| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Critical Practice Approaches |
| Unit ID: | CHSUG3001 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (At least 30 credit points from ANY subject-area at 2000-2999 level) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 090515 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
The main aim of the unit is to develop your understanding of what skills are involved in practising critically. To achieve this, we will explore three aspects, namely, values and their impact on professional practice, ambiguities and uncertainties in practice and a critique of dominant assumptions upon which societies and welfare practises have been constructed. The unit will take a critically reflective approach to further develop and consolidate students generic knowledge and skills. Using a scaffolded case study approach, we explore a number of issues relating to the rights of the child, welfare policy, mental health, youth justice, family violence and aged care. Through analysing, evaluating and applying the case scenarios to these issues, students will develop expertise to practice as a critical practitioner. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | |  | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Explore community and human service practice frameworks from a critical perspective. |
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| K2. | Develop an in-depth understanding of micro, mezzo and macro domains of practice, and how these inform critical practice. |
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| K3. | Critically review and analyse the complexities, ambiguities and uncertainties of contemporary social issues, and the challenges they pose to community human service practice |
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| K4. | Develop an understanding of critical reflection theories and critique professional and personal values that underpin community human service practice |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Research and critique peer reviewed literature on various fields of practice, such as child protection, mental health, women's rights. |
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| S2. | Demonstrate the development of critical skills for practice through written and oral assessments. |
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| S3. | Demonstrate an ability to research and critique community human service practice frameworks. |
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| S4. | Demonstrate critical reflection and reflexivity skills. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate critical reflection and reflexivity and identify how these skills relate to critical perspectives of contemporary social issues. |
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| A2. | Explore and analyse a range of critical perspectives and how they relate to community and human services practice. |
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| A3. | Analyse values, ideologies and broader discourses that underpin polices and practice frameworks in community and human service practice. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: Part 1: Introducing the course: What is Critical Practice in Human Service Context? Topic 2: reflection and reflexivity (Being a critical practitioner) Topic 3: Values in Human Service work Topic 4: Practsing Complexity in Huamn Service Work Part 2: Peeling an Onion: Critical Issues in practice using a case study Topic 5: Income, Social Security and Family Payments Topic 6: Safeguarding children Topic 7: Youth and Criminal Justice Topic 8: Family violence Topic 9: Mental Health Topic 10: Older People Topic 11: Bringing it together: Integrative Approach to Practice |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K4, S4, A1 | Reflect critically on personal and professional values that inform your approach to critical practice | Reflective Essay | 20-30% | | 2. | K3, S1, S2, A3 | Analyse and critique a social issue relevant to community human service practice through an engaging presentation using a variety of multimedia. | Group Presentation | 25-40% | | 3. | K1, K2, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2 | Using a case study develop your own critical practice approach. | Critical Practice Essay | 35-50% |
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