ABN468 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) 2 - Developing ethical leadership

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit focuses on developing your capacity for ethical leadership and professional agency in contemporary practice settings. Through engagement in a Work Integrated Learning experience, you will explore how leadership emerges within teams, how ethical challenges shape professional decision-making, and how your own values influence your actions in complex situations. You will examine leadership theories, cultural expectations and professional responsibilities, and apply these to real workplace scenarios. Supported by guided reflection and industry mentorship, you will learn to communicate effectively and contribute confidently within diverse professional environments. The unit encourages you to take ownership of your professional growth by setting purposeful leadership goals, evaluating your ethical reasoning, and reflecting deeply on the kind of leader you are becoming.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply and adapt discipline-specific knowledge and professional skills to navigate complex leadership and ethical situations within a WIL practice setting.
2. Develop and justify a professional and leadership development plan that identifies targeted areas for growth, capability-building and future leadership trajectories.
3. Critically evaluate ethical decision-making processes in professional practice and communicate their implications for leadership, accountability and team dynamics.
4. Reflect deeply on your emerging leadership identity, ethical commitments and professional agency, demonstrating insight into how WIL experiences shape ongoing growth and practice.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit employs reflective and inquiry-based learning to provide you with: 

• Awareness of and ability to self-assess progress in your development of knowledge and skills required by graduates in your field 
• Familiarity with, understanding of, and ability to interpret and apply key concepts, policies, and external guidelines (e.g., legislative or certification requirements, standards stipulated by relevant professional institute(s)) associated with Standards of Professional Practice 
• Ability to reflect upon and clearly communicate work integrated learning experiences in a manner which highlights competency/skill development 

Your participation in the unit will include: 

• Real world experience in a workplace setting that enables you to develop as a confident and competent professional through interaction with industry professionals and peers. Whilst in the workplace setting you are encouraged to explore and experiment, to reflect on your employers' and your own work performance, to seek learning, insights and professional development opportunities. 
• Independent engagement with online learning modules and vodcasts 
• Online collaborative sessions to review and discuss your experiences and reflect on your professional development 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Assessment involves an emphasis on constructive and progressive feedback structured to support your WIL experience "before" "during" and "after". Formative feedback will be offered during your engagement in a work place setting and by academic staff during the semester at key times to assist you in the development of your assessment tasks. Your performance in the unit will be assessed through two items of assessment to be completed during the semester and submitted at the specified times in the semester. The assessment items will contribute to your overall summative grade for the unit.

Assessment

Overview

The two assessments are designed to work together to deepen your ethical leadership capability through both analysis and practice. In the Ethical Leadership Case Analysis, you focus on understanding and evaluating complex ethical situations, building the analytical and decision-making foundation needed for effective leadership in professional settings. The Leadership Capability Portfolio then extends this learning by asking you to apply these insights to your own development: setting meaningful leadership goals, reflecting on your growth, and demonstrating how you are building the confidence and agency to lead in practice.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Ethical Leadership Case Analysis

You will analyse a real or simulated ethical dilemma drawn from your WIL experience. You will identify the key ethical issues involved, evaluate different decision-making options, and explain the potential impacts of each choice on leadership, cultural safety, accountability, and team dynamics. You will then propose and justify a clear, defensible course of action based on ethical frameworks and professional expectations.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

Assessment: Leadership Capability Portfolio

You will create a reflective portfolio that documents your leadership development throughout your WIL experience. You will identify your professional and leadership goals, justify why they matter for your future practice, and collect evidence that demonstrates how you have contributed, communicated, or shown leadership in professional settings. You will reflect critically on your ethical decision-making, personal agency, and leadership identity, and draw these insights together to explain how you have grown, and plan to continue to grow, as an emerging professional leader. You will then present your key findings to your peers at the end of the semester.

This portfolio is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The late submission period does not apply to the presentation, and no assignment extensions are available.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

Core teaching this unit is based in QUT teaching spaces, and as such there are no out of the ordinary risks or hazards. Placements will be managed through standard Faculty agreements that cover risk assessments for placements

Course Learning Outcomes

DE83 Master of Architecture

1. Exercise critical, evaluative, and ethical judgment in architectural decision‑making using quantitative and qualitative evidence, including social, cultural, and life‑cycle and building performance data, to support responsible professional outcomes.
   Relates to: Ethical Leadership Case Analysis
2. Demonstrate professional integrity and leadership in relation to Country, climate, and community wellbeing across all aspects of architectural design and documentation.
   Relates to: Ethical Leadership Case Analysis, Leadership Capability Portfolio
3. Engage collaboratively with team members and stakeholders using culturally appropriate, respectful, and ethically informed engagement practices when partnering with First Nations communities in the delivery of architectural services that support Country and community wellbeing.
   Relates to: Ethical Leadership Case Analysis, Leadership Capability Portfolio