Units
Educational Counselling
Unit code: SPB006
Contact hours:
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit includes the following: the nature of counselling/helping in educational contexts; the educator as counsellor; characteristics of effective helpers; practical development of communications skills; building an empathic relationship; structuring the counselling process; application of some counselling theories to the educational contexts; practical sessions using educationally based role plays to demonstrate effective use of the skills learned. The unit includes a compulsory study school for external students. It is incompatible with studies in Counselling or equivalent at Diploma of Teaching level.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 13TP1 | Yes |
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - 13 Week Teaching Period - 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Perhaps the most potent message that can be extracted from many branches of applied psychology is that people of all ages yearn to be personally effective. More importantly, perhaps, they seek happiness and a sense of being able to direct their own destinies. This unit serves to assist students to increase their self-awareness and develop a range of personal skills so that they can assist themselves and others to develop their own capacity to reach their human potential.
Aims
This unit aims to assist students in achieving greater self awareness and enhanced communication in both their personal and professional relationships. Whilst it is not intended that students will become professional counsellors upon the completion of this unit, the unit introduces students to basic counselling techniques and communication skills and provides opportunities for students to practise these skills.
Objectives
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. articulate an understanding of self and how one relates to others [QCT Standard 6] (GC: C, D, E)
2. have an understanding of counselling psychology and the personal qualities that make an effective
'helper' [QCT Standard 6] (GC: A)
3. show a knowledge of some of the major theories of counselling and evaluate their relevance to the school setting [QCT Standards 6 & 7] (GC: A, B)
4. demonstrate the use of communication skills and counselling skills [QCT Standards 6, 7, 8 & 9] (GC: A, C)
Content
This unit covers the following topics:
1. define the issues relating to self as they impinge upon our relationships with others.
2. examine the development of counselling psychology and the personal characteristics associated with effective counsellors.
3. observe and practise the following counselling/helping skills: observation, attending, open and closed questions, paraphrasing, reflecting feeling, summarising, normalising and challenging.
4. develop a counselling relationship.
5. examine some counselling theories with particular use in the school setting, namely: Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Gestalt Therapy and Narrative Therapy and apply these to practical situations.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Both inductive and deductive approaches are used. Much of the program is conducted in workshop/seminar style. Theoretical input will be confined to about half of the available class time. Opportunity will be provided during most workshops for practising counselling skills and strategies.
Assessment
The unit comprises two assessment pieces as detailed below.Formative assessment will be provided through feedback on initial assignment work and in electronic communication or in class as appropriate.
Assessment name:
Essay
Description:
An essay related to self-awareness and counselling in an educational context will be undertaken.
Length: 2,000 words
Relates to objectives:
1, 2 & 3
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Mid-Teaching Period
Assessment name:
Demonstration
Description:
A taped interview of approximately 20 minutes duration will be conducted in order to demonstrate the use of communication skills studied in the unit. The tape will be accompanied by an evaluative report analysing the effectiveness of communication skills used.
Length: Approx 20 minutes and evaluative report (approx 1000 words)
Relates to objectives:
2 & 4
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
End-Teaching Period
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Geldard, D., & Geldard, K. (2012).Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors (7th ed.).Sydney, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Online Resources
Students will also find additional resource materials for this unit via the Blackboard site for this unit (e.g., the Course Materials Database or CMD, relevant learning resources).
Risk assessment statement
There is no out of the ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in the use of computers will apply.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 31-Oct-2012
