Course coordinator
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Health & Rehab Sci School
This course focuses on issues relevant to speech pathologists working with school aged children including material relating to literacy, language skills, school-aged dysfluency, auditory processing, classroom management and working with other professionals in the educational setting.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
SPCH2111, SPCH2113
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
SPCH3102
Restrictions
BSpPath(Hons) students only
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
- SPCH7123
Students in the Master of Speech Pathology Studies program undertaking SPCH7123 are also required to gain foundation skills in school-aged language and literacy areas of practice. Accordingly, SPCH2214 students may attend joint teaching activities with students undertaking SPCH7123.
Course contact
Lecturer
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Tutor
Dr Rebecca Armstrong
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to prepare students for working with children who are attending mainstream primary and secondary schools. The course builds on students’ understanding of early language development to consider the impact of further language development and skill on the acquisition of literacy and achievement of academic success. The course will inform students of the need for the school-aged child to develop and use language for learning. It also considers language and literacy development within the context of the classroom environment and the demands of academic curricula. Specifically, the course will build theoretical and clinical understanding of school-aged language and literacy development, disorders and intervention. The management of school-aged children with speech disorders, dysfluencies, Autism Spectrum Disorder, auditory processing disorder, children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds will also be explored. There is also a focus on understanding the role of the speech pathologist in education and how they work interprofessionally with teachers in the classroom.
In this course, students independently engage with online learning resources before the weekly tutorials. In tutorials, students participate in authentic peer-to-peer learning experiences through active engagement in independent, small group and large group learning activities. This provides students with more flexibility to learn, but the associated workload is similar to that of a traditional course.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Describe the speech pathologists’ role working in an educational context, including the principles of multi-tiered systems of support, inclusive education and person- and family- centred care.
LO2.
Explain the principles, purposes and methods of communication assessment for school-aged children.
LO3.
Develop and justify assessment plans for school-aged children that are responsive to their educational, social, and cultural contexts.
LO4.
Analyse and interpret assessment data to inform the management of communication difficulties in school-aged children.
LO5.
Formulate an evidence- and curriculum-based intervention program that is appropriate for the school environment and maximises a child's educational and social outcomes.
LO6.
Report and provide feedback to families and other professionals on the communication strengths and difficulties of school-aged children.
LO7.
Demonstrate knowledge of culturally responsive practice when working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
LO8.
Work effectively in a professional team.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Narrative Analysis and Teacher Report
|
20% |
5/09/2025 1:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Case Based Assignment
|
40% |
13/10/2025 1:00 pm |
| Examination |
End of Semester Examination
|
40% Must Pass |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Narrative Analysis and Teacher Report
- Team or group-based
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
5/09/2025 1:00 pm
Task description
This assessment is completed in pairs. The aims of this assessment are to develop students' skills in (i) discourse analysis, and (ii) writing a summary report of assessment results for a classroom teacher. There are two components to this assessment task:
1. Students will analyse a narrative sample for microstructure (semantic content, syntactic structure and fluency), and macrostructure (story grammar and complexity). Parts of the analysis will be completed during class time under the direction of the tutor, with the expectation the remainder of the analysis will be completed by the students outside of class time.
2. Students will write a summary report of the client's performance on the narrative task for the classroom teacher.
Further information about this assessment item will be made available on the SPCH2214 Blackboard site.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students will submit this assignment via Turnitin on the SPCH2214 Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
The approved extension will apply to both members of the pair.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Case Based Assignment
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
13/10/2025 1:00 pm
Task description
This assignment is to be completed individually. Students will be provided with the results of a screening assessment and teacher observations. They will need to devise a comprehensive management plan that outlines the next steps for managing the case including assessment and classroom strategies and adjustments. Students will also be required to design a one-page handout for the child's parent or teacher. Students will be able to choose the target audience and focus of their handout based on the provided case information.
The assignment details and task requirements will be made available on the SPCH2214 Blackboard site.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Students will submit this assignment via Turnitin on the SPCH2214 Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
End of Semester Examination
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40% Must Pass
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
Task description
This exam will be delivered in Inspera Assessment and will be completed on your personal laptop on campus.
The examination will be presented in a case-based and short-answer question format. This examination will require the integration of knowledge to respond to questions relating to a number of clinical cases. The exam will focus on online self-directed learning and tutorial content from Week 7 of semester onwards. Students will be required to revise information from the assessment content (Weeks 1-6) with a particular focus on differential diagnosis and interpretation of assessment data for management purposes. Further information, including details of the format of the exam will be provided on the SPCH2214 Blackboard site in the second half of semester.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
You must pass this item to pass the course where 55% of the maximum mark of the exam is considered a pass.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 34 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 0 - 34%. |
| 2 (Fail) | 35 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 35 - 44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 54 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 45 - 54%. A grade of 3 will be awarded to a student who achieves a final mark of 55% or higher but who does not pass the ‘must pass’ assessment item noted below. |
| 4 (Pass) | 55 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 55 - 64% and has passed the ‘must pass’ assessment item noted below. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 65 - 74% and has passed the ‘must pass’ assessment item noted below. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 75 - 84% and has passed the ‘must pass’ assessment item noted below. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: A cumulative percentage from all assessment of 85 - 100% and has passed the ‘must pass’ assessment item noted below. |
Additional course grading information
Final marks falling between whole percentages will be rounded to the nearest whole percentage. Tie-breaking will be conducted using the round half up method whereby half-way values are always rounded up, meaning, for example, that 89.5% and above will be rounded to 90% and 89.49% and below will be rounded down to 89%.
This course contains ‘must pass’ assessment items, as follows: End of Semester Exam. You must pass this item to pass this course overall, i.e. even if your final percentage mark is 55% or higher the individual ‘must pass’ assessment item must have been passed.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Resubmission/Resit of assessment items
A resit or resubmission of assessment items is not available for this course.
Deferred exams
Students may be eligible for a deferred exam if there are exceptional or unavoidable circumstances, or as a one-off discretionary request. Deferred exam requests should be submitted as soon as possible, and no later than five calendar days after the date of the original exam. Please also email the Course Coordinator as soon as possible (ideally, prior to the exam).ﾠ
Further details, including how to apply, can be found at - https://my.uq.edu.au/node/189/0#0. Please also email the Course Coordinator to advise of the deferred exam request.
Submitting assessment in Blackboard and Turnitin
When assessment is submitted throughﾠBlackboardﾠyou will receive a confirmation page as a digital receipt.ﾠThis information will also be sent to your student e-mail account.ﾠPlease ensure you keep this email.
When assessment is submitted through Turnitin you will receive a confirmation page displaying “Submission Complete!” and can then proceed to download your digital receiptﾠfrom yourﾠAssignment inbox.ﾠIt is suggested that you save a copy of the receipt for your personal records.
Instructions on how to submit assignments through Blackboard and Turnitin are available at:ﾠhttps://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/learnuq-blackboard-help/learnuq-assessment. Please review this information so you understand how to successfully submit your assessment items.
Submittingﾠassessment in Inspera
Details about Inspera Assessment including an introduction to Inspera functionality and where to go for support are available https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/assessments-inspera. Further information will be provided in the Blackboard site for this course, and practice opportunities will be available throughout the semester.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Not Timetabled |
Online self-directed learning modules Each week students will complete these interactive, self-paced modules which describe the key theoretical and practical aspects of assessment, analysis, differential diagnosis, and intervention for school-age children with communication difficulties. Students are required to complete this self-directed online learning prior to attendance and participation in the weekly tutorials. |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Tutorial |
Weekly Tutorials These weekly tutorials will incorporate small group discussions to further explore assessment, analysis, differential diagnosis, and intervention practices when working with school-age children. Tutorials have been designed for experiential learning, therefore students are expected to attend and participate in all tutorials. It is essential that students prepare for weekly tutorials by completing the online self-directed learning modules and associated preparation activities and bringing this information to their tutorial ready to share. As students will be working in small groups, tutorials will not be recorded. |
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Introduction to the school-aged child and environment This lecture will provide students with an understanding of important concepts and principles of working with school-aged populations. There will be a panel presentation from speech pathologists working in education and private practice to provide students with an overview of the speech pathologists role in education. The lecture will be delivered on campus. It is highly recommended that students attend, however, a lecture recording will be made available. |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Lecture |
Course Summary Lecture The final lecture will provide a summary and revision of content covered throughout the course as well as preparation for the End of Semester Examination. The lecture will be delivered on campus. It is highly recommended that students attend, however, a lecture recording will be made available. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: