Facilitating Pedagogical Groups (4cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

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 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 work as a social work method
- group dynamics, the group process
- conducting goal-oriented group sessions
- planning and implementation of a pedagogical process
- pedagogical group methods in the work of Bachelors of Social Services, e.g. in supporting clients' growth and development or knowledge and skills, in coaching for a new stage of life or in group information events.

Materials

- Toseland, R. W. & Rivas, R. F. 2012. An Introduction to Group Work Practice. Seventh Edition)..- Bolgova, A. 2007. Monikulttuurisen ryhmän ohjaus.
- Kataja, J. 2011. Ryhmä liikkeelle!: toiminnallisia harjoituksia ryhmän kehittämiseksi.
- Kopakkala, A. 2005. Ryhmä, jengi, tiimi: ryhmädynamiikka ja siihen vaikuttaminen.
- Saloviita, T. 2006. Yhteistoiminnallinen oppiminen ja osallistava kasvatus.
- Additional material introduced by the teacher

Teaching methods

- lectures, independent study, group facilitating excercises
- excercises will be implemented with relevant client group
- excercises will be reported and presented in seminar

Employer connections

the course does not include practice

Student workload

106 hours, of which
- lectures 40 hours
- supervised excercises 40 hours
- independent study 26 hours

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.

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