Unit Outline

This capstone unit provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate the integration of your learning that was applied to design and implement interventions, including research, across your entire social work degree including a specific focus on your final placement. You will reflect on the knowledge, skills and values you integrated to develop and implement these interventions. You will undertake analysis of the outcomes of your practice – relying on evidence you collected during your studies in social work – and you will consider the implications of these findings for contributing to sustainable practice and service and policy improvements. Professional pathways students are challenged to design and exhibit creative strategies to communicate the results of their practices that reflect the integration of their learning. Research pathways students are challenged to tell a compelling narrative of their research in a thesis.

This unit runs as an intensive unit over 6 weeks (from the 9th September until the 18th October 2024).

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Use collaborative, cooperative and culturally accountable approaches to implement innovative and sustainable interventions and strategies to ongoing social, cultural, political, economic and environmental problems.
2	Interpret project and research findings and consider their implications for sustainable practice, service and policy improvements.
3	Design the presentation of social work project and research outcomes in a succinct manner, including using creative and culturally relevant strategies such as displaying project artefacts, posters, sketches, story-telling, physical objects, film and digital media.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	HGW423, HGW424, HGW431
Concurrent Pre-requisite	HGW433 or HGW425

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This unit is subject to regular evaluation through the UTAS online student feedback system, eVALUate.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Thesis (Research Pathway) (100% of total mark)	Week 7	0 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Written Critical Reflection (Professional Pathway)	Week 7	20 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Recorded Creative presentation – (Professional Pathway)	Week 7	80 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:	Oral Presentation of Thesis Plan and Research Findings (Research Pathway)	Refer to Assessment Description	0 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 5:	Oral Presentation of Progress towards Assessment 2 (Professional Pathway)	Refer to Assessment Description	0 %	LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Thesis (Research Pathway) (100% of total mark)

Task Description:

This can be presented as either a traditional or hybrid (including 6,000-word journal article within body of thesis) thesis. This can be presented as either a traditional or hybrid (including 6,000-word journal article within body of thesis) thesis.

Task Length:

10,000 words

Due Date:

Week 7 (25/Oct/2024)

Weight:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Criterion 1 Identify an original research problem/research question and take a social work perspective to examine it.	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Provide a rationale for the research project and critically examine relevant literature.	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Justify the methodology and methods used and critically discuss their strengths and limitations.	LO1, LO2, LO3
4	Present results/findings, drawing clearly upon the data you have presented.	LO1, LO2, LO3
5	Discuss the implications of the research and provide relevant conclusions.	LO1, LO2, LO3
6	Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards.	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Written Critical Reflection (Professional Pathway)

Task Description:

In this reflection you will consider the process you undertook to collect and curate/organise all the evidence you presented and make the item you exhibited for your recorded presentation of our social work practice. Detailed information about this assessment task will be provided on MyLO.

Task Length:

1,500 words

Due Date:

Week 7 (25/Oct/2024)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and critically reflect on the process you followed to collect, curate/organise your practice evidence and create your item for exhibition	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Demonstrate the qualities of a critically reflective social worker by examining and discussing: a) The self-knowledge that guided you in the process of collecting evidence of your practice. b) The decisions you made about your evidence to help you	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Communicate your ideas in writing with clarity, reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards	LO1, LO2

Assessment Task 3: Recorded Creative presentation – (Professional Pathway)

Task Description:

Your social work practice evidence and professional story. This assessment task is the story you create and present of your professional social work identity. It will include the knowledge, skills and values you learnt during your social work studies and how these informed the interventions you developed and implemented during your social work studies with a particular focus on your last placement. Detailed information about this assessment task will be provided on MyLO.

Task Length:

10 minutes oral recorded presentation

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

80 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Curate/organise, critically examine and analyse the evidence you have collected to explain why this evidence, together with the item you are exhibiting, articulate the knowledge, skills and values you learned during your social work studies.	LO1, LO2, LO3
2	Identify and explain the outcomes of the various interventions you have conducted throughout your social work degree and critique how these outcomes have become your contributions to sustainable practice and policy improvements.	LO1, LO2, LO3
3	Identify and discuss in your recorded presentation the future goals you have for your social work practice.	LO1, LO2, LO3
4	Evaluate: a) The self-knowledge that guided evidence collection. b) The decisions you made to help articulate and present your approach to innovative, sustainable, and decolonising practice. c) The future learning goals you have for your career.	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 4: Oral Presentation of Thesis Plan and Research Findings (Research Pathway)

Task Description:

This un-graded hurdle task will occur at a scheduled session during the week of the 9th September (Week 1).

Task Length:

10 minutes presentation plus 10 minutes facilitated discussion

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description (25/Oct/2024)

Weight:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Clearly developed and articulated: • A Thesis Plan • An achievable timeline for submission of your thesis	LO2, LO3
2	Present results/findings, discuss and analyse data drawing clearly upon the findings presented.	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 5: Oral Presentation of Progress towards Assessment 2 (Professional Pathway)

Task Description:

This un-graded hurdle task will occur across both of the face-to-face workshops. Detailed information about this assessment task will be provided on MyLO.

Task Length:

10 minutes presentation

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

0 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and critically evaluate the evidence you are collecting and demonstrate how this evidence represents the knowledge, skills and values you have learnt and integrated throughout your entire social work degree.	LO2, LO3
2	Critically evaluate and discuss how the evidence you have collected demonstrates your future contributions to sustainable practice and policy improvements once you graduate.	LO2, LO3
3	Demonstrate the qualities of a beginning social worker by: a) facilitating a discussion of your progress with respect, integrity and courtesy; and, b) discussing the ideas you have for a creative presentation of your practice.	LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.