SWTP630 - Social Work Special Studies

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

(SWTP632 Social Policy, Contemporary Issues and Social Work AND SWTP620 Social Work Theories, Context and Fields of Practice AND SWTP622 Social Work with Individuals AND SWTP633 Social Work, Mental Health and Wellbeing AND SWTP624 Social Work with Children, Youth and Family AND SWTP625 Field Practicum 1 ) OR (SWTP625 Field Practicum 1 AND SWTP627 Social Work with Communities )

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Social Workers assess and respond sensitively and analytically to complex human problems within a social context. To promote social change, problem solving and the liberation of people to enhance wellbeing. The Special Studies unit focuses on this aspect of learning by providing students with the opportunity to select a practice topic that they find important, interesting and challenging. Students will undertake an in depth analysis of the knowledge and research evidence that informs that area of practice and to argue a position on social work best practice in this field. 

The overarching aim of the Special Studies unit is to develop students ability to construct a practice question, locate and critically analyse the current knowledge and evidence that informs the area of inquiry and apply the findings to a social work practice context. This scholarship and critically reflective work prepares students for evidence-informed professional practice.  

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

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

LO1 - Critically evaluate and interpret research and scholarly literature in the selected area integrating policy and practice dimensions (GA4, GA7)

LO2 - Formulate and present a project report of practice implications in relation to the selected area (GA7, GA8)

LO3 - Understand and apply the essential role of values in the practice of social work, incorporating the values of a commitment to the dignity of the human person, social justice, respect for human rights, and a commitment to non-sexist, culturally responsive, and anti-oppressive practice (GA5, GA9).

Graduate attributes

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

AASW Practice Standards

This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the AASW Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the AASW Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/6073  

ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes

This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the AASW Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the AASW Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/6073  

Content

While the content will vary according to the students selected area of study a number of generic topic areas include:

• Social work theories that inform the selected area of study
• Social work values and ethics that inform the selected area of study
• Appropriate contextual knowledge and evidence 
• Evaluating and synthesising literature; report writing; oral presentation skills; ethical issues.

The population groups may include the aged; children and young people, culturally and linguistically diverse populations; LGBTQI; people experiencing homelessness; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities; people with illness and/or disability, people with mental health issues, families. Practice contexts may include any field of practice including health, corrections, disaster recovery, domestic violence; international social work, practice in rural and remote communities. Specific issues may include catholic social teaching and social work, spirituality and social work or human rights and social work.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Teaching and learning strategies include advanced research seminars in intensive workshop format and individual consultation sessions with the lecturer in charge of the unit. These strategies reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. A major strategy is students’ engagement with the literature regarding their selected topic. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their individual topics and to participate actively within class activities. This unit comprises 24 hours of face-to-face learning and teaching (or online equivalent) and 12 hours of individual consultation timeslots with the lecturer (face to face or online). The prescribed attendance requirement is deemed necessary to achieve the intended learning outcome in addition to a minimum of 114 hours of independent study.

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment tasks in this unit are designed to support the development of individual student projects. The first assignment task, a concept paper needs to provide an outline of the student’s proposed project. The feedback received on these initial ideas will inform the next stage in the development of the project. The second assignment, a 10 minute presentation, targets LO3, the ability to demonstrate advanced oral and presentation skills.  The audience, fellow students enrolled in the unit, will be encouraged to provide verbal and written peer feedback and time will be scheduled for questions and discussion.  The final assignment, the project final report, allows students to demonstrate their skills in LO1, 2 & 3, that is the ability to critically evaluate and interpret research and scholarly literature in the selected area integrating policy and practice dimensions, and demonstrate advanced analytical and written skills by formulating report of practice implications in relation to the selected area of social work practice. The final assignment also provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding and application of essential role of values in the practice of social work, with a particular focus on their chosen practice context. 

Overview of assessments

For assessments one and two, students are expected to demonstrate theoretical and ethical understanding and evidence-gathering skills in response to practice scenarios. In the final assessment task, students have the opportunity to select a practice question in an area of interest. 

Representative texts and references

Published field

Aveyard, H. (2010). Doing a literature review in health and social care: A practical guide (2nd ed.). UK: Open University Press.

http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/australiancathu/Doc?id=10413319&ppg=1

Rose, G. (2014). Visual Culture, Photography and the Urban: An Interpretive Framework, available at: http://spaceandculture.in/index.php/spaceandculture/article/view/92

Carey Jewitt (2012). An Introduction to Using Video for Research, National Centre for Research Methods, available at http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/2259/4/NCRM_workingpaper_0312.pdf

Kilburn, D (2014).Methods for recording video in the classroom: Producing single and multi-camera videos for research into teaching and learning, National Centre for Research Methods Working Paper, available at: http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/3599/1/methods_for_recording_video.pdf

Derry Sharon, J. (2007). Guidelines for Video Research in Education: Recommendations from an Expert Panel, available at: http://drdc.uchicago.edu/what/video-research-guidelines.pdf

McInnis-Dittrich, K. (2005).  Social work with elders a biopsychosocial approach to Assessment and intervention (2nd ed.). California: Pearson Education.

Pack, M & Cargill, J. (2015). (Eds) Evidence discovery and assessment in social work practice         Hershey, PA : Information Science Reference

Pulla, V., (2013) Environmentalism and Social Work- A critical Essay. Rural Society: Vol. 22, Work and Environment, pp. 263-268.

(Free download from) 

http://www.academia.edu/5176158/Environmentalism_and_Social_Work-_A_critical_Essay

Pulla, V. (2014). Grounded Theory Approach in Social Research. Space and Culture, India, Vol 2(No 3), 14-23.    

(Free download from) http://spaceandculture.in/index.php/spaceandculture/article/view/93

Ryan, M., & Sheehan, R. (2009). Research articles in Australian Social Work from 1998-2007: A content analysis. Australian Social Work. 62(4), pp525-542.

http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=46722535&site=ehost-live

Vaughn, M., Howard, M., & Thyer, B. (2009). Readings in evidence-based social work. Newbury Park, California; Sage.