| 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: |
| | 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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