Course Description
This course introduces the theory and practice of management in therapeutic recreation. The course is designed to prepare students with skills, knowledge, and applied experiences to become effective practicing therapeutic recreation managers in health and social service settings. The universal functions of management will be addressed including planning, organizing, leading and controlling.
Learning Activities
In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, small group work, case studies and community service-learning.
Means of Assessment
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. Typical means of evaluation will include a combination of
- Written reports
- Presentations
- Testing
- Service-learning project
Students may conduct research as part of their service-learning project in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining informed consent from particpants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.
This is a letter graded course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- compare and contrast theories of management;
- analyze the skills, responsibilities and challenges of being a manager in relation to self;
- describe and apply management functions related to planning including strategic plans and comprehensive program plans;
- develop and apply management functions related to controlling including marketing, financial management, risk management, and quality management;
- describe effective management functions related to organizing including organizational culture and behaviours and human resource management tasks relating to staff, volunteers, and students;
- understand management functions related to leading including motivation, conflict, ethics, advocacy, standards of practice, and EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion);
- apply management knowledge and skills to complete a community based service-learning project.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.
Resources include:
- selected readings from a variety of therapeutic recreation practice text books
- selected audio-visual and computer resources
- selected readings from books and journals