COURSE OUTLINE. Course Description The course is designed to offer the student:

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1 UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK SESSION: Winter 2009 Edmonton Division) SOWK 391 L93 INQUIRY BASED PRACTICE WITH INDIVIDUALS Instructor: Jill Curd Telephone: (w) Monday, 9 a.m. 12 noon jcurd@shaw.ca COURSE OUTLINE Syllabus Statement Students will be introduced to and asked to practice skills, such as interviewing and crisis intervention. They will study those skills within a context of relevant practice theories and assessment frameworks and critically view them in terms of how application of those skills may differ within varying contexts and with a range of potential clients. They will be introduced to and asked to apply inquiry-based approaches grounded in research methodology to critically evaluate their use of skills and practice theories to improve their practice with individuals. Course Description The course is designed to offer the student: 1. a framework for understanding what a social worker actually does in an interview; 2. an opportunity to learn and practice specific interpersonal communication skills in a variety of simulated interview situations; and 3. a beginning critical awareness of one s own personal style as a social work interviewer. Students will be challenged to develop both a cognitive and a behavioural grasp of basic interpersonal communication skills within the context of social work practice. Through lectures, assigned readings, video resources, and group discussion, students will be introduced to core elements of communication theory and generalist practice. These concepts will serve as the theoretical foundation of the course. Using the feedback mechanisms provided by video and role-play exercises, students will begin to explore and criticize their own individual strengths and weaknesses in a variety of interview situations. Learning Objectives After this course students will have: the ability to demonstrate non-oppressive and empowering communication skills at a satisfactory level in an interview; to identify and describe the major factors that promote and impede appropriate sensitivity to class, power, gender, cultural, and other personal and situation diversity in the context of social work interviewing; to constructively critique the strengths and limitations of self and others in social work interviews; and the ability to apply selected concepts and theories regarding communications, relationships, and interviewing to social work practice at both the micro and macro levels. 1

2 Required Text Ivey, Allen E. & Ivey, M. B. (2003) Intentional interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society (6th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Course Schedule Jan. 12 Jan. 19 Jan. 26 Feb. 2 Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 23 Mar. 2 Mar. 9 Introduction (to instructor, course outline, students, texts, requirements Interviewing (Social Work Interview; Confidentiality) Assigned Reading: Chapter 1 Toward Intentional Interviewing and Counseling Relationship: The foundation for change; Ethics, Values, Self Awareness In-class exercises with classmates requiring both participation and observation Assigned Reading: Ivey, Chapter 2 Ethics, Multicultural Competence and Wellness and Chapter 3 Attending Behavior: Basic to Communication Social Action Day Listening & Attending Skills (Attending Behaviors; Open & Closed Questions) Assigned Reading: Chapter 4 Questions: Opening Communication & Chapter 5 Observation Skills Listening & Attending Skills (Encourage, Paraphrase; Summarization; Reflection of Feeling) In class exercises requiring role-play, observation and feed-back Assigned Reading: Chapter 6 Encouraging, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing: Hearing the Client Accurately, Chapter 7 Observing and Reflecting Feelings: Fundamental to Client Experiencing, and Chapter 8 Integrating Listening Skills Focusing and Influencing Skills (Focus; Confrontation) Assigned Reading: Chapter 9 The Skills of Confrontation: Supporting While Challenging & Chapter 10, Focusing the Interview: Exploring the Story from Multiple Perspectives Family Day Meaning and Influence Assigned Reading: Chapter 11 Eliciting and Reflecting Meaning: Helping Clients Explore Values and Beliefs & Chapter 12 Influencing Skills: Six Strategies for Change Mid-term Examination Conducting a Complete Interview (Skill Integration; Interview Stages; Recording, requiring observation, participation and in class exercises) Dividing in groups of 3 members and role-playing interviews using video-tape with instructor and classmate feedback Assigned Reading: Chapter 13 Skill Integration: Putting It All Together. 2

3 Mar. 16 Mar. 23 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 Apr. 13 Apr. 20 Conducting a Complete Interview Dividing in groups of 3 members and role-playing interviews using video-tape with instructor and classmate feedback Feedback on video interviewing tapes Feedback on video interviewing tapes Cultural Competence Personal Style and Alternatives Review (Summary; Loose Ends; The Larger Picture) Assigned Reading: Chapter 14 Integrating Microskills with Theory: Sequencing Skills and Interview Stages and Chapter 15 Determining Personal Style and Future Theoretical/Practical Integration. Final take home assignment All students must attend this class to partake in final exam process. Final Assignment due. Grading and Evaluation 1. Assignment Due Date: March 23, 2009 Value: 33-1/3% Format: Paper maximum 3000 words Using Ivey as your basic research, watch a Charlie Rose interview on PBS, then conduct a minute taped interview with someone about their occupation and write a critical comparative paper about the interviewing process in your interview as opposed to Rose s. Students will be graded on their ability to critically evaluate their own an s work. 2. Mid-term examination (written in class based primarily on readings from the text) Date: March 2, 2009 (2 hours) Value: 33-1/3% 3. Final take-home assignment Due Date: April 20, 2009 Value: 33-1/3% You will be required to conduct a social work interview with a fellow student based on a 3

4 randomly selected scenario by the instructor. You will tape record the session and provide the instructor with the audio tape, a written transcript of the interview and a critical analysis of the interview process. You will also be expected to participate as the client for your peers. All students must attend the final class to participate in the examination process. Students must notify the instructor if unable to attend the final class. Students will be graded on their ability to critically evaluate their work showing a synthesis and integration of technique with experience. Late papers will not be accepted. Course Evaluation Student feedback will be sought at the end of the term through the standard university and Faculty of Social Work course evaluation forms and at least once during the term through a formative evaluation completed in class. "If a student is interested in undertaking an assignment that will involve collecting information from members of the public, he or she should speak with the course instructor and consult the CFREB ethics website ( before beginning the assignment." WRITING EXPECTATIONS It is expected that all work submitted in assignments should be the student s own work, written expressly by the student for this particular course. Students are referred to the section on plagiarism in the University Calendar ( and are reminded that plagiarism is an extremely serious academic offence. 4

5 University of Calgary GRADING SYSTEM U of C Calendar The University of Calgary Undergraduate Grading System and the standard Faculty of Social Work percentage conversion will be used. Grade Grade Point Description Percentage Range A+ 4.0 Outstanding A 4.0 Excellent superior performance, showing comprehensive understanding of subject matter A B B 3.0 Good clearly above average performance with knowledge of subject matter generally complete B C C 2.0 Satisfactory basic understanding of subject matter C D D 1.0 Minimal Pass marginal performance F 0.0 Fail unsatisfactory performance or failure to meet Below 50 course requirements *As approved fall, The official grading system must be used to report final grades to the Registrar but need not be used for individual assignments, quizzes, etc. An instructor electing not to use the official system for a particular component(s) of a course must provide the class, in the same format as was used for the course outline, with an interpretation of the system being used. A cumulative GPA of 2.30 or above is required on all courses taken towards the BSW degree. Students are allowed a maximum of two D or two D+ grades in the equivalent of two half courses throughout their program. Withdrawal from Winter Session 2009 courses The last day to withdraw from a Winter Session 2009 course with a fee refund is January 23, Students may withdraw with permission but no fee refund until April 17, Examinations Exams are the property of the instructor and the University of Calgary and may not be reproduced in any fashion without express written consent. Academic Accommodation It is a student's responsibility to request academic accommodation. Edmonton students requesting or requiring accommodation receive services through the Specialized Support and 5

6 Disability Services (SSDS) at the University of Alberta. If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation and have not registered with the SSDS, please contact their office at The SSDS offices are located at 2, 800 Students Union Building on the main campus. Their weblink is Please notify your instructor no later than 14 days after the commencement of this course, if you are seeking academic accommodation or have any questions about accessing services. Bibliography The following references cover interpersonal communication in general and interviewing in particular. These sources have been used for the preparation of lecture/lab material for SOWK 391, and offer useful material to supplement the required readings from the text. Adler, R., & Towne, N. (1987). Looking Out - Looking In (5th ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Adler, R., Rosenfeld, L.B., & Towne, N. (1986). Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication (3rd. ed.) New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Asante, M.K., Newmark, E., & Blake, C.A. (1979). Handbook of Intercultural Communication Beverly Hills: Sage. Benjamin, A. (1987). The Helping Interview With Case Illustrations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Bittner, J. R. Fundamentals of Communication (2nd ed.) (1987). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Brammer, L. M. (1988) The Helping Relationship: Process and Skills (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Brooks, W., & Emmert, P. (1980). lnterpersonal Communication (2nd ed.). Dubuque: W.C. Brown. Cormier, W. H., & Cormier, L. Sharilyn. (1985). Interviewing Strategies for Helpers (2nd ed.). Monterey: Brooks/Cole. Dillard, J. M., & Reilly, R. R. (1988). Systematic Interviewing: Communication Skills for Professional Effectiveness. Columbus: Merrill Publishing. Egan, G. (1986). The Skilled Helper: A Systematic Approach to Effective Helping (3rd ed.). Monterey: Brooks/Cole. Engel, S.M. (1984). The Language Trap: How to Defend Yourself Against the Tyranny of Words. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Evans, D. R., Hearn, M. T., Uhleman, M. R., & Ivey, A. (1984). Essential lnterviewing: A Programmed Approach to Effective Communication (2nd ed.). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. Fiske, J. (1982). Introduction to Communication Studies. New York: Methuen. Garrett, A. (1972). Interviewing: Its Principles and Methods (2nd ed.). New York: Family Service Association. 6

7 Garvin, C. D., & Seabury, B. A. (1984). Interpersonal Practice in Social Work: Processes and Procedures. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Glaser, S. R., & Eblen, A. (1986). Toward Communication Competency (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston. Gordon, R. L. (1987). Interviewing: Strategy, Techniques, and Tactics (4th ed.). Homewood: Dorsey. Green, J. W. (1982). Cultural Awareness in the Human Services. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice- Hall. Hutchins, D. E., & Cole, C. G. (1986). Helping Relationships and Strategies. Monterey: Brooks/Cole. Johnson, D. W. (1986). Reaching Out: Interpersonal Effectiveness and Self-Actualization (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-HaIl. Kadushin, A. (1983). The Social Work Interview (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia. Kim, Y.Y. (ed.). (1986) lnterethnic Communication: Current Research. Newbury Park: Sage. Klinzing, D., & Klinzing, D. (1985). Communication for Allied Health Professionals. Dubuque: W.C. Brown Publishers. Leigh, J. (1998). Communicating for Cultural Competence. Boston: AIIyn & Bacon. Leathers, D. G. (1986). Successful Nonverbal Communication. New York: Macmillan. McCroskey, J.C., & Daly, J. A. (1987). Personality and Interpersonal Communication. Newbury Park: Sage. Meier, S. T. (1989). The Elements of Counseling. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Okun, B. F. (1987). Effective Helping: Interviewing and Counseling Techniques (3rd ed.). Monterey: Brooks/Cole. Pietrofesa, J. H., Hoffman, A., & Splete, H. H. (1984). Counseling: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Priestley, P., & McGuire, J. (1983). Learning To Help: Basic Skills Exercises. London: Tavistock. Schulman, E. D. (1982). Intervention in Human Services: A Guide to Skills and Knowledge (3rd ed.). St. Louis: Mosby. Shebib, B. (2000). Choices: Practical Interviewing & Counselling Skills. Prentice HaII/Allyn & Bacon. Shulman, L. (1984). The Skills of Helping - Individuals and Groups (2nd ed.). ltasca, NY: Peacock. Smith, D. R., & Williamson, L. K. (1981). Interpersonal Communication Roles, Rules, Strategies, and Games (2nd Ed.). Dubuque: W.C Brown. Stewart, J. (ed.). (1986). Bridges Not Walls: A Book About Interpersonal Communication (4th ed.). New York: Random House. 7

8 Verderber, R. F. (1984). Communicate! (4th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth. Verderber, K. S., & Verderber, R. F. (1986). Inter-Act: Using Interpersonal Communication Skills (5th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth. Wilson, Suanna J. (1980). Recording: Guidelines for Social Workers. New York: Free Press. 8