Course Title: Field Education (Social Science)

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Field Education (Social Science)

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

HUSO2155

City Campus

Undergraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2007,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 1 2016,
Sem 2 2016

HUSO2155

City Campus

Undergraduate

365H Global, Urban and Social Studies

Workplace

Sem 1 2012,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: Laurel Mackenzie

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3396

Course Coordinator Email: laurel.mackenzie@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 37.2.07

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None
 


Course Description

The Field Education course provides an opportunity for you to prepare for, and reflect on, your transition from university into your future professional career. There are two major components to the course:

  • Work Placement in an organisation, where you will undertake the kinds of professional tasks you could expect in your work after graduation;
  • Supporting workshops, learning activities and assessment alongside this placement.

The Field Education course provides an opportunity for you to prepare for, and reflect on, your transition from university into your future professional career. There are two major components to the course:
• Work Placement in an organisation, where you will undertake the kinds of professional tasks you could expect in your work after graduation; and
• Supporting workshops, learning activities and assessment alongside this placement.
The course is designed to provide you with experience in the application and development of, and critical reflection on the ideas, skills and graduate capabilities you have gained through your program. It will also help you to critically evaluate professional practices and organisational demands, in light of your own professional skills, ideas and values.
You will have the opportunity to select from a range of community, public sector and corporate organisations, to be negotiated between you, the University and organisations with available placements. You are encouraged to find your own organisation for placement, in consultation with the Social Science Work Integrated Learning Office; or you can rely on the University’s networks and historical partnerships. The placement program is designed for you to develop new professional skills, and to reflect on the process of developing a professional identity as you seek out, enter, and experience hands-on what is involved in your professional field.
In addition to the Work Placement, you will engage with peers and course staff in workshops, meetings, and assessment activities. This academic component of the field education course is designed to help you articulate the relevance of your academic studies to your future professional career, to provide a support structure for challenges during the placement, and to develop further your own professional values, ethics and practice. Part of this will involve observing and assessing the workings of power, how this shapes what gets done and by whom, and the outcomes for clients, communities and stakeholders. You will be encouraged to reflect upon your own place within your profession and the ways in which its power structures can or cannot change.
 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

• Investigate and describe a specific field of professional practice within the broader psychological context;


• Analyse and evaluate an aspect of organisational life and work in psychological professional practice;


• Reflect on how you applied judgment and decision making in your work on placement, and articulate what good ethical practice is in the context of your profession;


• Synthesise your knowledge and experience of professional practice with the skills and knowledge gained through the study of your discipline



 


Overview of Learning Activities

Many of the learning activities for the course are blended with assessment. The activities and assessment due dates occur in stages that are timed according to the process of gaining and completing a 35 day placement, which may or may not co-ordinate with semester timetable. The stages are broadly as follows.


1. Preparation for placement
This is largely self-directed, under the advice of course staff, and occurs before the semester starts. Students are asked to think through and define their future career goals and the kind of organisations and projects they may wish to work for, and communicate this to course staff. If you are unsure about your career direction and options you are encouraged to consult with your program co-ordinator. You are expected to become familiar with the Work Placement policies and guidelines. You are encouraged to follow the Careers Service job application guidelines, and seek career advice well before placement.


2. Selection, application and confirmation
The process for applying for placement positions varies and will be described before semester starts. A list of previous placement host organisations will be made available on course backboard although students are also encouraged to pursue their own interests and use their networks in searching for a placement. Details of the placements are approved through negotiation and agreement between the student, the placement organisation and the course staff.


3. Induction and planning
Placement organisations are expected to provide some induction for students, including an overview of health and safety procedures and other important policies. Students develop and negotiate their own development plan in consultation with the organisation and the University, which provides a framework of goals to be met during placement through completing tasks and duties required by the organisation.


4. Placement of 35 days
The completion of 35 days of placement is a compulsory requirement for the course. Completion of a full 35 days of placement must be verified in writing by placement supervisors in the organisations where the placements take place. For this purpose, a “day” of placement involves a full day of work as it would normally be defined for regular staff at a placement organisation. Students are expected to keep track of their hours, and make up any time missed during the originally scheduled placement, to ensure they complete the requisite number of full working days. The 35 days may be served, however, across more than one organisation, as long as each organisation signs a work placement agreement before starting and, upon completion, confirms the amount of time worked for that organisation, and the total time worked across all organisations adds up to 35 working days. If a student chooses to do their placement at more than one organisation, they are not required to do a doubled number of assessments.


5. Workshops and reflection
Alongside the placement, regular, on-campus workshops and opportunities for online reflection will occur. Supervised problem-based exercises will build your capacity to solve problems and to think critically and analytically, give you feedback on your professional practice, and help you prepare for the major course assessments.


6. Review and mini-conference
The workplace supervisor is encouraged to provide feedback on your professional development and contribution before leaving the placement. Students will then reflect upon their experience in a final conference to their peers and course and program staff. This conference provides a space for students to share their diverse experiences and reflect upon what they have gained in skills, knowledge and reflective practice.
 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. The primary source of information and resources will be made available via myRMIT. Please check this at least weekly for updates. All forms and assessment guidelines will be posted here.
 

Email is another primary method of communication. Please check your RMIT email at least every two days.

 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include: a personal development plan for the placement, reflective pieces during placement, and a final conference presentation about your placement.
Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.


If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.


Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions which are available for review online: http://www.rmit.edu.au/policies/academic#assessment