Unit rationale, description and aim
Youth workers and other professions working with young people need understanding and skills in adolescence development: a distinct period of the lifespan influenced by a range of physiological, psychological and social influences that impact on a young person's health and well-being. This unit introduces the concept of adolescent development and examines the diversity of adolescent experience. This subject will address the major areas of physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development in particular issues pertaining to puberty, sexuality and identity. Contemporary socio-cultural factors that influence adolescent development as well as the role of parents, families and peers are considered. The aim of this unit is to equip the youth worker and other professions working with young people with an understanding of the critical health issues that face young people, such as mental health and well-being, relationships, drug and alcohol use, identity and sexuality.
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.
Describe the key biological, cognitive and context...
Learning Outcome 01
Discuss the relationship between the developmental...
Learning Outcome 02
Explain the predominant theories relating to the d...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
- Theories of adolescent development and identity development (the adolescent brain, mental health, lifespan development and puberty, moral developmental stages)
- The role of parents, families and peers in adolescent development.
- How adolescent brain development affects logic and reasoning, risk taking and emotions.
- Insights into key biological, cognitive and contextual elements and how they impact on mental health, self-esteem, body image, drug and alcohol use and relationships.
- Adolescent development in family and social contexts including Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to meet all learning outcomes and achieve a final grade of 50% or better as an aggregate of all points from assessment tasks completed in this unit.
A variety of assessment tasks have been designed to meet the learning outcomes of this unit and to ensure the development of graduate attributes.
To assist this, the following assessments tasks have been devised:
The written assessment task requires students to explain how contemporary issues influence young people’s wellbeing. This requires students to understand how multiple biological, cognitive and contextual elements have an impact on adolescents. The reflective task requires students to consider their own experience of being an adolescent and apply theories of adolescent development to this experience. The test will assess students on knowledge obtained throughout the semester in readings, unit materials, lectures and/or discussions. This requires students to apply knowledge, theories, skills and attitudes appropriate to the disciplines and/or professions working with young people.
The order of assessment tasks may be altered with permission from the Course Implementation Committee.
Overview of assessments
Written Task Students are required to explain ho...
Written Task
Students are required to explain how contemporary issues influence young people’s wellbeing
30%
Reflective Task Students are required to write a...
Reflective Task
Students are required to write a letter to their adolescent selves
40%
Test Students will be tested on knowledge obtain...
Test
Students will be tested on knowledge obtained throughout the semester
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Attendance mode:
This 10-credit point face-to-face unit provides hands-on learning, including collaborative learning. It takes the form of a face-to-face class incorporating activities through which students will gain a deep understanding of the developing young person and the skills fundamental to the study of young people. Key learning activities in tutorials will include debating, learning to ‘read’ and interpret writing about young people and other key sources, reading, writing, group discussion, finding scholarly sources, and problem-solving. The lectures provide students with content and analytical frameworks necessary for understanding and analysing the young people and assist students to synthesise a broad range of material.
Online mode:
This unit engages students in active learning activities, such as reading, writing, discussion and problem-solving to promote analysis, synthesis and evaluation of class content. Working through online modules, students learn through online lectures, where ideas are presented to students and online activities where ideas are explored and discussed through discussion boards and a range of online activities. Students build skills that first year students need and use case studies to explore how what they have learned applies to real world situations.