Group Dynamics and Activity Planning for the Youth Justice Worker

Curriculum guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course code
YJWD 2300
Descriptive
Group Dynamics and Activity Planning for the Youth Justice Worker
Department
Youth Justice
Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
Yes
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
30
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Seminar - 4 hours/week 

Method(s) of instruction
Seminar
Learning activities
  • Lecture
  • Group discussion 
  • Group activities and exercises
  • Student presentations
Course description
In this course, students will explore group theory and develop skills for group design, participation, and facilitation. Students will plan and facilitate developmentally appropriate outcome-focused group activities to promote group development and individual growth.
Course content

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

  • Groups have therapeutic potential.
  • Groups and people are dynamic – they grow and change over time.  Understanding group dynamics and developing group facilitation skills allows practitioners greater competency in their work.
  • Group leadership and involvement helps develop communication, counselling, conflict resolution, feedback, and problem solving skills.
  • Effective group leaders are intentional in assessing how, when, and why various facilitation skills are used and how outcome-focused activities can be used to promote group development. 
  • Group facilitation involves balancing task-centered work (content) with the needs of the group (process).  Groups are successful to the extent that both content and process are attended to.
Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Explain the therapeutic potential of groups through their experience as members and leaders in counselling, task, and psychoeducational groups.
  2. Define the differences between various types of groups and illustrate the leadership styles and facilitation skills suitable for each.
  3. Describe the stages of group development and demonstrate appropriate leadership skills for each.
  4. Recognize potential obstacles to group functioning and identify flexible and sensitive approaches that may promote group functioning.   
  5. Design, plan, and facilitate developmentally appropriate group activities to promote growth in identified need areas.  

 

Means of assessment

Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Typical means of evaluation will include a combination of:

  • Written assignments
  • Journals
  • Class presentations
  • Examinations
  • Class participation

This is a graded course.

Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. 

Prerequisites
Corequisites

Courses listed here must be completed either prior to or simultaneously with this course:

  • No corequisite courses
Equivalencies

Courses listed here are equivalent to this course and cannot be taken for further credit:

  • No equivalency courses