Course description
Students will have the opportunity to explore and apply the skills of group participation, design, and facilitation. Models that promote empowerment, mutual aid, and self-awareness will be presented for examination and application to practice with groups.
Means of assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College Evaluation Policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.
Typical evaluations can include:
- Written assignments
- Skill demonstration
- Testing
- Individual and group projects
- Small and large group discussions
- Field research
- Case study analysis
- Group presentations
This is a letter-graded course.
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 must be clearly defined in the Instructor's Course Outline.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Analyze the effectiveness of groups in Child and Youth Care settings from anti-oppressive frameworks including the design of inclusive, culturally responsive group experiences that reflect participants' identities and lived experiences;
- Explain key concepts of group dynamics, stages of development, and power relations, including how structural imbalances impact the healthy functioning of groups and the experiences of individual members;
- Demonstrate effective communication skills, including anti-racist and trauma-informed practices that address discriminatory language or behaviour, support conflict resolution, and extend relational practice from individual to group contexts;
- Evaluate approaches to group leadership, including one's own leadership style, and assess their impact on participation, voice, and equitable engagement within Child and Youth Care group settings;
- Identify and critically examine barriers to effective group functioning, including systemic and structural factors that limit participation or obscure the strengths, contributions, and knowledge of group members.
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.