Education (non-teaching)

These inherent requirements apply to the following Education - non-teaching degree courses: Undergraduate Certificate Introduction to Teaching, Undergraduate Certificate Remote Educators, Diploma of Educational Studies, Bachelor of Educational Studies, Graduate Diploma of Educational Studies, Master of Educational Studies, Graduate Certificate of University Teaching and Learning, Graduate Certificate of Specialist Education, Graduate Diploma of Specialist Education and Master of Education.

Prospective and current students who are concerned about their capacities in relation to inherent requirements are strongly encouraged to contact the CDU Access and Inclusion team to discuss possible adjustments or alternative courses.

E: inclusion@cdu.edu.au 

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and related information such as:

• Student Academic Integrity Policy
• Student Code of Conduct 
• Other student related policies

There are seven domains of inherent requirements for education non-teaching programs.

Each domain has five levels: 

1. Introduction
2. Description
3. Justification
4. Adjustments
5. Exemplars 

Acting in ways consistent with the recognised values of society and avoiding activities that do harm.

In the context of inherent requirements, students undertaking a course of study may be governed by practice standards and codes of ethics.

1. Introduction
   Students are governed by standards, rules, and codes of ethics. The Registration Acts and Regulations, Child Protection, Duty of Care and Anti-Discrimination Acts, and Criminal Code of State and Territories, are professional conduct and professional boundaries where students are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Students must demonstrate knowledge of, engage in and understand, the requirements of ethical behaviour in practice.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for the children and/or young people with whom they may engage. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of all stakeholders.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must not compromise codes of conduct or result in unethical behaviour. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with academic and non-academic misconduct policies
   • Demonstrating appropriate behaviour with confidential information in various educational and professional settings
   • Demonstrating compliance with professional conduct rules and professional etiquette.

The maintenance of conduct that is acceptable and appropriate, according to the recognised norms of society over a given period.

1. Introduction
   Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding professional role.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Students must demonstrate the behavioural stability required to work constructively in diverse and challenging academic and professional environments.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing, challenging and unpredictable learning environments. Students may be exposed to emotionally challenging and intellectually demanding situations and will be required to have the necessary behavioural and intellectual stability to manage these events objectively and professionally. 
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in academic and professional settings. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Being perceptive, receptive, and professional in responding appropriately to constructive feedback
   • Effectively managing own emotions and behaviour when dealing with individuals and groups in various learning and professional settings.

Related to the law. In the context of inherent requirements, this refers to the legal requirements of professional bodies relevant to specific courses of study. 

1. Introduction
   Education industries are mandated by specific legislation, rules and codes of conduct to enable the professional delivery of professional and non-teaching education services. 
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Students must demonstrate knowledge and compliance with professional rules, codes of conduct and regulations.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   In order to manage the risk of harm to self and others, as well as achieving learning outcomes, knowledge, understanding and compliance with relevant laws, professional codes of conduct and regulations, is necessary to reduce the risk of harm to self and others. Compliance with professional regulations and relevant laws ensures that students are professional, responsible, and accountable for their practice.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must be consistent with legislation, rules, codes of practice and regulatory requirements. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Complying with relevant Work Health and Safety legislation
   • Complying with discrimination, harassment and bullying legislation
   • Adherence to requirements of informed consent, privacy and confidentiality.

Verbal communication: Conveying messages, ideas, or feelings through speech.

1. Introduction
   Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe, effective, professional advice and practice.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
   • The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
   • The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation
   • The ability to give and receive timely clear verbal reports and feedback
   • The ability to deliver clear presentations to groups
   • The ability to utilise Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) effectively.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Capacity to comprehend verbal instructions is an essential element for educational settings. Timely, and effective communication is essential to achieving the learning outcomes in coursework. They are inherent in aspects of practice in educational settings, such as: advocacy and providing direction. Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others develops trusting relationships. Adequate communication is necessary for the completion of academic team assignments. Effective communication is necessary for building successful teams and professional relationships. Timely and effective delivery of feedback is critical to academic team tasks. Academic assessment may require verbal presentation of work to peers.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy issues.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in tutorial and simulation discussions, online or face-to-face.
   • Responding appropriately to advice that is being sought in the professional environment.

Non-verbal communication: Communication other than speech that conveys meaning including gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, touch, eye movements, eye contact and distance from the person/s with whom you are communicating. Non-verbal cues can provide significant additional information to the person with whom you are communicating.

1. Introduction
   Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental in educational settings and needs to be courteous, respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest, and non-judgmental.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
   • Displays consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
   • Responds with sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships. Displaying consistent and appropriate demonstrative behaviour being mindful of space, time boundaries, and gestures promotes trust in academic and professional relationships. Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.
5. Exemplars:
   • Recognising and responding appropriately in various educational and learning situations
   • Recognising and responding appropriately in academic and professional discussions
   • Recognising and responding appropriately to cues in academic and professional environments.

Written communication: Communication by written symbols including electronic means, print or handwriting.

1. Introduction
   Effective written communication, in English, is required to effectively access course content and complete a range of assessment tasks.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the non-teaching professional.
   • The ability to utilise Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) effectively.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Written communication is a primary medium of communication in an educational setting. Timely, accurate, clear, and effective delivery of information provides clear instruction and initiation of learning. Interactivity of communication is fundamental to the educational process. Adequate written communication is essential in developing and maintaining effective relationships with all educational stakeholders.
4. Adjustments
   Students must enable written communication with clarity and accuracy that facilitates effective communication and safety. Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information.
5. Exemplars:
   • Constructing an essay to academic standards
   • Demonstrating knowledge and use of ICTs to support oral communication for online and in person tutorial presentations and small group presentation. 

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through one's thoughts, experience, and senses.

Knowledge and cognitive skills: Acquired skills that reflect an individual's ability to think. Cognitive skills include verbal and spatial abilities, concentration, memory, perception, reasoning, planning and organisation, flexible thinking, and problem solving.

1. Introduction
   Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe, professional and competent practice in educational settings.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
   • Ability to process information relevant to practice
   • Ability to integrate, reflect on, and implement knowledge in practice
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Completion of academic assessment tasks and the safe and effective delivery of academic and professional services is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood, and applied appropriately.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. 
5. Exemplars:
   • Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment requirements
   • Applying knowledge of policy and procedures in a range of educational settings.

Numeracy is the capacity to use mathematics in a wide range of situations.

1. Introduction
   Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for effective delivery of academic and professional services.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Ability to use numbers, patterns and relationships, spatial reasoning, and measurement, and to interpret statistical information in a range of academic and professional services.
3. Justification of inherent requirement
   Competent application of numeracy skills is essential to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of academic and professional services.
4. Adjustments
   Students must enable the demonstration of effective numeracy skills. Adjustments can be discussed with CDU Access and Inclusion Team.
5. Exemplars:
   • Demonstrating competency in applying basic mathematics knowledge and skills in everyday life and in academic tasks
   • Demonstrating effective use of numeracy skills in matters related to student learning
   • Applying numeracy skills to interpret and solve problems in a range of educational and academic contexts. 

The ability to undertake a task/s over a pre-determined length of time. This could include physical performance such as standing for a length of time, or cognitive (mental) performance such as concentrating for a particular length of time.

1. Introduction
   Students require both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level over appropriate time frames to meet the course outcomes.
2. Description of inherent requirement
   Student demonstrates:
   • Consistent and sustained levels of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner
   • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of academic, field, or professional experience. 
3. Justification of inherent requirement 
   Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in varying periods of time to provide safe and effective participation in all aspects of educational settings.
4. Adjustments
   Adjustments must enable consistent and sustained performance over a given period. Adjustments can be discussed with CDU Access and Inclusion Team.
5. Exemplars:
   • Participating in online and/or in person tutorials and lectures
   • Completing assessments in a manner that does not compromise the academic integrity of the assessment.