VERPRA20 Practical Studies in Social Education Course description

In this course, students will integrate knowledge from previous courses and apply the social educator work model in practice. The students are to familiarise themselves with the framework for service provision and ensure user participation/provide decision-making support. Students gain experience of the importance of multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation in relation to complex issues. The main focus is on participant observation, assessment and testing to identify the need to facilitate change. The students are expected to actively participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of training, health and care work. The target group is disabled persons and/or complex assistance needs.

VERPRA20 includes ten weeks of user-oriented supervised practical training in authentic work situations. Two weeks of seminars - one before and one after the period of practical training - come in addition to this. The week before the practical training period is spent preparing. Preparations focus on the role of students in practical training, supervision and synthesising knowledge from different courses taken so far in the programme. The week after the practical training period is spent reflecting on experience gained from the training.

Approved required coursework in the second-year course VERB2300, and all other second-year courses must be passed.

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the practice placement’s professional basis and how it describes the purpose of its activities
• can describe the practice placement's quality, notification and non-conformity systems
• can explain legislation and regulations that apply to the practice placement
• can explain case processing procedures at the practice placement
• can explain how the practice placement cooperates with other relevant services/arenas
• can explain the practice placement’s reporting and patient record system
• can explain different specialist administrative systems
• can explain the content and structure of different types of reports used at the practice placement
• can describe how the practice placement uses welfare technology
• can explain his/her own professional role and how multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation can be promoted
• can describe factors that can promote cooperation, trigger conflicts and resolve conflicts

Skills

The student

• can identify ethical dilemmas and conflicts of values in service provision
• can protect privacy in connection with data processing and storage
• can ensure user participation and apply professional knowledge in decision-making support
• can apply relevant observation, methods for assessing and testing in cooperation with service recipients to identify goals, needs and interests, and evaluate training and care measures
• can prepare descriptions of measures in cooperation with service recipients and others at the practice placement
• can apply up-to-date and evidence-based methods in training and care measures to promote independence in the service recipient in cooperation with other staff/professions
• can assess the risk of undesirable incidents and, in cooperation with staff at the practice placement, assess and, if relevant, implement measures to prevent such incidents
• can apply relevant forms of communication to communicate and document specialist knowledge adapted to the purpose and target group
• can demonstrate skills that promote cooperation with service recipients, colleagues and other involved parties

General competence

The student

• can demonstrate professional skills in accordance with the applicable suitability criteria
• can compare relevant academic and ethical issues related to social education practice and identify, reflect on and deal with such issues in their practice through professional judgement
• can reflect on his/her own professional practice and adjust it under supervision

The teaching and learning methods include external practical training, lectures, group work, individual supervision and self-study. The supervised practical training requires active participation in work at the practice placement.

The following applies to all practical training courses in the proramme:

The programme comprises a total of 30 weeks supervised practical training divided between three practical training courses. All the practical training shall be supervised and user-oriented in authentic work situations. The practical training is compulsory. Compulsory attendance makes up an average of 30 hours a week. Students must expect to engage in independent activity in addition to the time they spend at the practice placement. The ordinary workload for practical training courses is about 40 hours per week. The student and the practical training supervisor must agree on the days and times when the student will take the practical training. This agreement helps to ensure that the student achieves the best possible learning outcome. The university facilitates practical training at different public and private enterprises at different levels of the public administration.

The supervised practical training is intended to help students to develop their assessment, action and decision-making competence by integrating theoretical and practical knowledge. Practical training will also provide experience in multidisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation. A practical training supervisor is appointed. The practical training supervisor helps to support the student's learning process so that he/she achieves the learning outcomes for the practical training courses.

Skills training in the programme will not be divided by gender. Nor can gender separation be expected during practical training.

Each practical training course has its own learning outcomes, described in the individual course descriptions. The supervised practical training gives students experience of:

• interprofessional and inter-agency cooperation,
• habilitation and rehabilitation,
• health promotion, care and health care,
• adaptation, inclusion and participation for persons with impaired cognitive functioning and complex assistance needs, and
• innovation, documentation and quality assurance.

The supervised practical training is assessed with the grade pass or fail by the practical training supervisor in cooperation with the university lecturer. The student and practical training supervisor hold midway and final assessments in the course. The lecturer participates in the assessment as needed.

In connection with the first two practical training courses, there is one week of preparations beforehand and one week of follow-up work after the practical training period has been completed. Attending these weeks is compulsory, and they are included in the number of credits each practical training course is worth.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can receive a final assessment:

• participation in work at the practice placement, minimum attendance of 90%
• 80% attendance at teaching activities and seminars before and after the period of practical training
• submission of completed and signed practical training documents in accordance with given criteria
• assessment in relation to the suitability criteria cf. the Regulations concerning Suitability Assessment in Higher Education
• 100% attendance in group and individual supervision in connection with the written exam

Combined exam:

Part 1) Assessment of supervised practical training. The minimum attendance requirement for the      practical training period is 90%.

Part 2) Individual written assignment relating to the practical training, up to 4,000 words.

A pass is required in part 1 in order to receive an assessment of part 2.

Resit assessment/exam: If a student fails one part of the exam, he/she must retake the part in question. Students who fail part 1) practical training normally have to retake the whole practical training course. Students who fail part 2) project exam are given two (2) opportunities to submit a reworked version, since this assignment is so closely linked to the practical training.

Students can appeal the grade awarded for part 2 (the project exam).

The following applies to all practical training courses in the proramme:

The supervised practical training is assessed as passed or failed. Three elements must be passed in order for students to pass a period of practical training:

• Compulsory attendance
• Learning outcomes
• Suitability

To pass the supervised practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90% applies to practical training courses. If the maximum limit for absence is exceeded, the student can make up for the practical training/teaching activities missed if practically possible. If it is not possible to compensate for the absence, the whole period of supervised practical training must be retaken. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

All material allowed.

Pass/Fail

Part 1) The lecturer based on the recommendation of the practical training supervisor

Part 2) written home exam: All exams are assessed by an internal and an external examiner. 

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