Course

Group Dynamics and Activity Planning for the Youth Justice Worker

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Youth Justice
Course code
YJWD 2300
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
30
Method(s) of instruction
Seminar
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

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 activities
  • Lecture
  • Group discussion 
  • Group activities and exercises
  • Student presentations
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.

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.  

 

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. 

Requisites

Prerequisites

YJWD 1100 and (CYCC 1220 or YJWD 1220)

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

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for YJWD 2300
Athabasca University (AU) AU CRJS 3XX (3)
College of New Caledonia (CNC) CNC SSWK 241 (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU ARTS 2XXX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU CYCA 2620 (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU SOCI 2XX (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) No credit
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) No credit
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) No credit
University of Victoria (UVIC) No credit

Course Offerings

Fall 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
30
Currently enrolled
22
Remaining seats:
8
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. B
Room
B2320
Times:
Start Time
11:30
-
End Time
15:20
Section notes

YJWD 2300-001 is restricted to Youth Justice students