Assessment 2: Critically evaluating wellbeing and resilience initiatives (30%)

Assessment 2 due: Thursday 27 August 2020, 5pm (AEST)

TASK DESCRIPTION

For Assessment 2, you will choose two of the initiatives curated in Assessment 1 and then you will identify and critically evaluate the elements of these two initiatives. Assessment 2 has two parts.

Part 1:

1.   For two of the initiatives from Assessment 1, list the program elements (e.g. free classes in mindfulness, mentoring by local business owners, a community garden)

2.   For each of these program elements, identify their intended wellbeing/resilience outcomes (e.g. social connectedness, social inclusion, physical health, mental health, reducing carbon emissions, zero waste)

Part 2:  

1.   For each program element, identify and summarise the research support for the efficacy/outcomes of this activity. Use quality peer-reviewed theoretical and/or empirical journal articles for this part of your assessment.

2.   Critique and discuss any relevant shortcomings of the initiatives. You might use peer-reviewed literature here, or also grey literature (i.e. industry/government/NGO reports such as a program evaluation or annual report).

3.   Suggest any improvements/additions/modifications that could be made to the two initiatives so that they better meet their proposed outcomes.

Examples of identifying program elements and intended outcomes

Example 1:

Cafe 88 is a not-for profit restaurant for people on low incomes and for people that had mental health issues that often led to social isolation. Below is a list of some of the specific features set up in the initiative, with the aim of generating wellbeing elements.

Example 2:

Castlemaine Community House (CCH)

Social connectedness.The CCH has a permaculture gardenthat is open daily. Locals regularly congregate there to tend the garden, have coffee/socialise. Many of the attendees are senior citizens, and/or folk that are unemployed; two groups known to be at increased risk of social isolation.

Life-long learning/brain stimulation.The CCH runs regular courses at the garden; e.g., pruning fruit trees; permaculture design certificates; urban vegetable gardening.

Green space immersion.The garden provides an informal and relaxing greenspace environment that people can access during the day, 7 days a week.

Healthy eating. Organic, locally grown food.

Economic wellbeing.Cost of living reduction via organic food with no ‘food miles’.

WORD LIMIT: 1,500

This word limit includes in-text citations but excludes any reference section. Meeting the word count is included as a marking criteria in your marking rubric on Moodle. See the Psychology Word Count Information document for a rationale for using this type of word limit restriction.