School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

Please note that there may be some modifications to the assessment schedule promoted in Handbook for Semester 1 2023 Units. All assessment changes will be published by 20th February 2023. All students are reminded to check the handbook at the beginning of semester to ensure they have the correct outline.

  • Unit Title

    Complex Communication Needs: Being an Effective Communication Partner
  • Unit Code

    EDU6311
  • Year

    2023
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr John Andrew O'ROURKE

Description

This unit examines the impact of complex communication needs on a persons participation and inclusion in education. It explores relationships, community activities and future employment within the context of current definitions of communication, complex communication needs, communicative competency, as well as Alternative and/or Augmentative Communication (AAC). The aims of AAC education, as well as the factors that serve as barriers or supports for AAC will be discussed. Explicit and practical learning skills that facilitate competent communication with people with complex needs in a variety of settings will be investigated. In addition, a range of AAC instructional strategies, linked to teaching and learning techniques will be analysed with respect to the impact these strategies have on student learning, participation and relationships.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Weekend seminars and workshops with appropriate intervals of reflection time.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded EDU5310.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the impact of culture societal attitudes, beliefs and expectations on the education of individuals from varying indigenous and cultural backgrounds.
  2. Provide solutions that address barriers or supports to the success of AAC interventions on the lives of individuals with complex communication needs.
  3. Critically analyse, evaluate and transform showing autonomy and well-developed judgement in exploring the efficacy of communication partner strategies.
  4. Transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to select and apply methods to the teaching and learning of AAC strategies.
  5. Solve complex problems with theoretical concepts, methods and models of AAC intervention to enhance participation and inclusion.

Unit Content

  1. AAC support networks for AAC users, families, communities and professionals.
  2. Aided Language Stimulation techniques in both classroom and community settings.
  3. Aims of AAC teaching and learning.
  4. Behaviours, attitudes and skills of competent communication partners.
  5. Critical analysis of the research on the teaching and learning of multi-modal AAC strategies for education and health professionals, individuals with complex communication needs and members of their families and community networks.
  6. Current definitions of communication, language, complex communication needs, alternative and/or augmentative communication (AAC) and communicative competence.
  7. Factors that support the learning and embedding of successful communication partner techniques into daily practice.
  8. Impact of complex communication needs and successful AAC intervention on learning, relationships and participation.
  9. Major supports and barriers to AAC success including the Communication Bill of Rights.
  10. Supporting multimodal communication for teaching and learning outcomes.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentVideo of practice60%
Research PaperCreating a communication accessible learning environment40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentVideo of practice60%
Research PaperCreating a communication accessible learning environment40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

EDU6311|1|1

School: Education

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Complex Communication Needs: Being an Effective Communication Partner
  • Unit Code

    EDU6311
  • Year

    2023
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr John Andrew O'ROURKE

Description

This unit examines the impact of complex communication needs on a persons participation and inclusion in education. It explores relationships, community activities and future employment within the context of current definitions of communication, complex communication needs, communicative competency, as well as Alternative and/or Augmentative Communication (AAC). The aims of AAC education, as well as the factors that serve as barriers or supports for AAC will be discussed. Explicit and practical learning skills that facilitate competent communication with people with complex needs in a variety of settings will be investigated. In addition, a range of AAC instructional strategies, linked to teaching and learning techniques will be analysed with respect to the impact these strategies have on student learning, participation and relationships.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Weekend seminars and workshops with appropriate intervals of reflection time.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded EDU5310.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the impact of culture societal attitudes, beliefs and expectations on the education of individuals from varying indigenous and cultural backgrounds.
  2. Provide solutions that address barriers or supports to the success of AAC interventions on the lives of individuals with complex communication needs.
  3. Critically analyse, evaluate and transform showing autonomy and well-developed judgement in exploring the efficacy of communication partner strategies.
  4. Transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to select and apply methods to the teaching and learning of AAC strategies.
  5. Solve complex problems with theoretical concepts, methods and models of AAC intervention to enhance participation and inclusion.

Unit Content

  1. AAC support networks for AAC users, families, communities and professionals.
  2. Aided Language Stimulation techniques in both classroom and community settings.
  3. Aims of AAC teaching and learning.
  4. Behaviours, attitudes and skills of competent communication partners.
  5. Critical analysis of the research on the teaching and learning of multi-modal AAC strategies for education and health professionals, individuals with complex communication needs and members of their families and community networks.
  6. Current definitions of communication, language, complex communication needs, alternative and/or augmentative communication (AAC) and communicative competence.
  7. Factors that support the learning and embedding of successful communication partner techniques into daily practice.
  8. Impact of complex communication needs and successful AAC intervention on learning, relationships and participation.
  9. Major supports and barriers to AAC success including the Communication Bill of Rights.
  10. Supporting multimodal communication for teaching and learning outcomes.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentVideo of practice60%
Research PaperCreating a communication accessible learning environment40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentVideo of practice60%
Research PaperCreating a communication accessible learning environment40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

EDU6311|1|2