Unit Synopsis
The final theory unit in the Bachelor of Social Work course equips you with an advanced understanding of social work theory and its application to real-world practice. Building on the foundational knowledge acquired in Field Education 1 (SOWK13009) and Integrating Theory and Practice 1 (SOWK13010), this unit emphasises the importance of applying research knowledge and skills in addressing the needs and aspirations of individuals, groups, and communities to achieve equitable outcomes. You will demonstrate your capacity to employ research knowledge and skills in your practice, as well as utilising research to inform your professional development. This unit is a co-requisite to SOWK14009 and can only be undertaken concurrently with field education.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 4 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 4 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Prerequisites: SOWK13009, SOWK13010, SOWK14005, SOWK14006 Corequisite: SOWK14009 Fieldwork Education 2 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
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 Undergraduate 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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Presentation | 30% |
| 2. Report | 40% |
| 3. Poster Sessions | 30% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web 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.
Source: SUTE
Communication was poor. Student were answering each others questions in the forum rather than lecturers. The final report was basically a regurgitation of the first 2 assessments with a little bit tacked on the end... felt pointless.
Peer interaction in the discussion forums is encouraged as part of collaborative learning, although staff responses will remain clearly identifiable for students who require clarification. Assessment tasks will be reviewed to reduce repetition and strengthen the distinct purpose of the final report, ensuring each task contributes meaningfully to the overall unit learning outcomes.
In Progress
Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluation feedback and annual unit review data.
Student evaluation results identified opportunities to strengthen the connection between assessment, knowledge and skill development, and professional social work practice, with particular attention to clarity of assessment expectations and organisation of learning materials.
Review the unit learning and assessment structure to strengthen the relationship between assessment tasks, unit learning outcomes, and practice-based learning. Consultation with relevant academic and Field Education staff will inform future unit development.
The Unit Coordinator consulted with the previous Unit Coordinator as part of the review of the unit and assessment structure. This consultation identified repetition across assessment tasks, with students engaging with similar content and concepts across multiple assessments. The assessment structure and learning materials were subsequently reviewed, with a focus on reducing unnecessary duplication, clarifying assessment expectations, and strengthening the progression between assessment tasks and their connection to professional social work practice. This review will continue to inform future refinement of the unit.
Source: Unsolicited positive feedback received by email highlighted the value of ongoing individualised support and understanding in assisting students to complete their placement and associated unit requirements.
I can't thank you enough for the ongoing support and understanding you have shown. I really appreciate it, and honestly, without you I wouldn't have been able to complete the things necessary to get over the line.
Continue providing individualised student support and responsive communication to assist students in completing their placement, co-requisite unit and associated assessment requirements.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Facilitate and engage in peer supervision, demonstrating advanced understanding of social work principles, reflective practice, and constructive feedback.
- Critically analyse and integrate reflective practice frameworks to understand the role of theories, knowledge bases, and knowledge sources in social work practice.
- Select and apply appropriate interventions to address clients' and service users' needs and circumstances, while upholding social work values and ethics.
- Communicate effectively, presenting knowledge and ideas in various contexts, and adapt skills to diverse situations.
The learning outcomes in this unit are aligned with the AASW social work graduate attributes outlined in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) 2021.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Presentation | • | • | ||
| 2 - Report | • | • | ||
| 3 - Poster Sessions | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | ||
| 5 - Team Work | • | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • | • | |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |