Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE SWP3570

 
TITLE Practicum

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Social Policy and Social Work

 
DESCRIPTION The practicum, which includes a total of 250 hours is intended to allow for experience in service delivery and policy implementation, with elements of evaluation and planning, in settings related to issues and practice relevant to the content of the course. Students will be assigned a number of tasks related to material taught during their final year of studies. These will be such that they can be each carried out as part of the work of the agency where the student will be temporarily placed. Students' performance is assessed as an object of reflection and as a learning experience, which will in turn draw upon notes kept during the practicum.

Students will be assessed on their placement performance, seen in the light of the feedback received from their placement and on the student's own outputs.

The students are expected to spend 100 hours based at an organisation in Semester 1, and to work on their evaluation project in Semester 2.

Study-unit Aims:

• Have exposure to settings where social policy and administration are exercised;
• Develop their capacity for ethical and effective behaviour in a professional setting;
• Clarify and use common principles, processes and concepts applicable across a range of roles and settings;
• Exercise, test and improve skills needed for social policy, administration and service delivery;
• Integrate and transfer academic learning for practice;
• Engage in a process of self-reflection;
• Become responsible for their own continuing learning and development.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Discuss the policy and practice frameworks that prevail at the macro, meso and micro level at and through the agency where they operate;
- Demonstrate, through reflection and recording, an improved analytical and intuitive understanding of task related and relationship related situations and needs;
- Reflect on the functioning of agencies and organisations in responding to human need;
- Demonstrate, through reflection, an understanding of the impact of social policy development and implementation on service users and society.
- Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking skills in the context of organisational decision making.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Develop and implement a plan of work;
- Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan in relation to a project or service of relatively simple design;
- Use reflexivity as a means to improved practice;
- Employ appropriate administrative methods and use relevant information technology in support of the organisation’s mission and activities;
- Construct and present effective written forms of communication;
- Compose and present effective oral forms of communication;
- Demonstrate effective leadership abilities for the purpose of organisational growth and change;
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to work successfully in teams of diverse composition.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

No books universally set but notes and articles will be used according to the tasks assigned to individual students.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Seminar and Practical

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Reflective Diary SEM2 Yes 25%
Placement SEM2 Yes 25%
Project SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Andreana Dibben

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit