee.  The Learning Activities reflect the Learning Outcomes stated.
    Specific Course Requirements
    On the initial enrolment into the Master of Clinical Psychology (Defence) program, all students MUST apply for and obtain provisional registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. The application form and details of fees payable are available from the PBA website:
    http://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/Forms.aspx

    Candidates are required to consent to a police check as part of their application to the Psychology Board of Australia for Provisional Registration, a requirement of enrolment in the program. A satisfactory current police check is a mandatory requirement for acceptance to and continuation within the program.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    *
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    Assessment Task Assessment Type Weighting Learning outcome(s) being addressed
    Summary of the research project (1000 words) Summative Not applicable (NGP) All
    A Gantt chart which indicates key steps of the project and their approximate duration and dates of commencement and completion Summative Not applicable (NGP) All
    Assessment Detail
    This course is examined by a Non Graded Pass. Learning Outcomes specified in 2.1 are assessed by the following tasks:
    1)    A Research Project in the area of Clinical Psychology summary (1000 words)
    2)    A Gantt chart which indicates key steps of the project and the approximate duration and dates of commencement and completion.


    Submission
    In the case of an unsatisfactory performance in this subject the student will be given an opportunity to do further work to revise and complete assessment tasks to an acceptable standard.

    For further information re the Assessment Policy please refer to the Master of Clinical Psychology (Defence) Program Handbook at the following link:
    http://health.adelaide.edu.au/psychology/students/resource/handbooksforms.html
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    GS8 (Coursework Grade Scheme)
    Grade Description
    CN Continuing
    FNS Fail No Submission
    NFE No Formal Examination
    F Fail
    NGP Non Graded Pass
    P Pass
    C Credit
    D Distinction
    HD High Distinction
    RP Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Assignments are graded by NGP.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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