Course description
This course explores theoretical approaches and techniques related to leadership planning and facilitation of professional groups are presented as part of the course content. Topics include organizational development, the function of groups in organizations and group facilitation and leadership. The student will apply theory through leading task groups in organizational development and will receive feedback on their work in a laboratory-style environment.
Course content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Child and youth care practitioners facilitate and participate in groups. Understanding how their life experiences and temperaments influence their leadership style will aid them in adapting to the professional group facilitation role.
- Each child and youth care practitioner develops a personal leadership style through practice, experience and feedback.
- Many core leadership skills and processes in group work are transferable from one group context to another.
- Leadership and participation in task-groups require an understanding of decision-making processes and decision-making authority within organizations. Child and youth care workers will work in a variety of task-groups with various levels of decision-making and with various levels of authority to make decisions. Practice and feedback will enhance skill development.
- Task-groups are an important vehicle for organizational development. Task-groups play a significant role in planning, implementing, maintaining and evaluating organizational development and change.
- Task-groups become more effective and efficient when they clearly define their function in decision-making, from information sharing through to shared or complete responsibility for the final decision, and employ group processes appropriate to this function. Task-groups which do not clearly identify the level of decision-making on particular issues often become frustrated and ineffective in the organization.
- Child and youth care organizations use organizational evaluation and development processes. Many organizations are required to seek professional accreditation in order to receive program funding. Accreditation tasks are completed by task-groups reporting on the organizational processes, procedures and programs of their agency.
- Giving and receiving effective feedback is a central skill in effective group participation and leadership.
- Each child and youth care practitioner will plan, implement and evaluate many task-group sessions in their career. Practice in the development of these skills will increase their comfort level, confidence and ability as a task-group member and leader.
Means of assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Written assignments
- Case evaluation
- Group presentations
- Tests
- Audiovisual 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 Course Outline.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Examine and articulate how their individual experiences and roles in groups influence their emerging group leadership style and ability.
- Demonstrate the development of a personal leadership style.
- Describe core leadership skills in group work with professional teams.
- Demonstrate leadership skills for professional task groups (in practice and through giving peer feedback).
- Discuss the process of organizational development and the role of task groups in planning, implementing and evaluating projects.
- Examine processes of engagement in organizational decision-making, including information sharing, cooperation, collaboration through to shared decisions.
- Deliver and receive peer feedback effectively.
- Plan, implement and evaluate task-group sessions.
Textbook materials
Textbooks and materials to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided to students at the beginning of the semester.