Course Title: Field Education 2

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Field Education 2

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

HWSS2207

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 2 2023,
Sem 1 2024

HWSS2207

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face or Internet or Workplace

Sem 1 2016

HWSS2207

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Workplace

Sem 2 2016,
Sem 1 2018

Flexible Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

HWSS2207

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

PGRDFlex22 (WLPF),

PGRDFlex22 (WWRK)

HWSS2207

City Campus

Postgraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face or Workplace

PGRDFx2020 (All)

Course Coordinator: Rob Cunningham

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5809

Course Coordinator Email: rob.cunningham@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8. Level 10

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

 

Assumed knowledge  

You will have completed, or be completing all courses in the Master of Social Work program with the exception of Professional Project.  

AND  

Enforced Pre-Requisite Courses  

Successful completion of 050409 Rights Recognition and Social Justice and 050417 Contemporary Themes in Professional Practice 

Note: it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course. 

For your information go to RMIT Course Requisites webpage. 


Course Description

In this course you will undertake a supervised professional placement of 500 hours (approximately 70 days). You will be placed in an organisation and involved in a range of activities which may include community work, program and/ or policy development and implementation, professional research, and/or service delivery. You will develop and demonstrate professional social work practice skills. 

Alongside the Professional Project course, this course forms the capstone experience for the Master of Social Work program. You will synthesise, integrate and apply the specialised knowledge you have developed so far in this program. 

This is a designated WIL course and is based upon experiential learning, your knowledge and skills will be applied and assessed in a workplace context and where feedback from industry and/ or community is integral part of your assessment. 

You will be allocated to a placement by the academic staff. The allocation is based on a range of factors, including the information you provide in your Personal Planning Form (PPF) and whether you meet the requirements of the placement provided by the organisation.

Please note that:

You must be enrolled in Field Education to participate in the allocation process.

The allocation process commences at least 4 months prior to your enrolment in Field Education.

Certain preparation tasks must be completed in advance of your enrolment in Field Education for you to be eligible to participate in the allocation process. For example, you must, by the appropriate deadlines:

Complete a Police Check and Working With Children Check
Complete required online modules
Upload your PPF and a current CV into InPlace

You will also be required to attend two integrated learning seminars. In these seminars you will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of placement requirements and the organisational context. You will be able to critically engage and reflect upon your placement experience and supervisory feedback with peers. Active participation in these seminars will further develop and meet your learning goals with key placement learning to be reflected in the Learning and Assessment Report.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes  

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

  • Apply specialist social work knowledge and skills to understanding and responding to contemporary social disadvantage, oppression and marginalisation, recognising the fundamentally political nature of social suffering 
  • Use appropriate research strategies to inform ethical professional social work practice and to broaden the scope of contemporary social work theory and practice 
  • Critically analyse theories informing social work practice and the contemporary policy context to develop an evidence base for ethical professional practice  
  • Apply advanced problem solving skills and techniques of intervention that bring together complex information transferable across different institutional and cultural contexts of practice, incorporating innovative interventions to effectively meet the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities 
  • Theorise and develop interventions that address the social structural and political levels through which poverty and inequality are generated and critically assess policies and programs developed to address disadvantage 
  • Apply research knowledge and skills to develop practice research based interventions and conduct independent research to contribute to the generation of specialist social work knowledge and skills  
  • Apply sophisticated oral and written communication skills to present complex information to individuals, organisations and professional and non-professional communities in accessible and culturally appropriate ways  
  • Apply critical analytical problem solving skills to develop innovative and creative policy and practice responses to contemporary social problems, and promote the fundamental social, economic and cultural rights of individuals, families, groups and communities  
  • Practice as an autonomous, ethical and critical social work practitioner with a commitment to lifelong learning  
  • Engage in practice which acknowledges the fundamentally multicultural nature of contemporary societies and acknowledges the unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, seeking to promote the rights of these groups 


Course Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate capabilities in social work practice as documented in the Learning and Assessment Report.
2. Articulate and reflect on your own professional learning and development.
3. Apply contextually relevant ethics and standards for social work practice in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics and Practice Standards in all areas of engagement.
4. Identify and critically appraise the organisational, legal and political contexts of human services policy and practices.
5. Apply and critically reflect on theories, practice approaches and research informing social work practice.
6. Form constructive relationships with individuals, groups and communities including user groups, colleagues, professionals and people in other significant roles/positions.  


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities include the 70 days (500 hours) field placement, the development of a detailed Learning and Assessment report and a mid and final placement review in line with the AASW and ASWEAS Practice Standards. Learning activities also include active engagement with and participation in 21 hours of social work qualified supervision (which includes setting and preparing agendas, case studies, and reflective pieces). You will be supported through placement planning and preparation in consultation with the Social Work Field Education Coordinator and other relevant staff.

You are also required to attend two Integrated Learning seminars where you will critically reflect on your experiences with peers and share knowledge and skills in peer facilitated group activities. Seminar participation may also include presentations and a work readiness portfolio development. Active participation in these seminars constitutes a key element of this course and will assist you in bringing to together key learnings from your degree and both placements as you prepare to graduate and enter the social work profession. Your individual and detailed Learning and Assessment Report will also articulate the course learning outcomes and capabilities as developed and applied in your unique placement setting.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. This will include information and resources via the MSW Program Canvas page, pre-placement seminars, newsletters and placement preparation modules.  

A Field Education Manual will provide a detailed framework and administrative arrangements for placements. The Manual will include a Learning and Assessment Report that identifies the learning goals and performance expectations of students for the placement in accordance with AASW Practice Standards and ASWEAS Graduate Attributes. 

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 RMIT student portal. 

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

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.

You will develop a Learning and Assessment Report which will guide your placement tasks and assess learning and development during your supervised placement. Assessment will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of learning.

Assessment Tasks:

Learning Plan and Assessment Report, 100% CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4, CLO 5 and CLO 6

The assessment task will receive a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grading.

Satisfactory performance to AASW Practice Standards Accreditation Requirements beginning capability across the the following 9 learning areas as stipulated by ASWEAS:

· Code of Ethics

· Working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

· Human rights and social justice

· Culture, identity, and intersectionality

· Critical thinking in practice

· Exercising professional judgement

· Professional Identity

· Professional Supervsion

· Professional growth


Feedback will be given by supervisors across all eight learning areas.

If you have a 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 coordinator 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.