Monash University Handbook

Colab M is a partnership between Monash University and WhyDev.org. It fills the gap between post-graduate study and professional employment in the development, aid, and humanitarian sector. Through an innovative online platform, students are paired with an experienced practitioner drawn from anywhere in the world, and are expected to build a professional one-on-one mentorship relationship. The mentor will guide the student in key areas of development practice. The unit aims to develop the skills and knowledge that students need in development and humanitarian work. Coursework consists of interactive online modules, and face-to-face workshops with activities and exercises geared towards professional development and key themes related to international development practice. The program aims to facilitate a community of practice in the development sector, with a continuous mentoring loop, whereby former mentees eventually go on to become mentors for the next generation.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

develop the ability to build and sustain professional relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and accountability;
identify the skills, tools and knowledge needed to pursue their career of choice, including discovering and examining tacit knowledge essential for development, aid and humanitarian practitioners.
create a professional development and career plan by setting informed goals, identifying action steps and reflecting on feedback;
demonstrate the ability to ask for and receive constructive feedback including on strengths and opportunities for development and growth;
cultivate strong communication, interpersonal and reflexive skills.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.