Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Recent developments in public policy nationally and internationally emphasise the role of intentional career programs in preparing all individuals for lifelong career decision-making. As a practitioner, you need to develop skills to create innovative and flexible programs to meet individual needs and to develop professional practice as the basis of your delivery. Career theory is a dynamic field with new knowledge encouraging the construction of individual based understanding of theoretical influences on career behaviour. Consequently, those of you who intend to work in the field of careers need a well informed base in career theory and its epistemological underpinnings, both in terms of its relevance to a professional stance, as well as in the specifics of the relationship between theory and practice.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide theoretical and epistemological work that:
1. highlights recent moves towards the individual construction of a personal understanding of one's own career theory;
2. leads innovations in the delivery of career development programs appropriate for diverse client groups;
3. provides background on the management of information in professional practice, in particular program delivery; and
4. promotes the development of your own professional status as a career development practitioner.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will be able to:
1. Apply the various theoretical approaches to understanding career behaviour as well as the major concepts and principles of theories of career as they relate to career development professional practice. GC: A, D
2. Articulate a working knowledge of the labour market and strategies to manage information and resources relating to those wishing to enter or re-enter the market. GC: A,C
3. Critically review relevant programs and address issues of implementation for the professional career development practitioner relevant to your particular setting; thereby demonstrating the ability to assess and solve problems and contribute to the production of new pedagogical and learning approaches. GC: A,B,C, F
4. Critically review the different roles of a professional career development practitioner, and demonstrate the leadership required to effectively undertake these roles (information development and management, information about the labour market, curriculum development, delivery of assessment instruments, counselling and advocacy). GC: A,C,E
5. Model a personal position with respect to career theory and your own practice informed by an analysis of theoretical perspectives. GC: G
6. Design creative solutions to program development with an understanding of a lifespan focus, of professional practice and with respect to diversity. GC: B,F,G

Content

This unit will cover the following topics:
1. the application of career development theory to career development programs;
2. an overview and evaluation of existing career development programs including their paradigm base;
3. a specific perspective including the theories or writings related to the perspective with a critique of these and opportunity to reflect on one's own utility for career practice;
4. the current trends in the labour market; information and resource management and the role of the professional career development practitioner.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The unit has been developed to encourage students to interact with the topics presented through a range of readings, activities and evaluation exercises. During the unit students will be required to understand, critically reflect, analyse, synthesise and apply the presented concepts to their own practice as a professional career practitioner.

Assessment

There are two assessment tasks for this unit each containing two components to each task.Formative - Comprehensive feedback is provided to students throughout the semester and following each piece of written work. Feedback to students is provided via the BlackBoard site as well as on individual assignment pieces.

Assessment name: Literature Review
Description: Literature Review and Reflective Journal.
Complete a major literature review of a particular career development issue (e.g., career programs for indigenous students; life long career development; career planning for women) including a critique of the theoretical perspective and the empirical work undertaken to support it (2000 words length). Include also a written outline of your personal position as a practitioner with respect to theory, an assessment of its role in theory informed practice and your approach to recognising and respecting diversity in practice (1000 words).
Length: 3000 words (in total)
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid-Semester

Assessment name: Discussion Paper
Description: Discussion Paper and Holistic Development Program
Write a discussion paper which outlines the purpose of the program with key elements including current trends in labour markets, information and resource management, the utilisation of standardised assessment instruments, fostering individual career management strategies and issues in setting up the program.
Develop an holistic career development program for your specific setting in which you work or where you intend to work. Only an overview of the topics or units in the program is required, (not a fully developed program), additional to the discussion paper.
Discussion Paper Word Length: 2000 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Semester

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

It is expected that students will initially read widely prior to focusing on their particular area of personal or professional interest. The recommended texts offer specific background to the unit plus samples of a wide range of career development topics.

Texts: Can be purchased from the QUT bookstore.
Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (2006). Career development and systems theory: Connecting theory and practice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Patton, W., & McMahon, M. (Eds.). (2001). Career development programs: Preparation for lifelong career decision-making. Melbourne, VIC: ACER Press.

Additional References can be found on BlackBoard on the CMD.

Risk assessment statement

There are no risks beyond the ordinary that need to be considered in this unit.

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