units

SWM5106

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 19 April 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitDepartment of Social Work
Monash Passport categoryResearch Challenge (Investigate Program)
OfferedCaulfield First semester 2015 (Day)
Caulfield First semester 2015 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)Dr Deborah Western

Synopsis

Group work is a major social work intervention method. In professional practice in the field, social workers are required to practise effective group work interventions in diverse settings, with families, service users, stakeholders, community groups, inter-agency networks, colleagues in the workplace and in policy environments. Students will develop a relationship with a community group or organisation. The unit requires students to work effectively in groups to compare and analyse community groups in which they have been a member.

The unit has a focus on the theory and practice of group work, including the historical development of this social work method, planning and implementing a group work intervention, communication in groups, group leadership and facilitation styles, and managing group dynamics. Students will also learn how to negotiate and navigate a community engagement process with a community group or organisation in the field and successfully complete a 'real-world' group project.

Outcomes

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

  1. Describe the stages in group development
  2. Apply the stages of group development to their analysis of the student group project
  3. Analyse the impact of different group leadership styles and processes
  4. Demonstrate group problem-solving strategies relevant to a range of social work contexts
  5. Critically analyse all aspects of their own group experience through engaging in critical reflection
  6. Engage effectively with professionals in a community group or organisation through the use of evidence-based community engagement processes
  7. Articulate the features of an effective community engagement process
  8. Negotiate, manage and document the planning and completion of a group project
  9. Evaluate the group and project processes and outcomes through application of evaluation methods appropriate to a range of group work interventions
  10. Integrate relevant organisational, policy and social work practice theory with the group work and project learning experience.

Assessment

Group project report (1,500 words) (30%)
Group presentation (15%)
Critical reflection and analysis essay (2,500 words) (55%)

Students must pass critical reflection and analysis essay in order to pass the unit.

Workload requirements

The unit runs for 12 weeks. Students are expected to undertake 156 hours of study per semester. Students are expected to use their study time to attend on-campus lectures and workshops, undertake the weekly unit tasks as set out in the Unit Outline and in the off-campus Unit Guide (off campus students), which include set readings.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Deborah Western

Off-campus attendance requirements

Mandatory attendance is required by off-campus students for a 2 day workshop which is held at the Caulfield campus of the semester break during Semester 1. Dates to be advised at the beginning of Semester 1.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Social work

Prerequisites

SWM5102, SWM5104.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/