Unit rationale, description and aim
Accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) are required to deliver services competently, diligently and ethically, and to adapt their advanced knowledge, skills and professional attributes across diverse clinical domains and consumer healthcare models. EXSC637 is the first of three clinical experience units designed to prepare students for contemporary professional practice in exercise physiology through placement in relevant clinical domains.
Under the supervision of a clinical educator, students integrate and apply existing and new knowledge, skills and professional attributes through legitimate peripheral participation within healthcare settings, including private hospitals, community health centres, private practice, occupational health and rehabilitation services, and relevant sport or educational environments.
To promote critical thinking, clinical reasoning and evaluation of current practice, students participate in structured experiential learning activities. These include deliberate practice, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation of their own practice and that of others, and active experimentation with clinical skills relevant to contemporary exercise physiology service delivery.
The overall aim of EXSC637, and the clinical experience units more broadly, is to develop essential clinical competencies that support the ethical, culturally safe, person centred and effective provision of exercise physiology services. These competencies align with the professional standards for AEPs and the scope of practice for managing target pathologies.
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.
Demonstrate the development of essential clinical ...
Learning Outcome 01
Reflect on the application of enhanced knowledge, ...
Learning Outcome 02
Use effective communication to demonstrate reflect...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Students’ clinical experience will involve placement in a variety of clinical domains (public and or private hospitals, community health centres, private practice, occupational health and rehabilitation organisations, and/or relevant sport and educational settings), with different funding and service models (Medicare, WorkCover, DVA, TAC, NDIS, private health insurers), locations (metropolitan, regional, rural, international), and serving a variety of populations with different target pathologies, people of different socio-economic status and cultural backgrounds including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and vulnerable people from marginalised groups.
To satisfy the practicum requirements mandated by Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) for accreditation as an exercise physiologist, students must complete a minimum of 360 hours of clinical placement across the three clinical placement units (EXSC637, EXSC684, EXSC680).
Supplementary learning activities will centre on topics relevant to professional practice in different clinical domains. Topics include:
- Comparison of clinical domains and review of models of consumer healthcare.
- Models to structure personal reflections of current practice.
- Interprofessional practice and stakeholder relations.
- Strategies to enhance graduate employability.
- Cultural competence: Review of workplace frameworks and practices to develop cross-cultural capabilities.
- Identifying the gap between science and practice: Review of the application of clinical guidelines in practice.
- Review of clinical reasoning and frameworks to advance clinical decision making.
- Review of complex case studies.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessment tasks in this unit reflect authentic clinical practice and apply an assessment‑for‑learning approach to support competency development, application and evaluation.
Assessments 1 and 2 are designed to meet ESSA practicum accreditation requirements. The first assessment is the Clinical Performance Assessment Tool (CPAT), which evaluates essential clinical competencies during placement. Students complete one placement per unit, with performance assessed by the primary clinical educator at mid‑placement (formative) and end‑placement (summative). Students must be deemed competent at the end of placement. The final CPAT must be submitted within five days of placement completion. Only one attempt is permitted, as additional placements are not available.
The second component is the Placement Summary Report (PSR), which requires reflection on placement activities and demonstration of minimum professional standards within the AEP scope of practice. The PSR must be reviewed, signed and submitted within five days, with a maximum of two attempts permitted.
The third assessment consists of a Job Application and Interview and assesses students’ communication skills, reflection and critical evaluation. Maximum of two attempts permitted.
Generative AI must not be used in assessments unless explicitly permitted in the assessment instructions.
To successfully pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and pass all hurdle tasks.
Overview of assessments
To successfully pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and pass all hurdle tasks.
Assessment Task 1*- Professional Practice Portfol...
Assessment Task 1*- Professional Practice Portfolio: Clinical Performance Assessment
Enable students an opportunity to demonstrate the development of essential clinical competencies during clinical placement
Hurdle Task*
Assessment Task 2** Professional Practice Portfol...
Assessment Task 2** Professional Practice Portfolio: Placement Summary Report
Enables students to reflect on the application of enhanced knowledge, clinical skills, attributes and experiential learning in the clinical workplace
Hurdle Task**
Assessment Task 3 ** Job Application and Intervie...
Assessment Task 3 ** Job Application and Interview
Enables students an opportunity to use effective communication to demonstrate reflection, critical thinking and evaluation of applied knowledge, skills and attributes in contemporary professional practice
Hurdle Task**
* Assessment 1 Hurdle Task: Only one attempt is permitted given students are not able to be granted multiple clinical placements.
** Assessment 2 and 3 Hurdle Tasks: Maximum of two attempts of each hurdle assessment are permitted.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is delivered in a multi‑mode format and supports learner‑centred online and face‑to‑face learning. Teaching and learning strategies at Masters level draw on constructivist, social constructivist and experiential learning approaches, emphasising active participation within a community of inquiry. Purposefully designed online and face‑to‑face workshops use inquiry‑based learning to promote critical thinking, application of knowledge and skills, evidence‑informed practice, collaborative peer learning and self‑reflection.
During clinical placement, students engage in structured experiential learning activities including deliberate practice, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation of practice, and active experimentation with clinical skills relevant to contemporary service provision. These experiences support critical evaluation of current practice and facilitate transfer of learning into future professional contexts.
Students also participate in individual and small‑group activities that analyse current practice to consolidate new knowledge and enhance translation of learning into practice. Extended dialogue is encouraged to support more collaborative, holistic and person‑centred approaches. Unit activities include case‑ and problem‑based learning, synchronous and asynchronous tutorials, workplace‑based clinical activities with reflection, reflective journaling, skill development and mentoring. Together, these learning modes develop higher‑order thinking, reasoning and critical analysis required for competent, ethical, culturally safe and effective exercise physiology practice.