SOCWORK 311 : Social Work Process and Practice

Education and Social Work

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Students are required to integrate a defined range of approaches to practice comprising work with individuals, families and small groups. Knowledge, skills, values and ethics associated with direct practice will be extended. Students will apply the social work process of reflection and use of self in preparation for becoming a mindfully reflexive practitioner.

Course Overview

This course is designed to be integrated with SOCWORK 317 in preparing you with the skills and knowledge for moving into practicum. The course will extend your interviewing skills in considering assessment and begin to develop your knowledge and skills for group work practice. The course will also focus on practicing mindfulness skills as a method of being able to engage reflectively with practice and to extend self care skills.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: SOCWORK 214 or 221 or 280

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Social Work

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Be able to demonstrate knowledge of groupwork theory and skills of preparing for working with groups. (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.3, 5.1, 6.1, 6.3, 7.1, 7.2 and 8.2)
  2. Demonstrate knowledge and skills in relation to conducting assessments in social work practice. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 8.2)
  3. Apply the principles of mindfulness and self-reflection for self-aware, critically reflective practice in your social work practicum. (Capability 3.2, 3.3 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
In class self care/mindfulness reflections 20% Individual Coursework
Assessment test 40% Individual Test
Group work project presentation and write up 40% Group & Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3
In class self care/mindfulness reflections
Assessment test
Group work project presentation and write up
ASSESSMENTS
There are three core assessments in this course. You must complete all components of the assessment tasks to achieve an overall pass on this course. Completion will be determined by the satisfaction of the examiners, where students must achieve at least 50% for the course and participate in all the assessments.
The self/care mindfulness reflections will be completed and submitted in class.
The test will be  in person and -in class.
The group work project and reflection must be submitted electronically to Canvas , which simultaneously submits your work to Turnitin (see below). We expect your work to be handed in on time, as keeping to contract and appointments is part of social work practice: for information about requests for extensions, penalties for late work (etc), please follow this link:
http://www.education.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/current-students/assignments.html.
The course uses Turnitin, a website which checks your written word alongside anything else on the internet. Turnitin provides you and us with a 'similarity score' on an originality index which tells us whether you have put things in your own words or not. The skill of academic writing is to learn from what you read but to write it in your own style. Turnitin and Canvas are linked, so when you submit your assignment to Canvas, you should be able to view your originality report (and make any changes before resubmitting if necessary).


Next Offered

Semester one 2025

Teaching & Learning Methods

This course will include some pre class reading and video viewing. In class actitivities will include role plays, learning and practising mindfulness and other skills as well as group work activities.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures or workshop time,  60 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 40 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled in-class activities  to complete components of the course. Evidence shows that attending and actively engaging in class activities and readings aids academic success. We encourage you to make every effort to attend class and participate fully in all aspects of your learning. 
Online lecture material  will be available as recordings prior to class and in class time will focus on skills development, workshop activities, group work and mindfulness practice.  

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly block delivery on Mondays and Tuesday afternoons throughout March. 

Learning 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.

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.

Some members of last year's course felt that there wasn't enough time to undertake the movie assignment. This year students can choose which way they want to present the group work component. Students also did not want to engage in another role play assignment for the assessment component, so this year there will be an in class test on assessment.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

We strongly suggest that you complete the academic integrity module, a compulsory element of your degree programme, as soon as possible - you can access the online course and tests from Canvas, choose ACADINT.A01 or go to https://www.academicintegrity.auckland.ac.nz/Links to an external site.
https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/sites/public/files/study-skills/documents/refworks-endnote-mendeley-zotero-comparison.pdf Links to an external site.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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 http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

If you have any learning needs, health issues or impairments that may affect your studies, please share this with me (and your other lecturers) as soon as possible. This can be either through face to face, email or a phone call. We are here to support you, but can't do this if we don't know what's happening. 

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.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

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.

Published on 04/12/2024 09:59 a.m.