Year one
Understanding Community Development: History, Context and Philosophy
Year: 1
This module examines the historical context which has given rise to the current field of community development practice across Ireland and the UK, in framing the context in which community development is practised, the module will also draw upon international models and key thinkers who have influenced how community development is practised today.
Community and informal education
Year: 1
This module enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of community and informal education and the roles they play in community development. The module encourages students to reflect upon the learning they have gained in a variety of ways and situations throughout their lives, applying theoretical models and approaches to these. In addition, it enables students to gain an enhanced understanding of how people learn and the barriers to learning. The skills developed will enable them to facilitate an informal education session.
Applied Socio-Political Perspectives
Year: 1
The module explores how the approaches of political theory, sociology and social policy can produce practitioners who are better informed about soci-political processes and their impact on young people and communities.
Year two
Assessed Practice 1: Developing Reflective Practice
Year: 2
This module aims to introduce students to national occupational standards in community development, to give students the opportunity to reflect on issues of professionalism and to pinpoint areas for professional development. It enables students to gain skills in critical reflection necessary and to practice these skills in order to develop reflective practice.
Transitioning Justice: A Grassroots Toolkit
Year: 2
This module uses the Transitional Justice Grassroots Toolkit (Rooney, 2012a) and User's Guide (Rooney, 2014) to enable students to engage in a justice conversation about grassroots knowledge and global experience. The module uses a flexible 5 Pillar framework to examine local and international post-conflict processes of: institutional reform; truth; reparation; reconciliation; prosecution and amnesty. Students assess what has worked well so far, what remains to be done and consider implications for community praxis.
Power; Inequality and anti-discriminatory practice
Year: 2
This module will give students the opportunity to critically explore what constitutes a just society where goals and outcomes reflect norms of fairness. Students will rigorously critique the patterns of gender and racial inequality along with other marginalised groups, come to recognise the values that underpin diversity. Students will gain knowledge and sound understanding about the rights of social integration and identity.
Year three
Assessed Practice 2 (Ex-Agency)
Year: 3
This module will give students the opportunity to explore how they can critically reflect on and develop their professional understanding through critical thinking and engagement within a community development practice situation that has a different focus than their working environment. This module will allow students the opportunity to investigate emerging and contemporary practices that requires synthesis of main and secondary sources that inform their practice. There will also be an emphasis on students being independent and self-directed learners.
The Northern Ireland Context - Transforming Communities
Year: 3
This module will equip students with the necessary skills to work within contested spaces using community development approaches. Students will gain a sound understanding of the historic and current political processes and begin to develop models of practice. The module focuses on the Northern Ireland perspective using a social policy lens. Students are also encouraged to compare and contrast these approaches from a global perspective.
Community Education: Just Practice
Year: 3
This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of the theories, principles and practice of community education, enabling them to develop and enhance skills in facilitating community learning.
Year four
Managing Community Projects
Year: 4
This module seeks to equip participants with the necessary skills to carry out the demanding multivariate managerial tasks confidently and effectively. Students will gain an understanding of organisational context design and structure. The module will introduce students to to the facets of about organisational behaviour and they will learn how to manage effective communication systems.
Study Of Applied Practice (SOAP)
Year: 4
This module relates to the independent study or evaluation of practice within community and/or youth work practice. This module introduces students to the range of skills and methods employed in community and youth work based research. Students systematically investigate and critically reflect on key aspects of practice thus developing critical discourse and analysis within a professional frame of reference. The final written piece of 6,000 to 7,000 words will reflect the student's autonomous learning and development, knowledge and conceptual understanding of current community or youth work practice.
Ex-Agency Placement
Year: 4
This module is optional
This module will give students the opportunity to explore how they can critically reflect on and develop their professional understanding through critical thinking and engagement within a community development practice situation that has a different focus than their working environment. This module will allow students the opportunity to investigate emerging and contemporary practices that requires synthesis of main and secondary sources that inform their practice. There will also be an emphasis on students being independent and self-directed learners.
Assessed Practice 3: In-Situ Placement
Year: 4
This module is optional
This module aims to equip students equip students with the necessary skills to design and implement a training programme/s or project event/s. Students will be introduced to the skills and techniques of leading projects and tutor training. The module provides students with the support mechanisms to implement and review their ideas and critically reflect on these within a practice placement environment. A unique feature within this module is the use of peer reviewers of placement practice to support students with their self-reflection. Students will gain knowledge of learning maps that demonstrate the links between National Occupational standards and practice.
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