module specification

This module introduces ideas concerning leadership through personal development 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. Through working with others in a small group, students are encouraged to reflect on ways of supporting others in making developmental decisions and choices. Specific attention is given to 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 community development work can promote individual learning and the implications for practitioners within a range of work situations.

1. To develop learners /students ability to use reflective techniques in relation to working with individuals and groups in the community.
2. To develop the 'community' of students through working (as groups) to explore specific environments through a community development lens.
3. To develop skills in finding and presenting information to a group
4. To explore the inter-relationships between public , voluntary and community sector organisations
5. To enable learners to locate key sources for studying public service delivery and the opportunities for individuals and groups to influence decision making.
6. To enable learners to appreciate the diversity and changing nature of voluntary and community sector organisations

1. Reflective learning, self awareness and personal exploration
2. Collaborative learning and learning networks
3. Goal setting and self managed learning
4. Career patterns and career development planning processes;
5. Presentation and group process skills
6. Group support
7. Communities and Individuals
8. Differences and Partnerships
9. Directions in the Voluntary and Community Sectors
10. Education (formal and informal) and VCS
11. Finding out about services in your community (eg Health, Leisure etc)
12. Information sharing

The staff/student contact hours will be delivered around a three hour weekly session. This will include a variety of delivery styles based around small group and individual activities. The programme will also include speakers from public, private and voluntary sector organisations and visits to such organisations. Directed learning will be provided weekly as preparation for activities undertaken in class / or as preparation for the visits.  Peer supported learning activities will be encouraged throughout. Directed learning will be provided weekly as preparation for activities undertaken in class – full use to be made of the University facilities such as Weblearn in doing this.

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
1. Apply reflective learning to their work
2. Construct personal development targets and action plans to enable progress review.
3. Support others in making decisions and choices. This will be assessed through the group presentation and the final written assignment.
4. Identify how a particular community based initiative incorporates the values promoted by the England Standards Board.
5. Identify a specific social issue and a range of ways this is being / could be addressed
6. Collect and present findings both orally and in writing
7. Outline the relationship between key approaches to public service provision by VCSOs
8. Locate key sources for studying the provision of public services and services provided in the voluntary and community sector

Reflection and group work and group presentations are vital aspects of assessment for this module.

They need to develop their presentation skills which will be expected from community development workers.

The group work on a campaign will provide the opportunity for the student group to familiarise themselves with each other and learn to work on a campaign work together for some time.

There are two written assessments and one group presentation

1. A reflective account based on self-assessment exercises which will be submitted in week 7 1000 words (LO1 and LO2)
2. A reflective account on the campaign work and a critical reflection on individual responsibilities regarding campaign work and this will be submitted on week 29  (2000 words (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, and LO7)
3. The group presentation will be delivered on week 23. 15 minutes (LO3, LO4, LO5, LO6, and LO7)
The reflective learning report encourages students to draw on their own experience and to frame this within a community development context. The final assignment asks students to reflect on their campaign which was based on a specific social issue which they raised in their presentations and to discuss these issues in terms of community development support and choice making and with reference to relevant sources and the environment in which community development takes place.

1. Alcock, P. (2008). Social policy in Britain. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
2. Bradley, H., M. Erickson, et al. (2000). Myths at work. Cambridge, Polity Press.
3. Cottrell, S. (2010). Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
4. Craig, G., K. Popple, et al. (2008). Community development in theory and practice : an international reader Nottingham, Spokesman.
5. Gilchrist, A. (2003). "Community development in the UK – possibilities and paradoxes." Community Development Journal38(1).
6. Jaques, D. and  Salmon, G. (2007) Learning in groups : a handbook for face-to-face and online environments, London : Routledge.
7. Scales, P. (2008). Teaching in the lifelong learning sector. Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill, Open University Press.
8. Spicker, P. (2006). Policy analysis for practice : applying social policy Bristol, Policy.
9. Stoll, L. and K. Seashore Louis, Eds. (2007). Professional Learning Communities: Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. Maidenhead, Open University Press/McGraw-Hill.
10. Westergaard, J. (2009). Effective group work with young people. Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill Open University Press.
11. 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
12. Woodward, K., Ed. (2004). Questioning identity : gender, class, ethnicity London, Routledge
Federation for Community Development Learninghttp://www.fcdl.org/home
National Council for Voluntary Organisations http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation  http://www.jrf.org.uk/