Academic Practices and Communication Skills
84 hours
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn
Overview
This unit prepares students for a range of assessment and learning practices encountered in international higher education contexts. The content of the learning program focuses on practical applications of theoretical or conceptual knowledge and principles, as well as participation in reflective, autonomous and collaborative learning processes. English language skills for academic purposes will be consolidated, extended and assessed via specific criteria in all assessment tasks
Requisites
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Analyse roles, responsibilities and expectations the Australian higher education context and apply understandings to a range of activities
- Analyse connections between higher learning and needs and opportunities of industry and society in a global context and apply understandings to a range of activities
- Apply knowledge of academic integrity and performance expectations in Australia to a range of assessment practices featured in higher degree programs
- Collaborate effectively with peers in the medium of English while participating in a range of learning tasks for higher studies
- Analyse and evaluate personal experiences, attributions and independent learning skills to develop an academic transition plan
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Face to Face Contact (Phasing out) Tutorial | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out) Individual Study | 7.50 | 12 weeks | 90 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Individual | 20% | 5 |
| Presentation | Group | 20% | 2,3,4 |
| Project | Individual | 20% | 1,2 |
| Project | Group | 40% | 3,4 |
Content
- Global contexts, social progress and industry needs of higher learning
- Career pathways for post graduates in their area of discourse
- Structure of higher education institutions and expectations of course administrators, academics, tutors, and peers, subject specific orientations and discourse areas
- Diverse assessment practices in higher education
- Collaborative study and research processes – managing and participating in work groups
- Digital learning tools and environments
- Individual learning styles, experiences and expectations, motivation, time management
- Presentations, and activities to promote early engagement in higher learning contexts
- Academic English expectations in disciplinary fields
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.