Course Title: Field Project

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Field Project

Credit Points: 12

Course Coordinator: Dr. Yasothara Nadarajah

Course Coordinator Phone: +(61 3) 9925 3542

Course Coordinator Email:yaso.nadarajah@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 37.5.28

Course Coordinator Availability: By Appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None, ID Students are advised to complete core courses before enrolling in the course.

Course Description

The Field Project is an individually negotiated project involving a student placement in an agency either in Australia or overseas. Your submitted assessment will be based on a project or issue on which that agency is focusing.

There is tremendous diversity among field projects. Your Field Project activities will be primarily supervised by a staff member of the relevant agency, whilst the RMIT Course Coordinator is available to advise on academic issues associated with topic selection, project design and report preparation.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The course will assist you to:

• clarify your career path;
• increase your knowledge and understanding of the field of professional practice and the nature of work within organisations;
• extend your experience of your preferred employment field;
• evelop skills (conceptual, professional and organisational) for professional practice;
• rovide you with an opportunity to confirm and apply studies undertaken throughout your program;
• be noticed and create a positive impression, and attain a job.

On the successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Objectively analyse their career path, and unpack their special interests
• Understand the field of professional practice and the nature of work within organisations and communities
• Broaden their experience in the preferred employment field
• Develop conceptual, managerial and organisational skills relevant for professional practice;
• Confirm and apply development theories introduced in various courses in real life/work situation;
• Understand work place / organisational / community dynamics
• Learn from work experiences by developing abilities in critical reflection;
• Reflect on action so to experience ‘praxis’.
• Gain an understanding of various roles in work situations
• Develop people skills and team work
• Be able to critically analyse how this work has informed their development work practice
• Be able to critically engage with the development literature and major works related to field work
• Be able to analyse their personal / professional learning as well as their contribution to the organisation / community they worked with

Overview of Learning Activities

All enrolled students will organise their field placement, the program can assist the process however it is the responsibility of the students to negotiate their placement with a development organisation before commencing the semester.

Depending on the nature of your individually negotiated project, you will be able to engage in a variety of individual meetings or small group work. Some information may also be provided online.

Learning activities will be individually negotiated between the student, the agency and the RMIT Course Coordinator prior to beginning placement. Responsibilities of the agency, student and RMIT Course Coordinator will be clearly articulated in the placement agreement.

However, all students will be required to submit written assessment totalling approximately 5,000w. This may be made up of two reports or reflective pieces on Field Project conducted.

Overview of Learning Resources

This will depend on nature of  topic, students wil be refered to the relevant resources. However students are advised to use the following as a reference text:

"Making the Most of Your Field Placement. (2007 edition) available through RMIT bookshop.

Overview of Assessment

All students undertaking this subject will work with a development organisation and after the conclusion of their placement will submit two reports to RMIT for final assessment, with a total word length or equivalent of 5,000 words.