Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 1
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Unit Outline
BESC2921: Career Counselling and
Assessment
Unit description
The purpose of this unit is to provide students with knowledge and skills in career
counselling and assessment. The unit provides a comprehensive theoretical and practical
foundation in career counselling. It enables students already familiar with counselling
issues to understand the particular needs, issues, and concerns of adults in career
identification and/or transition. This unit also contributes to an in-depth understanding
of client assessment to meet the special and diverse needs of those intent on or forced to
change, develop or extend their career aspirations. The unit addresses the important
issues involved in the selection, use and interpretation of assessment instruments for
career counselling. It looks at the use of technology in various career counselling settings,
and finally provides career counsellors with a comprehensive list of resources, suppliers
and references for career counselling materials.
Course(s) Bachelor of Counselling (Coaching) (BCounsCo)
Bachelor of Applied Social Science (BAppSocSci)
Associate Degree of Applied Social Science
(ADAppSocSci)
Core / Elective Elective – BcounsCo
Elective – BappSocSci
Elective - ADAppSocSci
Pre-requisite/s COUN1001 Counselling Skills
Workload (hours per week) 9
Credit points 6
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 2
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Unit learning outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
a) analyse the social and organisational context of contemporary career counselling;
) describe and apply the major theoretical perspectives and interventions in career
counselling;
c) critically analyse individual, social, cultural and spiritual influences on career
choice and decision making;
d) evaluate career counselling assessment instruments;
e) describe and apply the use of technology in career counselling and assessment.
f) demonstrate an in depth understanding of theories underpinning career
counselling and assessment and how they apply in the coaching context.
Textbook
The textbook for this unit is:
Niles, S. G., & Ha
is-Bowlsbey, J XXXXXXXXXXCareer development interventions (5th ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson Education.
Studying for this unit
The content of this unit has been designed to maximise the learning and the integration
of the subject matter. Much of the unit material is specific to the Australian context.
Students are encouraged to access additional information relevant to their local context,
which will assist in applying the learning and ensuring its relevance. This may include
specific legislation, government and professional association resources, and journals. It is
important that students’ reading is
oad.
In general students are expected to:
read each section of the unit carefully and make notes about new content, and
points that are unclear, or in conflict with previous learning or experience
complete readings of the text and other readings and resources, making notes on
important insights or facts, especially those relevant to your assignments
There may be periodic suggestions or issues on which students are asked to deliberate
and reflect. Sometimes these are dilemmas or difficult issues associated with the study
topic which have no right or wrong answers, but are used to trigger critical thinking.
Face to Face hours by delivery mode:
On Campus – OC: Units studied on campus are designed with 12 three hour classes,
totalling 36 contact hours.
Weekend Classes:
Units offered as weekend classes must meet the required 36 contact hours. This is made
up of 5 classes (9am-5pm) scheduled as per the unit timetable for the enrolled Trimester.
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 3
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Blended Delivery - BD: Units offered in this mode of delivery require the student to
attend:
o Four synchronous sessions
1 ¾ hour synchronous sessions: 6.45 – 8.30pm
o One two day workshop: 8.30-6pm
Attendance requirements
Attendance requirements ensure that students in PACFA-accredited courses meet their
training requirements, and that learning outcomes are met.
On Campus requirements (for students studying this unit on campus)
In this unit provided by the School of Counselling, on-campus students are required to
maintain at least 80% attendance. This means that students cannot miss more than three
classes in a term.
Blended Delivery requirements (for students studying this unit by Blended Delivery)
Students are required to participate in 80% of all person to person learning overall
(including workshops and synchronous webinars).
Learning activities
Learning activities are set in each section of the unit to give opportunities for further
learning. They are designed to help students think through and practice the specific skills
and general concepts presented in this unit. They do not need to be sent to the academic
teacher for marking. However, valuable learning opportunities will be missed by not
completing the activities.
In studying this unit, students should maintain a learning journal for completing the
activities. To structure the learning journal, set aside space for:
completing a glossary of new terminology and concepts introduced in this unit
notes on unit content and readings
answers to learning activities
draft assessments.
Students can also keep the learning journal electronically.
Self-assessment
There are self-assessment questions at the end of each section to test students’
understanding of the section’s content. Try to recall the answers to these questions
unaided. Write down answers from memory before going back to review the relevant
material in the section. Some of the questions require more than simple recall. Some
will require synthesising separate issues or different pieces of information. Real
learning is not just remembering the reading. It involves owning this knowledge by:
• reflecting
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 4
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
• questioning
• relating theory to personal experiences
• integrating a number of readings on a particular topic or concept
• paraphrasing.
Assignments
The assignments for this unit are carefully set so they develop from and support the key
concepts and skills of the unit, and are aligned with the learning outcomes for this unit.
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 5
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Contents
Section 1: Contexts and Processes of Career Counselling
Section 2: Theories of Career Counselling
Section 3: Career Counselling Stages and Techniques
Section 4: Clients Ba
iers to Moving on
Section 5: Career Choice – Concepts, Values, Interests and Personality
Section 6: Career Choice - Skills
Section 7: Assessment Issues in Career Counselling
Section 8: Assessment Instruments
Section 9: Work Search Concepts and Processes
Section 10: Applications, Resumes and Interviews
Section 11: Career Support in Organisations
Section 12: Career Counselling Resources and Computer and Internet
Considerations
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 6
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Assignment summary
Please ensure you keep copies of all assignments submitted for this unit.
Assignment
type
Weight Word
count
Due Date Alignment with
learning outcomes
Assignment 1:
Academic Essay
50% 2000
words
Week 9
) Describe and apply the
major theoretical
perspectives and
interventions in career
counselling;
d) Evaluate career
counselling assessment
instruments;
e) Describe and apply the
use of technology in
career counselling and
assessment.
f) Demonstrate an in
depth understanding of
theories underpinning
career counselling and
assessment and how they
apply in the coaching
context.
Assignment 2:
Case Study
50% 2000
words
Week 12
a) Analyse the social and
organisational context of
contemporary career
counselling;
) Describe and apply the
major theoretical
perspectives and
interventions in career
counselling;
c) Critically analyse
individual, social, cultural
and spiritual influences on
career choice and decision
making;
d) Evaluate career
counselling assessment
instruments;
e) Describe and apply the
use of technology in
career counselling and
assessment.
f) Demonstrate an in
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 7
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
depth understanding of
theories underpinning
career counselling and
assessment and how they
apply in the coaching
context.
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 8
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Assignment 1: Academic Essay
Assignment Type Weight Word Count Due Date
Academic Essay 50% 2000 words Week 9
Purpose:
This assignment enables students to explore two contrasting theoretical approaches to
career counselling. In comparing and evaluating these approaches, students will gain
knowledge of the theoretical bases and assumptions underlying these approaches, and
will critically evaluate the theoretical perspectives and the application of the assessment
instrument/s related to these approaches.
Process:
Critically compare and evaluate two theoretical approaches to career counselling,
including the interventions and assessment tools used in the approaches selected. The
comparison of the two approaches will be based on an evaluation of the evidence base
and will make reference to relevant career counselling literature.
Your reflective essay should include:
an overview of two theoretical perspectives to career counselling
a description of interventions and assessment tools associated with the two chosen
theoretical perspectives
identification of the processes and techniques associated with the two perspectives
a critical comparison and evaluation of the two theoretical perspectives
a discussion of the professional and ethical use of client assessment
an evaluation of the application of relevant assessment instruments
reference to relevant literature, linking your ideas to theory discussed in the unit
Unit Outline: BESC2921 - Career Counselling and Assessment 9
Last updated: Trimester 1 2018
Marking Criteria – Academic Essay
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Content
1. Overview provided of two theoretical perspectives
2. Description of interventions and assessments
3. Identification of the processes and techniques
4. Critical comparison and evaluation
5. Professional and ethical use of client assessment
discussed
6. Application of relevant assessment instruments evaluated
7. Evidence of familiarity with relevant literature and theory
8. Evidence of integration of theory and practice
Structure, Presentation