VM PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

UNIT 1

Area of Study 1: Healthy Individuals

This unit focuses on the development of personal identity and individual pathways to optimal health and wellbeing. It begins with concepts of personal identity and the range of factors that contribute to an individual’s perception of self and their health and wellbeing. Students use these findings to enhance their understanding of community cohesion, community engagement and how their sense of identity may affect outcomes in different contexts. Students will investigate the elements of emotional intelligence and will begin to develop an awareness of interrelationships between communities and the health and wellbeing of individuals. Students investigate local health-promoting organisations and resources and play an active, participatory role in designing and implementing activities or mechanisms to improve health and wellbeing. This unit highlights the importance of critical and creative thinking and clear communication as individuals explore their own identity and the role of community. Students examine relationships between technologies and health and wellbeing and develop tools for analysing the reliability, validity and accuracy of information and the efficacy of health messages.

Area of Study 2: Community health and wellbeing

This area of study explores the health and wellbeing of individuals and groups, the factors that affect wellbeing and the characteristics of inclusive and cohesive communities. Students investigate activities and support services that aim to improve individual and group wellbeing within their community. Students explore the requirements for undertaking activities or voluntary work within the community. Students understand and apply the key elements involved in designing, implementing and evaluating a purposeful activity that aims to achieve a clear objective.

Area of Study 3: Promoting a healthy life

This area of study investigates key advancements in technology and the impact of technology on individuals and society. Students explore how technology is used to facilitate health promotion programs and understand the importance of using strategies to assess the reliability, validity and accuracy of health and wellbeing-related information.

UNIT 2

Connecting with community

This unit focuses on the benefits of community participation and how people can work together effectively to achieve a shared goal. It begins with definitions of community and different types of communities at a local, national and/or global level. Students look at the relationships between active citizenship, empathy and connection to culture, and individual health and wellbeing. They investigate the barriers and enablers to problem solving within the community. The unit then focuses on various forms of community engagement. Students seek to understand different perspectives on issues that affect their community. They reflect on relationships between community issues, social cohesion, and health and wellbeing, and the importance of clear information and communication. Students investigate how communities may be called upon to support individual members and identify effective strategies for creating positive community change. They plan, implement and evaluate an active response to an individual’s need for community support.

Area of Study 1: What is community?

This area of study explores the concept of community at a local, national and/or global level. Students understand the characteristics that influence how communities are formed, different groups within community, factors that influence groups and also consider the role of citizenship. Students investigate community participation and recognize that there are a range of ways to participate in community life.

Area of Study 2: Community cohesion

This area of study examines issues affecting local, national and/or global communities, both in the current context and in anticipation of future challenges, to understand differing perspectives and the impact on community cohesion. Students explore the enablers and barriers to problem solving and strategies to foster community cohesion.

Area of Study 3: Engaging and supporting community

This area of study considers the concept of community engagement and recognises the benefits and challenges of community engagement to address a range of issues. Students investigate the key features of effective community engagement to address issues and implement initiatives.

UNIT 3

Leadership and teamwork

This unit considers the role of interpersonal skills and social awareness in different settings and contexts. They examine leadership qualities and the characteristics of effective leaders and how these qualities can be applied to the achievement of goals within personal and community contexts. Students will explore key components of effective teamwork and reflect on how to lead and contribute within team context through a collaborative problem-solving activity. Students will evaluate their own contribution as well as the overall effectiveness of their team.

Area of Study 1: Social awareness and interpersonal skills

This unit considers the concept of social awareness and interpersonal skills in different settings and contexts, along with strategies to demonstrate social awareness and apply interpersonal skills when using digital technologies. There a focus on qualities of leadership, and how these qualities can be applied to the achievement of goals within personal and community contexts. Students examine characteristics of effective leaders, and various contexts and styles of leadership. They investigate a range of leadership styles and other influences affect the behaviour of leaders. Implicit to this unit is that leadership need not be privileged or rare, students also reflect on how leadership qualities can be applied in a range of contexts. They explore key characteristics of effective teamwork, and design and implement individual or group activities focused on achieving specific goals. This unit focuses on the leadership and collaboration of teams, particularly within the context of collaborative problem-solving. Students reflect on how to lead and contribute to teams, and on the development of particular leadership and teamwork skills. They participate a collaborative problem solving activity, evaluating their own contribution as well as the overall effectiveness of the team.

Area of Study 2: Effective leadership This area of

study investigates the concept of leadership and the qualities of effective, ethical leaders. Students look at contexts in which people become leaders, a range of leadership styles, ethics and expectations of leaders in a democratic society. Students consider how leaders foster innovation and creativity to solve problems and achieve goals.

Area of Study 3: Effective teamwork This area of

study examines leadership and collaboration within teams. Students demonstrate the characteristics and attributes of effective team leaders and team members, and reflect on their own contribution and leadership potential as they participate in a team or group activity. They evaluate the effectiveness of teamwork and explore the steps involved when putting a solution into action.

UNIT 4

Community project

This unit focuses on student participation in an extended project relating to a community issue. Students identify environmental, cultural, economic and social issues affecting the community and select one for an extended community project. They look at past approaches to the selected issue in Australia and elsewhere, consider how they will research information, and formulate an objective to achieve. Students will reflect on how community awareness of their selected issue can be improved. Students will engage in a process of planning, implementing and evaluating their response to their selected community issue. They conduct research, analyse their findings and make decisions on how they will present their work. Students will consider the key elements (such as emotional intelligence and effective team practices) and considerations (such as safety and ethics) when implementing a community project. Students will present their project appropriate to their audience of peers or community members and evaluate the effectiveness of their response.

Area of Study 1: Planning a community project

This area of study is an introduction to an extended community project that addresses an environmental, cultural, economic or social issue. Students conduct research to identify a range of relevant issues in their community and justify the selection of a chosen focus for their project. They seek to understand the issue’s significance to the community, develop a project focus, and investigate previous or current responses to the area of concern. They will explore opportunities to build awareness of their chosen issue in their community.

Area of Study 2: Implementing a community project

This area of study involves the implementation of a detailed plan for the selected community project and considers the key elements and key considerations when implementing a plan of action through to completion. Students consider possible health and safety and ethical risks of their project, document evidence and make decisions on how their findings will be organised, analysed and presented.

Area of Study 3: Evaluating a community project

This area of study covers the evaluation of the outcomes of the completed community project. Students become familiar with strategies to effectively communicate reflections and findings and engage with audiences. Students will determine a suitable audience for their findings, identify and practice appropriate presentation skills, and make decisions about how their community project will be evaluated.