James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2021

ED4620 - Developing Your Professional Identity through Service-Learning

Subject Description

The primary goal of this subject is to assist students to develop a sense of professional identity as they transition from their undergraduate studies into the workforce or to postgraduate studies. This subject is positioned as a Level 4 subject as it is envisaged that it will build upon students' conceptual understandings attained in SC1101: Science: Nature, Knowledge and Understanding, ED2610 Nature of Inquiry, and ED3610 Professional Communication Practices, and ED3620 Professional Practices: Assessment & Evaluation. This subject will provide opportunities for STEM undergraduate students to enhance their professional skills and competencies and to consolidate their career development and planning. In addition, ED4620: Developing Your Professional Identity will facilitate opportunities for the STEM students to reflect on their own development as an ethical citizen and as a future leader in the tropics. Having completed the two pre-requisite professional practice education minor subjects, students will be placed, as a team of 2 to 3 students, in a service learning project where they are to collaborate in order to enable an organisation or institution to enact and evaluate a science communication/education project in the community.

Learning Outcomes

• work with community groups or organisations to negotiate and enact a project with benefits for the both the community-partner and the student, and record this in a value proposition statement
• collaborate with peers and community representatives to scope the logistical aspects of the project, including protocols for communication and strategies for evaluating the outcomes of the project
• create and evaluate a communication plan and associated communication products as well as an evaluation plan and associated evaluation products
• critically reflect on the effectiveness of their own contribution towards realising the goals of the negotiated project

Subject Assessment

• Performance/Practice/Product > Portfolio - (50%) - Individual
• Performance/Practice/Product > Professional placement performance - (50%) - Individual

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Availabilities