27/07/2020 Assignment 1: Critical review of a social service program
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Teaching Period 2, 2020
PSY20007: Developmental Psychology
Assignment 1: Critical review of a social service
program
Word/time limit: 1000 (+/- 10%), and a 3-5 minute presentation
Weighting: 25%
Due date: 5pm AEST Monday 3 August 2020 (Week 5)
After you have read this information, head over to the Assignment 1 Q&A discussion board to
ask any questions and see what your peers are saying about this assignment.
Assignment overview
In the first few weeks of this unit, we have been looking at early development and the life span
perspective. In this assignment, you are going to apply what you have learned, and combine it
with the research skills you developed in first-year psychology. You will select a social service
program aimed at childhood development, and then review it using your research skills and
understanding of developmental psychology.
There are a few purposes for this assignment. First, reviewing a social service program will
allow you to apply what you have learned thus far to a real-world context, and to explore a few
aspects of development in detail. Completing the assignment will also help you understand
development research and build on your research skills. If you ever enter private practice,
eing able to evaluate programs will also allow you to make informed decisions about where
to refer clients. Finally, many psychology graduates find work in social services where
ongoing program evaluation is part of funding agreements.
Related learning outcomes
This assignment assesses the following unit learning outcomes:
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2. Evaluate how research on the lifespan is conducted using different research designs and
methods.
3. Identify the most important processes, periods and issues in development.
5. Apply statistical knowledge to a human development-related research questions and
communicate this in a clear and concise manner.
Assignment details
To complete this assignment:
1. write a 1000 word critical review
2. deliver a three to five minute presentation of your findings.
Writing your critical review
1. Download the Assignment 1 template (DOC 19.1 KB) and use this template for you
whole review.
2. Choose a social service program:
Choose an Australian social service program that aims to improve the quality of life fo
children, adolescents and/or families. You will make things easier for yourself if you
choose a program with a lot of publicly available information.
Examples of social service programs to investigate and review:
a mentoring program for refugee children to assist them in adapting to school in
Australia
a home visiting program to support teenage mothers in their parenting
a program to reconnect adolescents who drop out of school with furthe
education and training
a parenting program for prisoners, on how to stay connected to their children and
e more engaged parents in the future
an early intervention program for children who are showing aggressive
tendencies or social withdrawal problems in preschool.
Note: As your lab report focuses on cybe
ullying, do not review cybe
ullying
programs. You are additionally not to choose a major therapy program such as a
cognitive therapy program to overcome depression or anxiety disorders in children,
adolescents or parents.
3. Research the program itself.
How does the program align with the evidence? What is it doing well? What could it do
etter? How? If there is any empirical evidence of the program's impact, include it, but
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consider its claims with a critical eye.
Note: You are to use information publicly available in resources such as
ochures o
information over the internet. Please do not contact them for information. Conduct a
literature review.
4. You must think critically about what makes programs of this general type work, and find
literature that helps to establish this. Have studies been done to carefully establish what
factors make such programs more or less successful? You can point out in your review if
the research has been done, and if it has not, make sure to suggest what sorts of studies
need to be additionally undertaken.
5. Write your review.
Use Assignment 1 template.
Summary (approximately 250 words):
A
ief, one-page description of the social service program you have selected to
eview. Identify and describe an appropriate program, including: program aims, target
audience, main components, how the program is being evaluated by the organisation,
and the implementation approach. You should cite the information provided by the
organisation that runs the program here, but do not plagiarise the website. Use you
own words.
Literature review and evaluation (approximately 750 words):
A review of the social service program. Discuss the effectiveness of the program, and
critically review factors which influence its effectiveness. Justify your evaluation using
four to six references. Show comprehension of the papers reviewed and integrate
them into your review.
References.
Delivering your Collaborate presentation
1. Choose a Collaborate session when the sessions are posted by the eLA.
2. Prepare four to five slides (excluding the title page and reference list slides). Use you
written review as a guide, and provide them at least 24 hours before the session.
3. Attend the Collaborate session, presenting a
ief three to five minute overview of you
key findings from your literature review to your learning group.
Supporting resources
The following resources will assist you with completing this assignment:
Find information in the Li
ary (https:
www.swinburne.edu.au/li
ary/search/help/) .
Referencing guides (https:
portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources
eferencing-
and-plagiarism-0) .
How to Write Psychology Research Reports and Essays
(https:
ebookcentral.proquest.com/li
swin/detail.action?docID= XXXXXXXXXXFindlay, 2014)
How to use Collaborate (https:
portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources/how-
use-collaborate-0) .
Assignment 1 template (DOC 19.1 KB) .
https:
www.swinburne.edu.au/li
ary/search/help
https:
portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources
eferencing-and-plagiarism-0
https:
ebookcentral.proquest.com/li
swin/detail.action?docID=5220542
https:
portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources/how-use-collaborate-0
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Answers to frequently asked questions
Be sure to include the minimum required number of resources. It is okay to use more than
the minimum.
Be sure to reference your sources in the body of your text.
The title page and reference list are not included in the word count, but in-text
citations are included.
Use double spacing, centred headings and indented paragraphs (as per APA format).
Submission details overview
This assignment will be submitted through Turnitin. You will find the relevant submission point
at the bottom of this page.
Please allow a 24-hour turnaround for an originality report to be generated. See the 'Turnitin
originality report' area of the Academic practice
(https:
studenthub.swinburneonline.edu.au/academic-practice) page in the Study Resources
section of the Student Hub for several guides to assist with the submission process.
Assignment support
Don't forget that in addition to your eLAs who provide discipline-specific content advice, you
can access the 24/7 draft writing service from Studiosity.
If you need assistance with academic feedback on a draft of your assignment task, see
Assignment support: Studiosity.
Assignment criteria
1. Summary of program.
2. Quality of review–application of research.
3. Quality of review–communicating statistical information.
4. Writing and APA style.
5. Quality of presentation.
Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:
Assignment 1 marking guide
Criteria No
Pass
Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
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Criteria No
Pass
Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
Summary of
program
(20%)
Did not
meet
criterion.
Summary of
program
attempts to
identify the
aims, audience
and activities
of the
program.
The summary
elates the
program to the
elevant
developmental
periods,
processes, o
issues.
This summary
misses some
of the relevant
points.
Summary of
program
identifies the
aims, audience
and activities
of the
program.
The summary
elates the
program to the
elevant
developmental
periods,
processes, o
issues.
This summary
mentions most
of the relevant
points.
Summary of
program
identifies the
aims, audience
and activities
of the
program.
The summary
elates the
program to the
elevant
developmental
periods,
processes, o
issues.
This summary
mentions all of
the relevant
points.
Summary of
program
identifies the
aims, audience
and activities
of the program.
The summary
elates the
program to the
elevant
developmental
periods,
processes o
issues,
mentioning all
of the relevant
points.
This summary
mentions all of
the relevant
points, and
shows an
awareness of
how
developmental
issues are
interconnected.
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Criteria No
Pass
Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
Quality of
eview–
application of
esearch
(20%)
Did not
meet
criterion.
The review
makes an
assertion
about the
effectiveness
of the
program.
Review cites at
least fou
eferences as
evidence fo
claims.
Describes
articles, but
does not
synthesise o
evaluate them.
The review
makes an
assertion
about the
effectiveness
of the
program.
Review cites at
least fou
eferences as
evidence fo
claims.
The review
synthesises
sources into
an argument
ather than
merely
describing
them.
The review
makes an
assertion
about the
effectiveness
of the
program.
Review cites at
least fou
eferences as
evidence fo
claims.
The review
synthesises
sources into a
coherent
argument.
Evaluates
quality of
esearch
design and
methods.
May
acknowledge
gaps in
literature.
The review
makes an
assertion about
the
effectiveness
of the program.
At this level,
the assertion
shows
appreciation of
nuance,
describing the
extent to which
the program is
effective.
Review cites at
least fou
eferences as
evidence fo
claims.
The review
synthesises
sources into a
coherent
argument.
Evaluates
quality of
esearch
design and
methods.
Acknowledges
gaps in
literature, and
suggests what
furthe
esearch could
e done.
Did not The review The review The review The review
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Criteria No
Pass
Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
Quality of
eview–
communicating
statistical
information
(10%)
meet
criterion.
efers to the
esults of
source articles.
Does not refe
to any
statistical data
showing the
impact of the
program.
Demonstrates
a basic
understanding
of the meaning
of the results.
efers to the
esults of
source articles.
The review
also mentions
the statistical
data showing
the impact of
the program,
or states that
none is
available.
Demonstrates
a basic
understanding
of the meaning
of the results.
efers to the
esults of
source articles.
The review
also mentions
the statistical
data showing
the impact of
the program,
or states that
none is
available.
Demonstrates
understanding
y refe
ing to
esults only as
necessary,
communicating
them clearly
and concisely.
efers to the
esults of
source articles.
The review
also mentions
the statistical
data showing
the impact of
the program, o
states that
none is
available.
Demonstrates
understanding
y refe
ing to
esults only as
necessary,
communicating
them clearly