SOCWORK 312 : Applied Social Research

Education and Social Work

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Social workers are reclaiming the research agenda in social work. Sound social work practice relies on evidence to inform theoretical frameworks, intervention decisions and practice evaluation. A practical introduction to the principles, theories and approaches that inform social research, with a particular emphasis on social work contexts.

Course Overview

Social workers are required to read and use research-informed evidence as a base for their own practice. To be able to critically evaluate what you read, you must first be able to decipher the language of research. This course introduces you to this research language, and to ways to identify existing research to explore a research problem. You will then use these skills, and the language of research, to write a literature synthesis.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
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. Articulate the necessary link between rigorous research and professional social work practice. (Capability 8.1 and 8.2)
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical, ethical, and methodological issues and dilemmas related to the conduct of social work research, particularly with regard to Aotearoa New Zealand. (Capability 1.4, 4.1 and 8.1)
  3. Develop the ability to engage with the initial stages of the research process, including identifying a research problem, searching for and critically evaluating existing research, and presenting this in a literature synthesis. (Capability 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Weekly tutorial task 25% Individual Coursework
Literature Synthesis 50% Individual Coursework
Research Skills 25% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3
Weekly tutorial task
Literature Synthesis
Research Skills
To pass this course students must attempt all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course. 

Exam Mode

  • Exam mode A - Remote online non-invigilated exam on Inspera
  • Exam mode B - Remote online invigilation through Inspera Integrity Browser (IIB)
  • Exam mode C - In-person invigilated exam on paper
  • Exam mode D - In-person invigilated exam on computer through Inspera Integrity Browser (IIB)
  • There is no final exam for this course

Further information about exams can be found at https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/about-exams.html

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 2 hours of lectures and a 1 hour tutorial each week (starting on the second week). Spending time in the tutorial means that you will be exposed to specific guidelines and activities to apply learning from lectures. Attending tutorials the aspects of your larger research proposal assignment in a step-by-step manner. Each week you can be expected to complete 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2.5 hours of work on individual assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to successfully complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings in instances only when we move to an online teaching setting. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

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.

Required readings are assigned each week in the reading list, along with additional, optional readings. Most are available electronically from the UoA library; others are available in the UoA library as hard copy.

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.

This course covers a lot of material. Weekly tutorial tasks will help you engage with and revise course content previously covered. You will find these weekly tasks much easier to complete if you have attended that week's lecture and tutorial, and read the required reading.

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.

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

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 18/12/2024 09:44 a.m.