Overview
In this unit, you will develop professional skills, knowledge, and competencies to successfully facilitate groups. You will learn how to plan, deliver, and evaluate group programs suitable for adults. You will learn ethical and inclusive approaches to group facilitation. These foundational skills in group facilitation will support the creation of well-structured group environments which foster adult learning.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Moodle student evaluations
Some students felt that the unit did not include enough emphasis on group coaching skills.
The course teaching team will review the unit content as well as the name and unit description.
Feedback from Moodle student evaluations
Some students believed the residential school was beneficial, but also costly and time consuming.
The inclusion of a residential school will be reviewed by the course teaching team.
Feedback from Moodle student evaluations
Students felt that the unit was aimed at students with no prior group facilitation experience.
The course teaching team will review the focus and content of the unit with regard to the level of prior experience at which it is aimed.
- Design a group program
- Deliver a group program
- Evaluate group program design and delivery.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 40% | |||
| 3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 20% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||
| 2 - Communication | |||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||
| 4 - Research | |||
| 5 - Self-management | |||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||
| 7 - Leadership | |||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||||
| 3 - Reflective Practice Assignment - 20% | ||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 6th Edition (APA 6th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
d.every@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to group facilitation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
An overview of positive psychology
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Principles of adult learning
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom tutorial: Week 3 Tuesday (24 March 2020) 6:30-7:30pm AEDT
Module/Topic
Principles of group cohesion
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom tutorial: Week 4 Tuesday (31 March 2020) 6:30-7:30pm AEDT
Assessment 1: Writing a group facilitation program Due: Week 4 Monday (30 Mar 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Theories of group development
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Zoom tutorial: Week 5 Tuesday (7 April 2020) 6:30-7:30pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Values and ethics in group facilitation
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Group facilitation: planning
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Group facilitation: beginnings
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Group facilitation: endings
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Diversity in groups
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Challenges in group facilitation
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reflective practice
Chapter
Please see selected readings and activities on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
There are no examinations for this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
There are no examinations for this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
For this assessment you will write a comprehensive group facilitation program for delivering a 45 minute group session which includes a positive psychology activity. Your program will be written as though another facilitator will run your program and will need facilitation directions.
Your group facilitation program will include:
1. Facilities details and brief participant info
2. The name of your group program and a brief statement of its purpose
3. The program Learning Outcomes
4. Directions to your facilitator for:
a. Preparing for the group
b. Introducing themselves, the program and the learning outcomes
c. A check-in for participant’s existing knowledge or current mood/experience
d. Running an icebreaker
e. Running the positive psychology activity
f. Ending the session
5. Timings for each part
6. The handout/s that will be used for the program
7. PowerPoint slides for use in the program
8. The feedback evaluation form that you will use to elicit your participant’s feedback
Detailed information on what to include for each element above is provided in the Unit Assessment Guide. Support for planning a group and writing a group program is provided throughout the Unit content, including through activities in the first Zoom tutorial.
Week 4 Monday (30 Mar 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Vacation Week Monday (13 Apr 2020)
Your work will be assessed on:
- Choosing an appropriate positive psychology activity
- Use of group elements and practices which optimally support adult learning and group cohesion
- Clarity of facilitation directions
- Quality of PowerPoint slides, handout and feedback evaluation form
- Design a group program
- Evaluate group program design and delivery.
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
2 Practical Assessment
For this assessment you are required to run the 45 minute group program (that which you developed in Assessment 1) with a small number of participants.
The group needs to include all the elements developed in the group facilitation program (introduction of self, program and learning outcomes; an icebreaker; a positive psychology activity; an ending).
You will submit:
- A video of your 45 minute group session
- The handout/s
- PowerPoint slides
- The completed participant feedback forms
Detailed information on this assessment is set out in the Unit Assessment Guide.
Support for facilitating a group is provided throughout the Unit content, including through activities in the Zoom tutorials.
You must obtain a minimum grade of 50% in this assessment in order to pass the Unit.
Week 8 Monday (4 May 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Monday (18 May 2020)
Your work will be assessed on:
- Preparation
- Delivery of all essential program elements in the beginning, middle and ending of the session
- Quality of communication
- Timing
- Quality and usefulness of PowerPoint slides, handout/s and participant feedback forms
- Design a group program
- Deliver a group program
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
3 Reflective Practice Assignment
For Assessment 3 you are required to:
- Provide a detailed rationale (i.e. reasoned and evidence-based argument) for the overall structure and elements included in your group facilitation program.
- Evaluate the impacts of these choices on the group experience, in particular in relation to adult learning, group cohesion and the ethical conduct of groups.
- Outline how you would improve the group facilitation in future, including the steps you would need to take to do this
The word count for the reflection is 1,500 words (+/-10%).
Detailed information on this assessment is set out in the Unit Assessment Guide.
You need to obtain a 50% minimum grade in this assessment in order to pass this unit.
Week 11 Monday (25 May 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (8 June 2020)
Your work will be assessed on:
- The depth and quality of the rationale, self-evaluation and outline of future steps
- Quality of literacy and written communication skills
- Correct use of APA formatting for citations and references
- Deliver a group program
- Evaluate group program design and delivery.
- Communication
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
