Study Guide

Objective

Student become familiar with group dynamics. They know what factors affect starting, maintaining and endind a group process. Students recognise needs for pedagogical group activity. They know how pedagogical group activities can help a client or groups of clients learn new skills and knowledge, prepare for new stages in life and promote their personal development. Students learn to construct a pedagogical or counselling-based combination of activity, taking clients' needs into consideration. Students are able to define aims, contents and methods for the activity. They are aware of the importance of encouraging dialogue and participation during the process. Students learn to conduct client group sessions using pedagogical methods. Students know how to promote group members'participation and how to help solve conflicts constructively.

Content

- group dynamics and the group process
- pedagogical group methods in the work of Bachelors of Social Services
- planning and implementing pedagogical action
- conducting goal-oriented group sessions and evaluation of the action

Materials

Literature presented at the beginning of the course. Also literature selected by the student.

Teaching methods

Lectures, independent studies, group guidance practises, essay.

Employer connections

Does not include practical training

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The students
- are able to name regularities of group dynamics and to recognize factors, which influence in beginning, maintaining and closing a group process
- are able to name different needs for pedagogical group activities
- can create a pedagogical or supervising entity of actions and are able to give reasons to the goals and to the pedagogical methods
- have capacities to describe their individual actions and actions of the group in group supervising situations
- know how to describe the factors which strengthen learning and participation in group situations

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The students
- are able to review regularities of group dynamics and to give reasons to factors, which influence in beginning, maintaining and closing a group process
- are able to review and give reasons to different needs for pedagogical group activities
- can create a pedagogical or supervising entity of actions and are able to evaluate to the goals and to the pedagogical methods
- have capacities to reflect their individual actions and actions of the group in group supervising situations
- know how to reflect the factors which strengthen learning and participation in group situations.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The students
- are able to review regularities of group dynamics multi-dimensionally.
- are able to evaluate the factors, which influence in beginning, maintaining and closing a group process
- are able to differentiate needs for pedagogical group activities
- can create a pedagogical or supervising entity of actions and are able to analyse the goals and the pedagogical methods
- have capacities to reflect their individual actions and actions of the group in group supervising situations
- know how to evaluate the factors which strengthen learning and participation in group situations.

Assessment methods and criteria

Active participation in contact teaching, assessment of guidance practice. A learning assignment to be graded.

Qualifications

most part of the module Knowledge Base in Social Work

Further information

Students choose between this and the following courses:
- Facilitating Activity-based Groups
- Facilitating Psychosocial Groups