PHYSIOTH 4006 - Advanced Physiotherapy Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

This course involves three modules: (i) advanced spinal physiotherapy, (ii) professional practice, and (iii) a self-directed project. Advanced spinal physiotherapy expands on the clinical reasoning and manual therapy skills developed earlier in the course, with focus on spinal physiotherapy. The professional practice module aims to prepare students to commence practice as a newly graduated health professional, covering legislation, codes of conduct and ethical practice. In the third module, students will identify and research a gap in physiotherapy practice and undertake a self-directed project to develop a creative solution, with the ultimate aim of improving physiotherapy practice within the chosen context.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PHYSIOTH 4006
    Course Advanced Physiotherapy Practice
    Coordinating Unit Physiotherapy
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 10 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites PHYSIOTH 4005
    Restrictions Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
    Assessment Written project, oral presentation, clinical assignment and group presentation
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Jessica Stanhope

    Course Timetable

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

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Identify research topics that will enhance clinical knowledge and systematically locate evidence
    2 Critically appraise relevant research studies to determine the risk of bias and how this might influence the research findings
    3 Integrate and criticallt interpret research findings and justify answers to clinical research questions
    4 Communicate the process and findings of your review via a range of media
    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)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 2, 3

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    1, 2, 3

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    1, 2, 3, 4

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    1, 2, 3, 4

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    1, 4
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    All students should factor in the cost of their own electronic device. Required learning resources and readings will be provided on-line via MyUni. Students may need to access other online resources via the University library.
    Recommended Resources
    There will be a range of peer-reviewed articles – both as prescribed and recommended readings. Also, other generic materials such as, essay writing guides, study guides, referencing etc will be recommended resources.
    Online Learning
    MyUni (Canvas) will be used as the online platform to support the course via the following features:

    • Learning modules to deliver content
    • Online learning pathways to guide student navigation through the course
    • Announcements
    • Discussion Boards
    • Echo 360 lecture recordings
    • Other materials (e.g. bespoke video resources and links to other relevant web resources)
    • Formative and Summative quizzes
    • Student collaborations and conferences
    • ePortfolio
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course will utilise workshops and practicals to teach advanced vertebral assessment and management, clinical reasoning and pain education and will be followed up with online materials. Students will be introduced to ‘job searching and applying for jobs’ in Professional Practice; This involves searching for jobs – developing strong CVs, interview techniques via workshops and tutorials. Codes of Conduct and how to handle complaints will also be addressed, as will Ethical Frameworks and Professional Boundaries and how these relate to the professional codes of practice. Students will complete a capstone project across the course.
    Workload

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

    Workshop 10 x 2 hours = 20 hours
    Practical 6 x 2 hours = 12 hours
    Weekly reading/ study 5 hours
    Workshop/ Practical preparation 12 hours
    Self-directed study 60 hours
    Independent research 80 hours
    Assessment 60 hours

    Total 249 hours


    Learning Activities Summary
    This course will be taught via workshops to guide the major project, and to facilitate learning around the clinical and professional practice components of the course. Practical sessions will develop skills in advanced musculoskeletal techniques.
  • 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 Task Type Due Weighting Learning Outcome
    Proposal for a health program evaluation Summative

    Monday the week following the 5 week block

    50% 2
    Practical examination Summative Week 3  15% 3, 4, 5, 6
    Assignment Summative Monday Week 5 15% 3, 4, 5, 6
    Ethical scenario presentation Summative Week 5 workshop 10% 1
    Physiotherapy job application Summative Monday Week 4 10% 7
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Nil
    Assessment Detail
    Proposal for a health program evaluation: Students will produce a full proposal for a health program evaluation. 

    Practical examination: Students will be provided with a case scenario and asked to plan and conduct the assessment, treatment and re-assessment of the patient

    Assignment: Students will be provided with a case scenario and asked to plan the assessment and management, based on reasoning and reference to the peer-reviewed literature.

    Ethical scenario presentation: Students will be provided with an ethical scenario and asked to present the scenario, the potential problems and solutions

    Physiotherapy job application: Students will be asked to develop a physiotherapy job application (including a letter and curriculum vitae), and will provide written feedback to other students.
    Submission
    All written assessments will be submitted via MyUni
    Course Grading

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

    M11 (Honours Mark Scheme)
    GradeGrade reflects following criteria for allocation of gradeReported on Official Transcript
    Fail A mark between 1-49 F
    Third Class A mark between 50-59 3
    Second Class Div B A mark between 60-69 2B
    Second Class Div A A mark between 70-79 2A
    First Class A mark between 80-100 1
    Result Pending An interim result RP
    Continuing Continuing CN

    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.

    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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