UnitLevel 4Postgraduate

OCC4020 Humans as occupational beings

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

OCC4020 Humans as occupational beings is a level 4, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. It isn't offered in 2025. It needs OCC4010 and unlocks 1 unit, leading on to 4 units in all.

Credit points
12
Offered in 2025
Other periods
Peninsula
Assessment
No exam
4 tasks
Workload
80 hours
per semester

This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Before OCC4020

Prerequisites

Pass these before you enrol.

After OCC4020

1 unit list OCC4020 as a prerequisite or corequisite.

Enrolment rules

Corequisite: Must be enrolled in course 4515 or M6017.

Overview

In this unit you will focus on the relationship between occupation health and well-being that supports occupational therapy practice from a lifespan perspective. You will also explore experiences of engaging in the occupation from psychological and occupational processes inherent in development. Throughout the unit, you will examine the progressive cognitive, behavioural, emotional, psychosocial and occupational changes occurring with age and when people's occupations are disrupted through disability, illness or occupational deprivation. You will engage in experiential activities, self-reflection as well as interactive and experiential learning and teaching to develop your skills in occupational analysis, critical appraisal of literature and research, teamwork, client centred practice and culturally sensitive intentional communication. During this unit, you will undertake practice education throughout the term.

Offerings in 2025

Teaching periodCampusMode
Term 4PeninsulaImmersive

Assessment

  • Child Observation report (2,500 words)ExerciseCompetency hurdle
    30%
  • Life stages essay (1,500 words) (in pairs)Exercise
    30%
  • Individual Oral Presentation (10mins)Presentation
    40%
  • Commencement of practice education (1,500 words) (Pass/Fail)Work integratedCompetency hurdle
    -

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Describe, examine and explain how humans use time, classify occupation and influence of person-environment-occupation interactions on peoples' health and wellbeing;

  2. 2

    Articulate and contrast contemporary developmental lifespan concepts, theories and research;

  3. 3

    Examine, compare and contrast the physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioural, social and occupational aspects of human development across the lifespan, with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples  and culturally diverse populations, and the influence of external factors on development;

  4. 4

    Source and appraise literature related to the physical, social, cultural, economic, political and institutional environments of individuals and groups, with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples  and culturally diverse populations, to inform occupation-based practices across the lifespan;

  5. 5

    Describe observations and critique these in relationship to developmental theories about typical childhood occupations;

  6. 6

    Demonstrate effective communication and interview skills for practice and professional behaviour;

  7. 7

    Describe and apply  occupational therapy clinical reasoning process to practice situations;

  8. 8

    Identify data collection methods, collect and analyse data on the occupational performance of self and others that inform understanding about health and wellbeing, key occupational issues and concepts for practice;

  9. 9

    Demonstrate basic knowledge related to body functions and structures.

Workload and teaching

  • Seminars21.5 hours
  • Tutorials70 hours

 

Tutorials 8-9 per week

Seminars 2-3 hours per week

You are also expected to:

  • undertake 10-12 hours per week self-directed study related to the weekly material and further required reading.
  • commence practice education, totalling 80 hours by the end of OCC4020.

 

Learning resources

Required resources

See Moodle for details about required resources.

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Anna Joy
Dr Michelle Kehoe
Chief Examiners
Dr Michelle Kehoe

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for OCC4020?

You need OCC4010 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.

What can I take after OCC4020?

OCC4020 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including OCC4030. Those lead on to 4 units in all.

When is OCC4020 offered?

OCC4020 has no offerings listed in the 2025 handbook.

How much work is OCC4020?

The handbook expects about 80 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does OCC4020 have an exam?

No. OCC4020 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
12
Level
4
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational unit
Department of Occupational Therapy
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.250
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Not available