EDUC 747 : Leadership in Youth Development

Education and Social Work

2020 Semester Two (1205) (30 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An advanced study of the theories of adolescence and positive youth development, including a critical examination of research dealing with issues which affect adolescents in a variety of contexts. Includes collaborating with and supporting a campus-based therapeutic youth mentoring programme to advance understanding of youth development leadership and practice skills.

Course Overview

EDUC 747 is an innovative service-learning course connected to the Campus Connections Aotearoa therapeutic youth mentoring programme. The course begins with pre-programme training the first week of semester. Training incorporates a review of programme policies and procedures, positive youth development and youth mentoring best practice principles, and critical discussion about the factors that influence the marginalisation of young people living in risk in Aotearoa New Zealand. Each week following training involves a pre-mentoring interactive lecture focused on the application of scholarly literature to youth practice and leadership, four hours of on-campus youth mentoring and a post-mentoring group debrief session. Mentoring sessions occur with young people aged 12 to 16 years who are enrolled with an Alternative Education provider and transported to and from Epsom campus each week for mentoring sessions that include a brief walk around campus, tutoring and goal planning, a shared meal, and prosocial activities facilitated by students.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: Course Coordinator approval

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Master of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify and critically analyse positive youth development, mentoring and leadership theories, frameworks and principles, and apply these in practice with young people (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 6.3)
  2. Analyse theories of power, privilege and oppression, diversity and social justice and apply these to their own experiences and to the experiences of local youth (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
  3. Demonstrate critical and systems-thinking skills when examining challenges facing youth at-risk and in identifying the needs and strengths of young people (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
  4. Demonstrate professional and leadership skills in group activity facilitation, case record keeping, written and oral communication, multidisciplinary teamwork, and ethical and reflective youth practice (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 5% Individual Coursework
Assignments 25% Individual Coursework
Reports 20% Individual Coursework
Professional Development 50% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Quizzes
Assignments
Reports
Professional Development

To pass this course students must submit all assessment and achieve an overall pass in the course of 50%.

Learning Resources

Supplemental learning resources will be provided to complement the required weekly reading and support practitioner development. 

Workload Expectations

This course is a 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect to spend 1-2 hours each week (on Wednesdays) in the pre-mentoring session lecture, 4 hours engaged in mentoring practice, and 1 hour in a group debrief session (i.e. 6-7 hours per week in total engaged in supervised group-based learning). Across the full semester, you can expect to spend 6 hours each week (on average) reading, thinking about the content, preparing for your mentoring sessions, developing resources to support and lead other mentors, and preparing assignments.


Other Information

Because EDUC 747 involves working with children and young people, the University must comply with government regulations associated with the Children’s Act 2014. To be accepted into this course students must participate in an application process and undergo a Police Vet. This is completed at no expense to the student and is organised and facilitated by the Campus Connections Aotearoa Case Manager. 

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional mentoring and leadership activity resources will also be made available to students in Canvas. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Students in EDUC 747 will also have the opportunity participate in a series programme evaluation surveys designed to assess Campus Connections Aotearoa programme processes and outcomes. Students will be able to provide additional feedback through these surveys.  

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.