EDCD605 - Advanced Assessment for Coaching

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Unit rationale, description and aim

At a time of rapid ongoing change as a result of globalisation, internationalisation and developing information communication technologies, traditional approaches to career development are no longer sufficient. Traditional forms of career assessment are based on the premise of a relatively stable, predictable future and the ability to identify relatively unchanging traits in people.

In this unit students will examine this premise as well as traditional and purpose-developed assessment methods suitable for coaching in changeable conditions. A range of evidence-based quantitative and qualitative assessment methods will be demonstrated and evaluated to provide students with a range of coaching assessment activities. Special consideration will be given to the integration of assessment data from multiple sources and the interpretation of assessments to best prepare clients for uncertain and changeable futures. Students will practice advanced coaching assessment techniques addressing career-related client issues. Course assessment will examine both theoretical and practical aspects of advanced coaching assessment. The aim of this practical unit is to equip students with knowledge and skills to evaluate and implement career assessment methods and advanced coaching techniques.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Classify a range of advanced career assessment tools and strategies for a diverse range of students and adults (GA6, GA8, GA10; APST 1.3, 4.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)

LO2 - Investigate, evaluate and analyse the administration, scoring, interpretation and integration of qualitative and quantitative career assessment instruments used in career counselling and assessment (GA3, GA8, APST 4.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)

LO3 - Integrate assessment data with other client information in order to provide appropriate, practical and ethical action recommendations to assist clients experiencing change in uncertain and changing environments (GA3, GA6, GA8; APST 1.3, 4.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4)

Graduate attributes

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS

On successful completion of this unit, students should have developed understandings and practices in relation to each of the following standards:

Content

Topics will include: 

• nature and purpose of assessment for careers and coaching 
• different types of assessment 
• history of assessment  
• psychometrics and criteria for choosing tests 
• the narrative vs. testing (false) dichotomy 
• quantitative and qualitative tests 
• quantitative test administration (vocational interests, work rewards, opportunity awareness, reactions to change, acknowledging uncertainty, irrational thinking) 
• qualitative test administration (values, interests, creative solutions)  
• test administration (testing for adaptability) 
• test interpretation and providing test feedback 
• coaching with tests 
• case studies 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit is offered in multimode and uses an active learning approach to support students in the development of knowledge and skills related to various forms of coaching and assessment for career development. Students have the opportunity to attend synchronous online webinars to participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge. Such an approach allows flexibility for students are largely engaged in full-time work. 

Where required by cohorts, part or all of the unit could be delivered face-to-face with students engaging in lectures and workshops as well as students accessing digital resources and activities available through the LEO site. 

The unit will employ a range of teaching strategies including: 

1. Active learning. Students will engage in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, or problem solving that promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. They will engage in problem-based learning and the use of case methods and simulations. 
2. Inquiry-based learning. Students will be actively involved in the exploration of the content, issues, and questions surrounding the topics in this course. 
3. Case Studies. Students will be presented with case studies to explore, analyse and resolve. 
4. Problem-based learning. Students will be presented with authentic, loosely structured problems to solve 
5. Peer Learning. Through discussions, students will have the opportunity to learn from each other’s knowledge, skills, and experience. 

This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To achieve a passing standard in this unit, students will find it helpful to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments utilised in this unit, as described in the learning and teaching strategy and the assessment strategy. The learning and teaching and assessment strategies include a range of approaches to support your learning such as reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts, video, workshops, and assignments etc.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to successfully complete this unit, postgraduate students need to complete and submit two graded assessment tasks. The assessment strategy used allows students to demonstrate their knowledge related advanced assessment for coaching.  

The first task (40%) is an extended writing task which requires student to investigate and analyse the administration, scoring, interpretation and integration of qualitative and quantitative career assessments and the second task (60%) is a case study report relating directly to career counselling.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Kobus, M., & Di Fabio, A. (Eds.). (2015). Exploring new horizons in career counselling: Converting challenges into opportunities. Rotterdam: Sense. 

McMahon, M. (Ed.). (2017). Career counselling: Constructivist approaches (2nd ed.). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. 

McMahon, M., & Watson, M. (Eds.) (2015). Career assessment: Qualitative approaches. Rotterdam: Sense.