Course Title: Contemporary Organisational Practices

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Contemporary Organisational Practices

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
HUSO1213	City Campus	Undergraduate	330H Social Science & Planning	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006
HUSO1213	City Campus	Undergraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 2 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 2 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 2 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 2 2013, Sem 1 2014, Sem 2 2014, Sem 1 2015, Sem 2 2015, Sem 1 2016, Sem 2 2016, Sem 2 2017, Sem 1 2020, Sem 2 2020, Sem 1 2021, Sem 2 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 2 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 2 2023, Sem 1 2024
HUSO1213	City Campus	Undergraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 1 2018, Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 2 2019

Course Coordinator: Dr Kate Phelan

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3003

Course Coordinator Email: kate.phelan2@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8, Level 10

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

In this course you will acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to help you successfully navigate the transition into the professional workplace. You will survey historical and contemporary organisational theory associated with the human services and the legal and justice vocational environments. You will apply a broad range of theoretical approaches by exploring real world examples and case studies directly related to your chosen field of practice. You will be introduced to the concept of the reflective practitioner who engages actively, critically, and productively within organisations.  

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes 

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:  

Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) BP112 

• Critically analyse, synthesise and apply theoretical and professional insights from the psychological and social sciences to reflect on the challenges facing professional practice in a rapidly changing world    
• Apply logical, critical and creative thinking from the psychological and the social sciences to respond effectively to a range of issues associated with changing social, cultural and political contexts. 
• Reflect on the experience of personal and professional practice in international and cross-cultural settings and act in professionalized settings responsibly, ethically and with integrity.  

Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) BH105  

• Demonstrate creativity, critical thinking and practical reasoning when identifying and solving problems in diverse contexts  
• Communicate using diverse formats and strategies to stakeholders within and external to   
• Work with others in a range of roles and contexts, demonstrating cultural, environmental and social awareness while promoting respectful, ethical and reflective practice your discipline  
• Apply initiative and ethical judgment in planning, problem solving and decision making in your current and continuing professional practice  

Bachelor of Youth Work and Youth Studies BP322  

• Apply interdisciplinary bodies of theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom and skills to the scholarship of Youth Studies, praxis of Youth Work and orientation to professional human services  

Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice BP023  

• Apply critically reflective thought and analytical thinking to problems related to crime management and criminal justice systems in local and international contexts  
• Contextualise specific criminal justice based knowledge according to socially and culturally diverse environments  
• Assist in the identification of needs and the planning of research in the criminal justice field   

Bachelor of Legal and Dispute Studies BP204  

• Contextualise specific social-legal and conflict resolution based knowledge according to socially and culturally diverse environments  
• Effectively use a range of communication and conflict management skills to work productively in culturally diverse contexts  

 

Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:  

1. Describe the social organisation of workplaces in the human services, legal and justice sectors by being able to compare and contrast the stated goals and objectives of an organisation with the way things are actually done 
2. Employ a range of theoretical accounts to make sense of modern workplaces 
3. Apply skills and elementary qualitative data gathering and analytic techniques for answering the question ‘what is really going on in the workplace’ 
4. Identify the kinds of insights, skills and abilities you need to successfully engage in good professional practice in the workplace  

Overview of Learning Activities

 

Learning activities will include interactive activities focusing on group-based discussion and problem-solving tasks. Course learning materials will be made available in a range of formats, which may include lectures and online media. You will also further refine your academic skills in analytical reading and academic writing.  

You are expected to actively contribute to the construction of a supportive learning environment, in which peer-based learning is an important component. In order to develop your knowledge and skills, you are expected to participate in interactive discussions and activities and to critical engage with the weekly reading materials. 

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.  

These resources include book chapters, journal articles, media articles, lecture notes, bibliographies for supplementary reading, video, and links to external websites.  

You will have the opportunity to contribute collectively to class resources by sharing your own research findings and sources with your peers.  

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.  

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. 

All assessment tasks are based upon your insider experience within organisations. 

Assessment Tasks 

    Task 1: Verbal Report and Giving Feedback, a 5-10 minute informal presentation plus feedback contributions across 5 weeks, 15%, CLO 1, 2 and 3.  

    Task 2: Ethnography of an Organisation: Description and Analysis, 1400 words, 35% weighting, CLO 1, 2 and 3.  

    Task 3: Evaluation of Practice Report 2000 Words, 50% weighting, CLO 1, 2, 3 and 4.  

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.  

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program manager or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.  

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.