MALK4000-402 Relational Skills Course description

The objective of the course is to develop a critical and analytical way of thinking about the child welfare service’s activities, and to seek a deeper understanding of the basis and context of one’s own professional practice, role and function. The course is based on the students’ experience of child welfare work, and the students work methodically on critical reflection and analyse concrete experiences from their practical training in seminar groups.

The practical training comprises four weeks of work in the child welfare field, and can be carried out at the student’s own place of work or other practical training establishment. Cooperation agreements must be signed with the practical training establishments to regulate responsibilities and roles and, where relevant, development and innovation collaboration.

The language of instruction is Norwegian.

Coursework requirements from MALK4000-401 must be approved to participate and submit coursework requirements in MALK4000-402

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

Knowledge

The student

• can describe and discuss useful units of analysis in social interaction in working life and daily life
• can describe how to factor in the difference between intended and actual results, and discuss confirmation bias and selective perception; fuzzy causality, and problems with self-assessment
• can describe and discuss the relational perspective on behavior
• can describe and discuss the concept of causal attribution
• can describe and discuss the topics of causal attribution, Future Time Perspective, Perceived Self-Efficacy, rule governed behavior, self-direction, influence and persuasion, and The Dunning-Kruger effect

Skills

The student

• can analyze important variables that influence individual behavior, including self- talk and self-rules

Competence

The student

• can observe and adapt to how their own behavior affects the behavior of others

Teaching takes place in parallel with the practical training and varies between lectures and seminar work at OsloMet.

In the seminars, students will use a model for critical reflection as a basis for systematic work with their experiences from their practical training. Critical reflection should contribute to a deeper understanding of the foundation and context of child welfare work and promote understanding of how given norms and values, as well as cultural, structural and organisational framework conditions, guide and influence practice. Critical reflection will also help students to increase their awareness of the importance of their own norms and values and their role as professionals in a cultural, political and institutional context.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• 4 individual written assignments, each with maximum 6000 keystrokes.

The exam in the course is an individual written practical training assignment with a scope of 10 pages (+/- 10 %). Font and font size: Calibri 12-point. Line spacing: 1.5.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

At least 25% of the exam papers will be assessed by two examiners. The grades awarded for the papers assessed by two examiners form the basis for determining the level for all the exam papers.