Units
Group Studies
Unit code: PYN003
Contact hours: 3 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
This unit provides the development of skills and approaches in organising and facilitating group work, in the context of personal support and therapeutic groups. It addresses the following: establishing group norms; facilitating stages of group development; responding to member behaviour and developing facilitator interventions; planning, implementing and evaluating ethical group work practices; dealing with defensiveness and hidden agendas; applying brief solutions-focused and reflecting team processes to groups; examining the motion of the therapeutic milieu.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
The group context is a powerful medium for experiencing mutual support in counselling, supervision and team work. However the effectiveness of a group experience is dependent on the skills and approaches of the facilitator in providing a safe, accepting and collaborative environment where differences are valued, learnings are shared, responsibilities are accepted and open problem solving and experimentation encouraged. Group facilitation is an essential skill for supporting counselling clients and for developing collaborative team work amongst professional workers. It is therefore central to the provision of effective human services.
Aims
This unit aims to help you to plan, organise, facilitate and evaluate small group sessions that can be used for client mutual support, collegial reflection on practice or team development.
Objectives
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of group dynamics including stages of group development, leadership, member needs, reflecting team skills, and ethical issues.
- Use solution oriented, narrative and reflecting team skills to facilitate group interaction and to critically analyse and discuss observations of the processes in an ongoing group.
- Demonstrate a range of intervention skills in facilitating open, collaborative and respectful problem solving and conflict management in client and collegial group contexts.
- Demonstrate an ability to critically review and apply group theory to an understanding of the dynamics of a group and to generate alternative facilitation practices.
Content
- Planning and facilitating group sessions
- Theories of group development and leadership
- Solution oriented, narrative and reflecting team skills applied to group work
- Ethical issues in group contexts
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
The teaching program uses a combination of whole class discussion, facilitation skill practice in small groups with reflecting team observation, feedback and debriefing. You are expected to be active participants in all aspects of learning.
Assessment
The assessment items in this unit integrate theory, research and reflective practice. You will experientially explore group facilitation skills in a way that enables collaborative reflection, debriefing and planning.You will receive continual formative feedback through regular reflective processes in a small group facilitation experience. Summative feedback will occur through the two formal assessment items.
Assessment name:
Quiz/Test
Description:
Students will complete an in-class quiz based on short answer and multiple choice questions.
Relates to objectives:
1
Weight:
30%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Mid-sem (Wk 5)
Assessment name:
Demonstration & Critique
Description:
Demonstrate group session planning and facilitation skills for one group meeting as well as demonstrate ongoing group and reflecting team member skills on at least 4 separate occasions. Analyse and apply group theory to your experiences during the life and work of your group. Critique the functioning and development of the group and your own responses and contributions to group life. Submit a 2,750 word paper that relates these descriptions to the literature.
Relates to objectives:
2, 3 & 4
Weight:
70%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
End of 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
Johnson & Johnson. (2012). Joining Together, 11th edition, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA.
Texts and references are subject to change. There is no set text for this subject. Recommended texts and reading will be confirmed at the start of semester.
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with 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: 01-Aug-2012
