Prospectus

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Trainers Course Communication Skills

Course
2023-2024

Entry requirements

Admission through selection procedure, criteria:

  • Dutch speaking master’s students Psychology

  • Have taken the Interpersonal Professional Skills course (IBV) 2nd year BSc Psychology at Leiden University or an equivalent course elsewhere.

  • Precedence will be given to students who can continue to give the IPS (IBV) training from February- June 2024 as an internship.

ATTENTION: Two information sessions will be provided: Wednesday July 5th 14-15 hours in 1A12, and Tuesday August 29th 15-17 hours (room tba on screens in FSW). Subscription for these infosessions is not required.

Description

This is a trainers course aimed at developing teaching skills for communication and social skills-training from a psychological perspective. The course, taught once a year, is a combination of theory, training and real-life practice and requires personal involvement of the student. In the training, on a task level, students practice core perceptual- and behavioural skills necessary to create an optimal learning climate. They learn how to work with exercises that enable trainees to acquire knowledge about the role of personal and contextual influences in communication. They also learn to apply educational principles, how to custom-design a course and how to build an appropriate training design with a particular purpose. Parallel to this task level, students are working on their goals for personal and professional development. Identifying personal talent, awareness of dysfunctional patterns, leadership style, and recognising ones own reactive behaviours, are part of this personal trajectory within the course. From September 11th till December 22nd there is education on Monday and Fridays mornings, with integrative exercises in between. The course is thus intensive in terms of personal involvement and time. It is aimed at Master’s students who are willing and able to critically reflect on one’s own and other’s behaviour. It is suited for those who want to explore the vocation to professional trainership.

In the second semester (February-June), selected students are given the opportunity to train 2nd year Bachelor’s students on Interpersonal Professional Skills (Interpersoonlijke Beroepsvaardigheden), which may constitute an internship for Master’s trajectories (10 EC).

Course objectives

At the end of this course, students can:

  • create social skills training design based on evidence-based theory;

  • apply group dynamic interventions in trainings;

  • train other people in personal development and interpersonal professional skills;

  • evaluate their own knowledge and skills in personal and professional development.

Timetable

For the timetable of this course please refer to MyTimetable

Registration

Education

Students must register themselves for all course components (lectures, tutorials and practicals) they wish to follow. You can register up to 5 days prior to the start of the course.

Exams (if applicable)

You must register for each exam in My Studymap at least 10 days before the exam date. You cannot take an exam without a valid registration in My Studymap. Carefully read all information about the procedures and deadlines for registering for courses and exams.

Exchange students and external guest students will be informed by the education administration about the current registration procedure.

Mode of instruction

The course consists of weekly 2x 4-hour work groups (Monday and Friday mornings) during 14 weeks (wk 37-51 (excl wk 45)). Students will practice skills and techniques in role-taking as trainer/teacher. Weekly integrative and reflective homework exercises.

Assessment method

Theoretical knowledge will be tested by two practical assignments (2x15%). Furthermore, 5 areas will be considered for assessment (55%): Training skills, insight, learning capacity, motivation and work attitude. Ultimately also a meta view needs to be shown, in the format of a portfolio (15%). Grades < 5 on theory needs to be resitted. For this resit a maximum of 6 can be obtained. For the 5 practical skills assessed, feedback will be provided all during the course (no resits possible). Grades < 5 on the portfolio can be resitted. For this resit a maximum of 6 can be obtained.

The Institute of Psychology follows the policy of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences to systematically check student papers for plagiarism with the help of software. All students are required to take and pass the Scientific Integrity Test with a score of 100% in order to learn about the practice of integrity in scientific writing. Students are given access to the quiz via a module on Brightspace. Disciplinary measures will be taken when fraud is detected. Students are expected to be familiar with and understand the implications of this fraud policy.

Reading list

Remmerswaal, J. (2013). Handboek Groepsdynamica. 11de herziene druk (eerdere versies zijn niet bruikbaar). This book can be borrowed from the University.

Oomkes F. (2001 or 2004). Training als Beroep, deel 1 Trainingstheorie. Sociale en interculturele vaardigheid. This book is no longer for sale (only second-hand), but can be borrowed from the University.

Contact information

C.J.M. Verhoeven verhoeven@fsw.leidenuniv.nl