Course Title: Action Research: Action Learning Practicum 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Action Research: Action Learning Practicum 1

Credit Points: 24


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BUSM3868

City Campus

Research

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009

Course Coordinator: Dr Wendy Harding

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1492

Course Coordinator Email:wendy.harding@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Normally students will have completed the coursework components of the Doctorate


Course Description

The Practicum develops professional practice and research skills and capacities to a high level. Professional skills in systems psychodynamics approaches to organisation are centrered around the professional as reflective, collaborative (with other stakeholders), politically and ethically aware and able to use subjective experience as a major source of research data alongside more traditional forms. It involves the researcher examining the research system (including the researcher/researched relationship). The work can be highly personal because one’s self in practice is the object both of research and of professional development. This is not simply ’methods’ training but a more complex understanding of the researcher and practitioner as an integral part of the system under study.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Practice of professional organisational expertise with a high level of knowledge, skill, responsibility and ethics.


Learning Objectives
The action learning practicum aims to develop the capacities and skills of the student in relation to their organisational roles. These will be relevant to the particular roles and professions held. For example, students may be consultants, managers, leaders, teachers, health or allied health professionals, public servants, legal practitioners or other. What is common is the systems psychodynamic approach to professional role in the organisational context.
On completion of the practicum students will be able to plan, conduct and evaluate an action learning project to develop and extend their organisational skills and capacities, including organisational research skills.

At the completion of the program, students will develop a/an

  • Understanding of theory applicable to organisations and organisational change
  • High level skills in interpersonal communication and an understanding of conscious and unconscious dynamics in groups and organisations.
  • Leadership and team-work skills.
  • Understanding of organisational contexts and environmental issues in relation to organisation dynamics and change.


Overview of Learning Activities

The practicum involves students in two-hour sessions fortnightly. The sessions are conducted as action learning sets (Revans) where students work together to plan projects, explore issues arising from the projects and evantually evaluate the projects. The staff member acts as a consultant/co-explorer to the action learning set.

The action learning practicum involves:

  • training in action learning methodologies;
  • conducting a learning audit;
  • planning and conducting an action learning project within the student’s workplace;
  • working with subjective states as data;
  • planning and evaluating organisational interventions;
  • ethics and action learning;
  • evaluating the project outcomes and processes.


Overview of Learning Resources

Readings and research


Overview of Assessment

The practicum involves students in two-hour sessions weekly. The sessions are conducted as action learning sets (Revans) where students work together to plan projects, explore issues arising from the projects and evantually evaluate the projects. The staff member acts as a consultant/co-explorer to the action learning set.

The action learning practicum involves:
• training in action learning methodologies;
• conducting a learning audit;
• planning and conducting an action learning project within the student’s workplace;
• working with subjective states as data;
• planning and evaluating organisational interventions;
• ethics and action learning;
• evaluating the project outcomes and processes.