Unit Outline
HGW631
Trauma and Justice
Semester 1, 2024
Justin Canty
School of Social Sciences
College of Arts, Law and Education
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Justin Canty
Email: Justin.canty@utas.edu.au
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
 

This unit examines the intersection between trauma and justice and is informed by a commitment to social justice, decolonising, and an ethic of care. At a macro level, you will learn how social workers can promote policy, legislation and practice that aim to acknowledge, address and prevent trauma by challenging social structures and advocating for vulnerable groups. At a micro level, you will learn skills for recognising and responding to trauma according to the needs of specific groups of people, integrating First Nations knowledges and intersectionality into a socially just approach. Group work is used in this unit to explore issues that commonly result in, or stem from experiences of trauma, including violence, discrimination, disaster, colonisation, and war. You will develop skills for working with groups both as facilitators and participants.
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 creative and effective communication strategies to engage people in knowledge generation and knowledge exchange activities to advance social justice and human rights.
2.
Judge the transformative potential of care ethics to promote equality and justice in social work services and social policy.
3.
Adapt communication strategies to enhance collaboration and cultural relevance.
4.
Create and evaluate culturally relevant interventions using communication strategies that maximise client engagement, input and involvement.
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
HGW503, HGW512, HGW513, HGW516, HGW527
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Blended Learning
Online learning activities, including lecture and other self-directed exercises
1
Weekly
Tutorial
Tutorial/workshops
2
Weekly
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
 
 
 

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:
Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma, 1000 words
Week 3
20 %
LO2
Assessment Task 2:
Written group work proposal 1500 words
Week 5
30 %
LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:
Co-facilitation of 45-minute group and written assignment 1500 words
Week 11
50 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
 
Assessment details
    
Assessment Task 1: Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma, 1000 words
Task Description:
Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma, 1000 words

Task Length:
1000 words
Due Date:
Week 3 (13/Mar/2024)
Weight:
20 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify your values and beliefs about responding to people who have experienced trauma.
LO2
2
Critically examine your values and beliefs within the context of social work values and a political ethics of care.
LO2
3
Use of evidence, including reflection on your values and beliefs and literature to support and justify your arguments.
LO2
4
Self-evaluation is written clearly and concisely. Responses structured in a logical and articulate manner.
LO2
 
Assessment Task 2: Written group work proposal 1500 words
Task Description:
Written group work proposal 1500 words

Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 5 (27/Mar/2024)
Weight:
30 %
 
 

CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
X
LO4
2
Your group content goals clearly explain the learning goals for your group and supports development of participants’ knowledge and skills related to the group aim and rationale.
LO4
3
Your group process goals clearly explain how you want group participants to learn that are culturally relevant and enhance collaboration.
LO3
4
The group structure is clear and logical, and activities support participants’ achievement of the learning goals. The timing estimates for activities are feasible to allow the group to be completed in 45 minutes.
LO3
5
Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards (i.e. reference your work accordingly, pay attention to your grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax; use headings where relevant).
LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Co-facilitation of 45-minute group and written assignment 1500 words
Task Description:
Co-facilitation of 45 minute group and written assignment 1500 words

The group co-facilitation is an in-class direct observation during Weeks 7-10 of semester. Written reflection is due one week after your co-facilitation. Due date listed is for Week 10 groups.
Task Length:
1500 words
Due Date:
Week 11 (17/May/2024)
Weight:
50 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Your group uses effective and creative learning activities to engage participants in developing skills for responding with care and justice to the topic focus for your group.
LO1
2
Your group content demonstrates knowledge of the course content by integrating concepts and skills into the group content and activities.
LO2
3
You demonstrate skills as a group co-facilitator that use and adapt culturally relevant communication strategies to enhance collaboration, maximise participants’ engagement, input, and involvement.
LO3
4
You critically evaluate your co-facilitation of the group and your individual contributions. You use evidence from your practice in the group and the literature to support your self-evaluation.
LO1, LO3, LO4
5
You critically evaluate your collaboration and contributions to the small group process of designing the group. You use evidence from your practice in the group and the literature to support your self-evaluation.
LO1, LO3, LO4
6
Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards (i.e. reference your work accordingly, pay attention to your grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax; use headings where relevant).
LO1, LO3, LO4
 
 
 

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.
 
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.