module specification

This module introduces ideas concerning self-leadership through personal development planning (PDP) activities and peer supported learning. Students work on personal target setting, self-review and reflection to examine issues of concern to themselves and to various communities.
Self-leadership as a basic and pivotal component of leadership is introduced and various aspects of it are explored throughout the year. Specific attention is given to authentic leadership and equality, diversity and the development of inter-personal skills that support the learning process in group contexts. This includes opportunity for students to reflect upon the ways in which adults develop and work together for common aims. Students are encouraged to identify ways in which self-leadership strengthens community work and can promote individual learning and reflection.

Aims of the module: what key skills and knowledge will it enable students to develop?

1. To develop learners’ ability to engage in self-assessment exercises, Personal development planning and reflective techniques in relation to working with individuals and groups in the community;
2. To enable the learners to explore the links between self-leadership, leadership and community work;
3. To support the students to develop a community initiative;
4. To develop skills in finding and presenting information;
5. To explore the inter-relationships between public , voluntary and community sector organisations;
6. To enable learners to locate key sources for studying public service delivery and the opportunities for individuals and groups to influence decision making;
7. To enable learners to appreciate the diversity and changing nature of voluntary and community sector organisations;
8. To promote the use of Community Development National Occupational Standards (CD NOS) in their work and study.

1. Introducing basic leadership and self-leadership concepts LO1
2. Learning styles LO6
3. Reflective learning, self-awareness and personal exploration and reflective writing LO6
4. Examining community development national occupational standards LO4
5. Exploring equality and diversity perspectives and anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices in community work LO7
6. Team working and group process skills LO2
7. Finding out about services in community LO3
8. Developing a community initiative LO5
9. Goal setting and self-managed learning LO2
10. Conflict management LO1
11. Self-leadership and community development LO1 

The module teaching and learning is based on weekly 3 hour lectures and interactive seminars and workshop sessions supplemented by on-line activity. This will include a variety of delivery styles based around small group and individual activities.

Theoretical input will be through lectures followed up in seminars. There is a significant emphasis on PDP on this module and various self-assessment exercises revolve around PDP issues and students have the opportunity to reflect on their PDP.

The face-to-face teaching pattern comprises a one hour lecture/presentation and a two hour workshop weekly. In addition students will be expected to undertake regular private study, including weekly practical tasks related to the workshops, to a total of 210 hours per year.

On-line activity will include access to module materials and multi-media with links to ethnographic, community based and other research resources, e.g. online reading and research and analysis activities in preparation for class discussions.

Students will benefit from a blended learning approach through the use of Weblearn for online and ongoing access to lecture notes, additional materials including articles and research reports, links to E-books.

There will be opportunities for students to engage on informal peer review and evaluation to enhance their work. Ongoing reflection on student learning will be part of the teaching and learning strategy for the module.

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
1. Form a basic understanding of leadership and a sound understanding of self-leadership
2. Construct personal development targets and action plans to enable progress review;
3. Identify a specific social issue and a range of ways this is being / could be addressed;
4. Identify how a particular community based initiative incorporates CD NOS and the values promoted by the England Standards Board;
5. Collect and present findings both orally and in writing using IT;
6. Apply reflective learning to their work;
7. Identify examples of oppressive practice in working with people and communities and apply anti-oppressive principles and practice in community work and in learning environments.

This module is chosen to be the first year PISO module for Leadership and Community Development course where there will be a formative assessment on week 3.

The first summative assessment is a podcast for 15 minutes, which will be submitted on week 14. It is based on an independent piece of research on how to set up a community initiative to tackle a local issue in the community.

The final assignment provides an opportunity for the student to review their development across a range of learning activities to date and to realise their specific area of interest within the field of community development. It will be a reflective account on learning from various aspects of the module and students’ reflective journey through this learning. The final assignment will be 2400 words.

Core Texts:

• Cottrell, S. (2010) ‘Skills for Success’, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan
• Gilchrist, A., & Taylor, M. (2016). The short guide to community development. Bristol: Policy Press.
• Heron, J (1999). The complete facilitator’s handbook. London: Kogan Page.
• Honey, P. & Mumford, A. (1982) Manual of Learning Styles London: P Honey
• Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1986b) Learning Styles Questionnaire, Peter Honey Publications Ltd.
• Jaques, D. and  Salmon, G. (2007) Learning in groups : a handbook for face-to-face and online environments, London : Routledge.
• Mayo, M.; Mendiwelso-Bendek, Z.; Packham, C. (2013). Community Research for Community Development. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Neck, C. C. (2007) Mastering self-leadership: empowering yourself for personal excellence. 4th ed., New Jersey:Pearson/Prentice Hall
• Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (5th ed) London: Sage Publications.
• Schutz, W. C. (1958). Firo. A Three-Dimensional Theory of Interpersonal Behavior by William C. Schutz." International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 10(3).
• Tuckman, B (1965). Developing sequence in small groups. Psychological bulletin, 63, 384-399.
• Walumbwa, Fred; Avolio, Bruce; Gardner, William; Wernsing, Tara; and Peterson, Suzanne (2008),Authentic Leadership: Development and Validation of a Theory-Based Measure Journal of Management 34:1, p89-126
• Zehndorfer, E. (2014) Leadership: A critical Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge.

Additional texts:

• Craig, G., K. Popple, et al. (2008). Community development in theory and practice : an international reader Nottingham, Spokesman.
• Gilchrist, A. (2003). "Community development in the UK – possibilities and paradoxes." Community Development Journal. 38(1).
• Johnson, D & Johnson, F (2006). Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills. 9th ed. chapters 11 & 12. New Jersery: Prentice-Hall.
• Phillips, R., & Pittman, R. H. (2015). An introduction to community development. Abingdon: Routledge.
• Woodward, K., Ed. (2004). Questioning identity : gender, class, ethnicity London, Routledge.

Journals:
Community Development Journal
British Journal of Sociology
People Management

Websites:
Federation for Community Development Learning http://www.fcdl.org/home
National Council for Voluntary Organisations http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/

Electronic Databases: Academic search Complete, Sage journals Online, Cambridge Journals Digital Archive, Oxford Journals Archive, Taylor & Francis Online Journals, Social Sciences Citation Index, Wiley Online Library.