Speaking of Justice: Assessing justly

1. Speaking of Justice: Assessing justly With Gavin Rennie and Craig Tunnicliffe

2. Meaning • A capstone for the Degree: • uniting and reweaving the threads of the Bachelor of Social Practice • Counselling, Social Work, Community Development. • Developed in 2001 by David Epston, KsenijaNapan and Gavin Rennie • experience and intuition (practice wisdom) as much as theory

3. Published article after the two years of teaching • In researching this discovered Finn and Jacobson’s Just Practice paradigm (2004). • Praxis

4. Possibility Meaning Critical Reflection • Context • Power • History Adapted from Finn & Jacobson, 2008

5. The three strands of social practice all operate within the “social” domain • social work • International definition promulgated by IASSW and IFSW, “the social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well being” • It is therefore social (justice) work

6. Meaning: Social work as social Justice work • “….each of us has an idea of an image of social justice. For some of us, social justice relates to notions of equality, tolerance, and human rights. Others of us know social justice through its absence, for example, through personal experience of injustice, degradation, exclusion and violence (Finn & Jacobson,2008,p.14) • Interestingly many of our student cohort have experienced these oppressions

7. Context • Demographics • 2nd chance learners? Non-linear path to education (life rich)

8. Our context • We both have backgrounds in sociology • Both undertook social work education after studying sociology • The traditions of academic sociology that resonated with us were that social change is both possible and desirable • Provides tools of social analysis to identify sites of resistance.

9. History • Paper has been taught since 2001 • The cohort size has increased from 23 to 72. • Initial assessment required both an essay and a group presentation. • With the growth in numbers this method of assessment proved unsustainable

10. History • Re designing the assessment • A number of factors needed consideration • Cohort size • The course is taught within 6 week (students go on placement immediately after) • Placement is full time (45 credits) and needs full engagement. Thus completing outstanding assessment is not an option (hitherto this had occurred) • The assessment reflected just practice principles

11. Central was the question how do you assess justly; reflection, professional development, personal stories of change/empowerment… and still assign a grade?

12. Power

13. power and assessment: the elephant in the room • Assessment (can be defined) “as a process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, attitudes and skills”

14. Does this reflect just practice? • Or does it become the panoptic gaze of assessment.

15. Toward just assessment • Transparent • Relevant • Appropriate • Inclusive • Meaning • Equity • From power over to power with

16. So how did we do this? • Recognise the centrality of process • A return to origins • Collaboration • Two of the three original designers of the course • David Epston (co-designer) • Gavin Rennie (co-designer & co-lecturer) • Catherine Hughes (Programme Leader) • Craig Tunnicliffe (co-lecturer, & recent graduate) • Building on the current strengths • as highlighted by student feedback

17. The assessment • Assessment is twofold: • 1. 80% attendance requirement • 2. Group work leading to an individual presentation

18. Questioning-an invitation • “Tell a story about how you have come to your commitment to making a stand for Social Justice” • What has been your inspiration and who stands behind you? • What does this mean for your future practice?

20. Utilised a process of “with” • Guest speakers: • providing both narratives of just practice in action and providing exemplars of the assessment. • Reflection (whole cohort, individual, small group) • Group process: • de-individuating the assessment process. • safety agreement, sharing knowledge(s), respectful dialogue, linking of similarities and the recognition of difference. • Mentoring: • A “with journey” of assessment • Academically strong in groups with those who are not. • Lecturers as “floating” resources. Question posers.

21. Possibility • Manifest in the invitation to tell their story of social justice and where and with whom they will stand • Linking the personal and the political (the micro and the macro) and vice versa • Residing within the group process • Finding strength in similarity and diversity • Within the class context • Dialogical exchange(s) • Exploring opportunities for mutual learning/teaching

22. Empowerment? • Student feedback…

23. References • Epston, D., Rennie, G., Napan, K. (2004) On becoming a just practitioner:Experimenting with the final paper of an undergraduate programme as a rite of passage. Social Work Review, Jubilee Edition, 16, (4). pp38-49. • Finn, J., & Jacobson, M. (2008). Just Practice: A social justice approach to social work (2nd Ed). Peosta, Iowa: Eddie Bowers Publishing.

24. Possibility