Comprehensive Study Notes: Applied Psychology Course Structure and Requirements

Course Components and Instructional Delivery

The structure of this course is designed around several formatting components to ensure consistent learning. Every week begins with a weekly preview, which is a recorded session that links together all the content relevant to that specific week. While the current week's release may experience a slight delay due to the organization of upcoming content, these previews are typically released ahead of schedule alongside other course materials. Undergraduate instruction includes an interactive Zoom lecture which lasts for $1.5\,\text{hours}$ and a weekly tutorial consisting of $1\,\text{hour}$ of synchronous engagement. These sessions are supplemented by a variety of assessments designed to measure understanding and application of the course material throughout the semester.

Detailed Assessment Schedule and Requirements

There are three primary assessments in this subject. The first is an online quiz scheduled for August 3 in Week $4$. This quiz consists of $12$ randomly generated questions that assess all content delivered from Week $1$ through Week $3$. The second assessment is a group presentation occurring in Weeks $8$ and $9$. Students will be allocated into groups during their Week $4$ tutorial. This project is intended to develop interpersonal skills within a professional environment, simulating real-world job structures involving collaborators and stakeholders. The presentation requires groups to reflect on an outside community project, with multiple options provided to cater to student interests. Each presentation is limited to a maximum of $10\,\text{minutes}$, followed by a critical thinking question-and-answer session.

The final and most significant assessment is the Personal Development Portfolio, which accounts for $55\%$ of the total grade. This portfolio involves ongoing activities and reflexive writing pieces ranging from $125$ to $350\,\text{words}$ each, typically averaging around $200$ to $250\,\text{words}$. These reflections must be completed weekly to ensure growth throughout the semester, as the portfolio is submitted in Week $11$. Estimations suggest that blocking out $20\,\text{to}\,30\,\text{minutes}$ per week is sufficient to keep up with the workload. The portfolio focuses on self-reflection and personal growth, differing from traditional academic assignments. Students are required to use a provided template from the assessment tab on the LMS, and while they may exceed the word count in some sections, they must compensate in others as there is no $10\%$ word count leeway provided for this psychology subject.

Weekly Curriculum and Course Roadmap

The semester begins in Week $1$ with an introduction to the unit. Weeks $2$ through $4$ focus on positive and health psychology. Following the assessment in Week $4$, Week $5$ covers psychology in the workplace and occupational therapy. Notably, the census date—the final day to withdraw from the subject without financial penalty—falls within Week $5$. Week $6$ addresses working with children and adolescents, while Week $7$ covers sports psychology.

After the mid-semester break (following Week $7$), the curriculum shifts toward theories of self and their applications, as well as personality theory. Subsequent topics include the highly popular field of forensic psychology and working with vulnerable people. The semester concludes in Week $12$ with a focus on volunteering. While the course teaches the principles of volunteering and its benefits for a professional CV, students are not required to perform volunteer work as part of the assessment. The group presentations are held live in Weeks $8$ and $9$, and the portfolio is due for submission in Week $11$.

Intended Learning Outcomes and Success Strategies

The central focus of the reading for the introductory week is the Career edge model of employability. Students are expected to understand the definition and meaning of applied psychology and explain the basic principles of learning theory, specifically classical and operant conditioning. A core objective is the ability to apply these learning theories to real-life scenarios.

To succeed in the subject, students are advised to attend or watch the recorded lectures regularly. Engagement with prescribed and recommended readings is essential, as the prescribed readings tie directly into the quiz and the reflections in the portfolio. Active participation in tutorials and consistent observation of one's environment for the purpose of reflection are also highlighted as key success factors. Taking small, consistent steps each week is the recommended approach to managing the cumulative requirements of the portfolio and other assessments.

Administrative Policies and General Procedures

Administrative matters involve group allocation and attendance policies. Groups for presentations are assigned by tutors in Week $4$, and students who cannot attend that specific tutorial must email their tutor. Once groups are formed, students have up to two weeks to establish contact, after which no changes to the group composition will be permitted. All students are expected to present live unless they have a Special Consideration or a Learning Access Plan (LAP), which should be emailed to the staff early to ensure accommodations.

Regarding assessment submissions, all tasks must be uploaded to the NMS (or LMS) under the respective assignment tabs. Each submission requires the completion of an AI acknowledgment; for the group presentation, one member completes this for the whole group, while for the portfolio, the acknowledgment must be completed before the final document is submitted. There are no extensions available for the quiz or the group presentation as these are "point in time" assessments. However, if a student cannot attend their scheduled presentation slot in Week $8$ or $9$, they may be rescheduled. For the portfolio, a three-day extension is available, but applications must be submitted before the due date. The portfolio reflections begin in Week $2$ with the setting of SMART goals, providing students time to adjust to the lecture and tutorial content before writing begins.

Questions & Discussion

Question: What happens if we can't attend the Week $4$ tutorial for group allocation? Answer: You must email your tutor specifically. Allocation happens during the tutorial, and you will have up to two weeks to ensure you have contact with your group. After that, no changes can be made.

Question: Are there extensions for the assessments? Answer: There are no extensions for assessment one (the quiz) or assessment two (the group presentation) because they are point-in-time assessments. If you cannot attend your presentation time, you can be rescheduled. For the portfolio, you can apply for a three-day extension currently live on the system, but you must do so before the deadline. If you have a Learning Access Plan (LAP), send it to us for an extension.

Question: Is the catch-up tutorial the same as the live ones? Answer: The catch-up tutorial at the end of the week is not as detailed and lacks the benefit of live class discussions. While you can pause the video to complete activities, it is not as interactive as being in class.

Question: Do we have to actually do volunteering for Week $12$? Answer: No, in Week $12$ you are learning about volunteering, not doing it. It is recommended for your CV, but not a requirement of the course curriculum.

Question: Is there a word count leeway for the portfolio? Answer: There is no $10\%$ leeway either way. We decided against it because it would essentially add the equivalent of an extra reflection to the workload.

Question: How are groups for the presentation decided? Answer: Your tutor will allocate them. If there are obvious groups already formed, they may be used, otherwise, the tutor will decide for you.