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Individual & Social Responsibility

Level 3

Scheme of Work

SYLLABUS

Level 3

Unit: Individual and Social Responsibility
(Key Skill – Introductory Programme)

Guided Learning hours: 45 (30 + 15)
Unit level (MQF): 3
Credits: 4

Unit Rationale

This key skill presents a number of opportunities for learners to properly discover and work upon their individual self and their social environment, in preparation of a conjunct entrepreneurial approach towards a properly planned career path. The focus is mainly on the development and strengthening of reflective skills, with the aim to further understand one’s identity, promoting growth in self-improvement and self-confidence. A major focus upon one’s individual reality will provide ample space for targeting one’s emotional and behavioural traits, envisaging recognition of one’s nature and a struggle towards an increased adaptability within wider society. Delving through group oriented tasks; learners will have the opportunity to reflect about their communication efficiency and their ability to deal effectively in situations where disagreements and conflicts may be present. Conveniently, such chances will serve to provide learners the time to reflect upon their decisions and their subjective impact upon themselves and the ones around them.

This key skill adheres to the concept of Social Emotional Learning, promoting the following:

1.  Self-awareness focuses on the development of a well-grounded sense of self-confidence. It facilitates the recognition of one’s emotions, needs and motivations, whilst allowing the opportunity to reflect upon one’s strengths and weaknesses. 

2. Self-management advocates getting a good grasp of one’s own self-control, which gradually paves the way towards the ability to manage and regulate one’s emotions and behaviour, enabling proper expression of one’s needs in an assertive way. Goals may be effectively aligned to one’s strengths, thus boosting resilience when confronted with challenges. 

3. Social awareness promotes the practice of being empathic towards other individuals. This enables the recognition of their feelings, needs and concerns, thus the strengthening of understanding diverse perspectives and situations. Additionally relationship skills offer the chance to initiate and maintain interpersonal relationships, which in turn allow societies and communities to grow cohesively. 

4. Effective communication and cooperation equip individuals with a sense of care and respect towards the ones around them, which in turn allows people to live and work together in an effective way. 

5.  Decision-making and problem-solving skills are the most basic tools deployed to analyse and tackle, or if possible predict and avoid conflicts. Sequentially, this increases the prevalence of people living together harmoniously. 

Successfully delving in these 5 main themes throughout the 3 Levels of this key skill will assist the learners in recognizing the importance of general reflection in everyday life, augmenting the awareness towards one’s own personality and behaviour, moulded by the social environment, placing an effect upon one’s decisions and ultimately effecting one’s own individual and social being.

The content of this unit collectively encourages learners to recognize their own individual reality in comparison to their surrounding social reality – where the build-up of a professional career is fundamental for the benefits of each stakeholder. Through the refining of personal and thinking skills and the exploration of their ultimate career path, learners will be directly focusing upon the basic entrepreneurial competencies for the development of their own success.

Unit description

In this Level 3 key skill learners will continue to explore themselves and their values, aiming to increasingly understand their talents, abilities and also their interests, ultimately being able to determine and consolidate their career path. At this stage the learners have already been equipped with the basic personal effectiveness competencies and will keep developing their entrepreneurial side.

Within this key skill learners will tackle 5 domains revolving around career path exploration, time management and budgeting, intimate relationships, teamwork and individual and social responsibility.

Through the 5 domains, learners will have the opportunity to explore their abilities and interests increasingly in-depth, empowering them with the ability to identify their career path effectively.

Additionally, apart from delving into budgeting skills, this unit will assist learners in acquiring the necessary skills to manage their time more effectively

Learners will also understand the importance of teamwork and working harmoniously with other people in order to achieve a common goal. Apart from exploring the benefits of effective teamwork, learners will also explore the hindrances related to such a practice and counter with the identification of the qualities required for a proper team building. 

In this unit, learners will also discuss relationships more in depth, with a major emphasis on intimate relationships. Learners will explore different kinds of intimate relationships and attempt at understanding what constitutes a healthy one.

Finally at the end of this unit, learners will have the opportunity to examine situations and predict typical outcomes, whilst aiming to prevent possible consequences. Through active critical thinking and the exploration of what qualities compose a responsible civil person, learners will become skilled, ethical and responsible individuals.

Learning Outcomes

Unit Content

LO 1. Evaluate personal characteristics, strengths and interests, aiming at possible career paths

·      Getting to know each other
       ·      My influences
       ·      My personal & career goals
       ·      Myself- yesterday, today & tomorrow
       ·      Generating ideas through creativity 

LO 2. Understand the importance of time-management and budgeting skills in order to successfully reach set goals 

·      Society’s norms & my values
       ·      Integrity & ethical values
       ·      Perseverance & resilience
       ·      My personal time & space
       ·      Boundaries – what are they for? 

LO 3. Outline the characteristics and values needed for the formation of a healthy and intimate relationship

            ·      Diversity & minority groups
                      ·      People – who & why should I trust?
                      ·      From an acquaintance to a best friend
                      ·      Mental health & disabilities

LO 4. Function effectively with other individuals in order to achieve a common goal

   ·      Honing my social skills
       ·      The importance of Emotional Literacy
       ·       My perception of my surroundings
       ·       How to successfully reach a common goal 

LO 5. Be responsible for own reasoning and decisions whilst enhancing active citizenship

·           Managing my conflicts through negotiation
          ·           My decisions and their consequences
          ·           Critical thinking and problem analyses
          ·           Researching, planning & organizing my work
          ·           Acquiring & managing my resources
          ·           My responsible self

Mode of Delivery

The purpose of this key skill is to encourage the learners to explore their individual and social self, whilst being empowered to think outside the box and become increasingly creative and entrepreneurial.

The expected outcomes of this unit entail that the content is delivered through a significant hands-on approach, rather than a concentration of theoretical content.

Through contact during lecture time, learners are to experience a series of activities as a means to familiarize with each other and ultimately stimulate their creativity and teamwork capabilities. Sufficient time also has to be dedicated to the processing and evaluation of each and every activity held during the contact hours. This entails that any visual, audio or practical activity presented has to be followed up by a proper verbal contribution, envisaging increased awareness and self-improvement through a team effort, constantly guided by the present facilitator.

To further consolidate the above, apart from the usual one-hour weekly lectures, the learners will also be offered an additional number of contact hours. This mode of alternate contact time shall be presented to the learners under the form of seminars, visits, placements and more.

Guidance for Assessment

For the purpose of this unit, each Learning Outcome will carry 20 marks. These will be reflected in the students’ on-going performance in class, the presentation of their file and their final presentation at the end of the academic year. All these will be assessed through formative assessment against a rubric. 

Assessment Criteria

 
Assessment Components

        *0 – Not exhibited/lack of evidence,  1 – inconsistent/mild/emerging
         2 – evident/achieved/improved

Pedagogy

When devising schemes of work, lecturers should take into account the experiences and interests of learners related to their vocational, social and cultural environments and requirements.

The main aim is to help learners develop their individual and social responsibility through their everyday experiences. In order to achieve this, the planning, expression and interpretation of everyday experiences in various contexts is necessary.  Activities may take place under the form of discussions, case studies, role plays, short audio-visuals or digital resources, taking into consideration:

 ·         multiple means of representation [1]
 ·         multiple means of action and expression
 ·         multiple means of engagement

It is highly important to create a safe and comfortable atmosphere for learning.  Learners’ anxieties about sharing of personal experiences should be taken into consideration and addressed accordingly. Confidentiality should be respected by lecturers and students alike throughout the course. The only exception to this is a disclosure or serious suspect of self-harm or harm to others.

Activities during the introductory phase should provide learners with the opportunity to get to know each other and to construct positive relationships and eventually a healthy classroom community.

Suggested Resources 

• Projector

• Whiteboard

• Power Point

• Videos

• Hand-outs 

Books

• Class notes

 [1] Principles of Universal Design for Learning (TES) (http://www.casr.org/teachingeverystudent/)