This assessment task requires you to work in collaboration with student peers in a group work activity. Your group will examine how theories of change inform social workers’ understanding of Australian society and the challenges this can create for communities and individuals.

Your role

This activity is a group activity. You will be assigned in pre-selected groups randomly. The groups will have up to 6 participants. Your group will provide an oral presentation and a written assessment.

You are a member of a small working party who have volunteered to co-ordinate and present a response about theories of change in relation to the social issue selected. The oral presentation is part of the World Social Day celebratory events to examine how social workers have influenced social change historically and in current times.

As a working group you need to focus on a range of theoretical perspectives the social work profession uses in contemporary practice. Your group is required to select two of the theories below and examine how these theories have contributed to social work.

· Structural Functional Theory

· Systems Theory

· Radical and Critical Theory

· Feminist Theory

· Cultural sensitivity

· Anti-Oppressive practice

· Postmodernism

Oral Presentation (20 minutes)

Your group is required to provide a presentation for World Social Work Day (WSWD):

· Use Community Focus Learning to guide the group work process.

· Select one case scenario from the Moodle site.

· Examine two theories in relation the case scenario and its relevance for working in relation to the community you have chosen. This is not a case response but an analysis of the theories in relation to the case scenario.

· Examine the historical context of social work in relation to the theories of change selected and their relevance to contemporary social work practice.

· Discuss the relevance of the historical context to the chosen theories.

· Examine the values and principles that underpin social work practice in relation to the relevant social issue.

· Identify the strengths and challenges of the chosen theories in relation to the social issue selected.

· Provide a 20 minute presentation via Zoom. Times to be advised on Moodle.

· Each group member must make some contribution to the final product.

· Your group is encouraged to utilise creativity to engage with your audience.

Written Assessment (2000 words)

Your group is required to submit a written assessment which presents the research that was undertaken to inform the oral presentation.

The written assessment should include:

. All topics discussed in the oral presentation.

. A reflection on the group process with reference to Community Focused Learning (CFL).

. This reflection should include challenges, pivotal events/changes that took place and strengths of group.

. A reflection on the social work values and principles used to work with your student peers and group.

. Each group member must make some contribution to the final product.

Oral Presentation

· Demonstrated ability to critically analyse the theories; its usefulness and applicability for working in relation to the case scenario selected.

· Demonstrated ability to examine the historical context and the relevance to contemporary social work practice.

· Demonstrated ability to critically analyse strengths and challenges of the chosen theories.

· Demonstrated ability to integrate the values and principle social work practice in relation to the analysis of the case scenario.

· Demonstrated ability to synthesise material and provide logical and cohesive argument in an oral presentation.

. Effective use of time to present information.

. Effectiveness of communication in presentation and engagement with audience which includes creativity and originality.

Written Assessment:

· Ability to critically analyse the theories; its usefulness and applicability for working in relation to the case scenario selected.

· Ability to examine the historical context and the relevance to contemporary social work practice.

· Ability to critically analyse strengths and challenges of the chosen theories.

· Ability to integrate the values and principle social work practice in relation to the analysis of the case scenario.

· Evidence of broad research, including access to peer reviewed literature, research, and resources. There should be limited use of material from websites.

· Demonstrates synthesis and integration of literature, strength and logic of argument, correct spelling (Macquarie) and punctuation with appropriate citation and referencing (Harvard). There should be limited use of direct quotes (no more than 2).

This assessment requires that you undertake a self-assessment and a peer assessment of your students peers in the group work activities for Assessment 1.

The on-line tool for this assessment task will be forwarded to your student email account accompanied by a news announcement and reminders at Moodle. You will have an opportunity at the completion of the group work to give feedback in relation to group participation. Unit co-ordinators have access to each student's name and their scoring. You will not have access to the identity of group members or their individual scoring. You will receive a single averaged score out of 10 in your student email account.

e on-line feedback system will allow you to assess group members on participation criteria as detailed in the assessment criteria. Only scores based on the Likert scales will be forwarded to student email accounts but please consider providing additional comments in the relevant sections to rationalise your decision.

· Was dependable in attending group meetings (Likert Scale)

· Willingly accepted assigned tasks (Likert Scale)

· Contributed positively to group discussions (Likert Scale)

· Completed work on time or made alternative arrangements (Likert Scale)

· Helped others with their work when needed (Likert Scale)

· Did work accurately and completely (Likert Scale)

· Contributed their fair share of the work (Likert Scale)

· Worked well with other group members (Likert Scale)

· Overall was a valuable member of the team (Likert Scale)

· The group member listens to others (Likert Scale)

· Additional comments (Comment)

Focus statement

The theories presented in this unit are pitched at a macro analysis of the organisation of society. A ‘community’ is one of several macro systems of social work concern and practice. This assessment item requires you to:

1. Choose a community in which to locate this submission.
2. Assess some of the most urgent concerns located in that community and support this with some evidence of needs communicated; for example, some sources might include local or media reports, news items, local neighbourhood data, the ABS, personal communications from key stakeholders such as social workers, welfare workers, police, paramedics, teachers.
3. Propose a community awareness raising/community education project that will raise the community’s awareness of the issue and its social consequences, and
4. Show how the theories of change presented in this unit inform the final project you are proposing.

Your role

Imagine you are in the role of a community development officer with your local municipal council.

Performance/Product

A fifteen slide PowerPoint presentation complemented with a 2000 written word oral presentation that you would hypothetically present to Council seeking approval. There is no required structure for the submission except the following criteria:

• Articulate your professional/theoretical support for the design of the proposed project in order to demonstrate your professional rigour to Council. Detailed justification of the proposal and the activities must be supported with theoretical concepts. Be mindful of the presentation of theoretical concepts to an audience unfamiliar with those perspectives.
• Assess and analyse data available from key stakeholders in your own local neighbourhood or community who have been/are seeking awareness raising at a community level
• Locate social work interventions in the published literature where there is evidence of outcomes via community awareness raising or community education for the same or similar social issues.
• Consider the diversity of your local community members when processing information/language, learning, and change through community education.
• Consider how you would address the concern with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

Please Note:

You are not required to develop a project or activities beyond awareness raising. You are not required to propose solutions to Council. Instead, in keeping with the principles of community development you are raising consciousness about local community needs based on evidence and research you have gathered to complement popular sources of information such as the media. Completion of this project will then allow you to assess who and how people in the community might then come forward with solutions and support.

If you intend on approaching the community of concern please consult with the Course Coordinator before doing this.

• Identifies evidence of needs communicated in community.
• Applies appropriate social theories to guide community awareness project.
• Justifies project proposal informed by social work values.
• Locates possible activities at a community level in published social work literature linked to community awareness raising.
• Presents plan of community awareness project that demonstrates socially inclusive activities.
• Demonstrates ability to consider how to to address the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Evidence of broad research, including access to peer reviewed literature, research, and resources. There should be limited use of material from websites.
• Demonstrates synthesis and integration of literature, strength and logic of argument, correct spelling (Macquarie) and punctuation with appropriate citation and referencing (Harvard). There should be limited use of direct quotes (no more than 2).