COSC 512 Structured Groups

This course focuses on group work in a school setting. A variety of small groups are explored as well as the counseling techniques that fit best in the school environment. Standards blending is a key element of focus as it relates to group design and development. This is a competency-based course with an experiential emphasis where students are required to demonstrate their small group counseling skills that align with a variety of theoretical approaches.

Persons involved in both professional counseling and helping ministries find that group work can be an important strategy for conducting their daily work. Therefore, knowledge of group theory and the development of group leadership skills are essential to their becoming more effective practitioners in either setting.

Method of Instruction: This semester-long course is delivered using a digital synchronous format. Students attend 2 hours of digital synchronous video-based instruction each week. In addition to the once a week digital synchronous class time, students are expected to complete additional practice of skills online throughout the semester, at least one hour per week.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Advising Acknowledgement Quiz

No details available.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences in which both the student and the instructor interact to bring more content and learning to the experience. Therefore, the student will create a Discussion Thread in response to the provided prompt for the assigned Module. The student will post an initial thread of 200-250 words, and post a reply to 1 classmate in 100-150 words based on the provided reply prompt. The thread and reply must incorporate a minimum of 2 scholarly sources each. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

Students will work in a small group to develop one group session that presents a psychoeducational topic. (CLO: A, C, D)

Allender Journal Assignments (10)

Students will complete the assigned reading and journal questions as per the course schedule. Journals are due before the scheduled class time each respective week. Because these journals are the basis of class, no exceptions will be made for late submissions. (CLO: E, F)

Benchmark Critical Incident Paper Assignment

The student will choose 1 of the 2 ethical scenarios provided in the Benchmark Critical Incident Paper Assignment Instructions, and apply the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics to the scenario. The student’s response must be 300 words total. (CLO: G)

Quiz: Emergency Contact Information

In order to participate in the experiential portion of this class, students must complete the Quiz: Emergency Contact Information, located in the assigned module. (CLO: E)

Quiz: Group Disclosure and Consent

In order to participate in the experiential portion of this class, students must upload the Group Disclosure and Consent Form in the Quiz: Group Disclosure and Consent, located in the assigned module. (CLO: E)

Quizzes (18)

Each quiz covers one chapter of the Gladding text and consists of 10 multiple-choice questions. Each quiz will have a time limit of 20 minutes and will be open book and notes. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G)

Quiz: Group Leader Feedback

During the class, the student will participate in the role of the process observer. This role requires the student to observe and provide verbal and written feedback to the group leader. The student will need to print 12 physical copies of the Group Leader Feedback Form. Each group leader will take a picture of their completed forms and upload it into the Quiz: Group Leader Feedback. (CLO: A, B, E)

Quiz: Dispositions Reflection

This Dispositions Reflection quiz will ask you to rate yourself on the nine dispositions required for this program by our accrediting bodies using a scale. There are no “correct” answers for the rating questions quiz, simply answer them honestly and you will receive full credit.

Quiz: Benchmark Attendance and Participation

In order to pass this class, students must attend weekly classes online. Each week, students will be graded on attendance/punctuality, preparation, and participation. Points are lost for being late, being unprepared, and not participating.

Students must participate in direct experience of group, both as a group member and leader for a minimum of 10 clock hours. If a student misses 2 or more weekly class sessions (10 or more minutes late to class constitutes an absence) or fails to meet the minimum 10 clock hours of group experience, the student may be awarded a grade of “F”.

Students will participate in a small (personal growth) group as a group member, group leader, and process observer. Each class, students will be assigned to the role of a group member, a co-leader, and a process observer. Students will be instructed on the expectations of each of those roles. Participation is graded for these activities. Simply sitting without contributing in any of these roles is not enough to pass the course. Students will provide a self-evaluation on the Quiz: Benchmark Attendance and Participation Grading Rubric based on their participation during class. Professors will determine the students’ final grade for attendance and participation, but will take the students’ self-evaluations into account. (CLO: E)