Numeracy, and mathematics in general, allows professionals to communicate with precision, summarise complex ideas, and make reasonable predictions about the future. It is a necessary skill set. This unit is not designed to turn you into a mathematician but to make sure you can: (1) proficiently interact with the academic/professional literature; (2) engage other clinicians as equals; and (3) report innovative clinical observations in an impactful way. You should come to this unit with high school numeracy and will then engage: (1) the graphical/tabular representation of data; (2) how to work with simple algebraic formulas; (3) the fundamentals of probability theory; and (4) introductory statistical methods (i.e., parametric, non-parametric and correlation). In doing so your ability to become an excellent student will be enhanced along with your awareness of what constitutes 'evidence-based' practice.
Unit code: CO1008Z
Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1
Unit discipline: Counselling
Proposing College: School of Professional Practice - Counselling
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Be able to judge the quality of academic and professional texts. |
| 2. | Represent data in a clear and impactful way for the benefit of others. |
| 3. | Be able to identify different data types leading to correct analysis strategies. |
| 4. | Apply a small set of common statistical techniques to clinically relevant data. |
Offering: This unit is to be taught in year 1, semester 2 (term 4). Prerequisites: NA Prohibited combinations: NA
Scaffolded learning In practice: This is a collaborative way of learning that takes note of the learner’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). By repeatedly extending the learner’s ZPD they develop a comprehensive and integrated system of knowledge/skills. Scaffolded learning is achieved through the provision of online modules which clearly guide a student’s learning; through activities of increased complexity during intensives; by face-to-face seminars which are tailored to induce academic/professional growth in an ordered and coherent way; and by assessments which not only seek to identify that key knowledge/skills have been learnt, but that the student is developing an integrated understanding of counselling.
Textbook is: Jackson, S. (2015). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach (5th edition). Cengage.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton Argument | For 5 different module “Activities” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. |
500 | 5.0 |
| Personal Reflection | For 5 different module “Reflection questions” across the unit provide either: (1) a response of approx. 100 words to the question posed; or (2) a response of approx. 100 words to another student’s post. Each response will be marked as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. |
500 | 5.0 |
| Personal Reflection | You will be provided with a clinically relevant journal article. Identify those aspects of the article which you found difficult to understand. Knowing this, how will you focus your learning in this unit? |
500 | 20.0 |
| Skill Demonstration | You will be provided with a set of clinically relevant data. Your task is to use your knowledge of descriptive statistics to represent this data in the most impactful way. |
500 | 20.0 |
| Skill Demonstration | You will be given a set of clinically relevant data. Your task is to understand its key features and so recognise a logical analysis strategy. You will then analyse the data according to this strategy and report the outcome appropriately. Show all steps and workings-out. |
500 | 20.0 |
| Essay | Statistics is an area of maths which engages probability, not certainty. However it is often the only way we can understand complex data. Given this, you will be provided with a question which will bring together your knowledge of statistics and clinical practice so as to develop a nuanced view of what may be called "evidence". |
1500 | 30.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 4 Nov, 2024
Unit record last updated: 2024-11-04 08:50:58 +1100