Class Descriptions

Macro Practice Skills Laboratory

SW512

Course Description

This laboratory course will focus on developing practical skills for community organization, management, and policy/evaluation, including tools and techniques for successful work in the field. This course provides opportunities for hands-on experience and training using tangible tools that are critical for success in macro practice. Special emphasis will be placed on approaches that strengthen socially just and culturally sensitive practice.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will:
1. Understand the importance of macro practice skills for effective macro practice
2. Develop knowledge of practical skills for community organization, management, and policy/evaluation.
3. Critically analyze best practices and research findings in these respective fields.
4. Gain competence in the appropriate adaptation of these practical skills for particular target communities or populations.
5. Understand approaches that strengthen socially justice and culturally sensitive practice.
6. Employ practice skills to support effective community and organizational interventions.
7. Understand the applicability of these methods for the development, implementation and evaluation of social programs and policies.
8. Examine questions of social work ethics and core values.

Design

This course will include use multiple methods including but not limited to lectures, role plays, demonstrations, readings, discussions, written assignments, individual and group exercises. The primary pedagogy will be experiential, involving problem solving, project planning, and hands-on applications of real-world situations arising in the field. A list of illustrative assignments will be prepared and provided to instructors and prospective instructors of the course. The course will be assigned using letter grades.