The Transformation Of Social Work Education Through Virtual Learning

Over the past few years, numerous highly ranked, Tier 1 universities across the United States have embraced the development of advanced online degrees, a niche of secondary education long held by a small group of private, for-profit universities. Rapid advances in online learning technology, increasingly sophisticated, and easy to use ‘learning management systems’ and ‘anytime, anywhere access’ has dramatically increase the demand of individuals, mostly full time employed, working professionals. This volume addresses the dramatic changes that are occurring in social work pedagogy as more schools develop online programs. The University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work launched their ‘Virtual Academic Center’ with a cohort of 80 online students. The program has now reached a ‘steady state’ of 2,200 ‘virtual’ students now representing two thirds of their MSW student population. Additionally, the school launched a doctorate of social work degree with a focus on leading and managing innovation, leading public discourse and management of large complex systems. This book essentially tells the ‘USC story’ with the challenges faced in embracing this new technology, teaching social work courses in an online environment, as well as pedagogical enhancements made by faculty in converting traditional campus based courses to the virtual environment.

Online and Distance Social Work Education: Current Practice and Future Trends provides a comprehensive presentation on the evolution, current status and future direction of distance learning and online education in the social work profession. Documenting the current state-of-the-art, this book demonstrates the power of distance learning and online technology and addresses future trends in web-based social work education. Written by widely recognized experts, the chapters represent an authoritative statement of the present state-of-the-art in the application of technology to contemporary social work education. The insights of these experts will be of great interest to students and faculty in the 798 accredited social work programs in the United States. They are creating a revolution in the profession which will forever change the nature of education for professional practice. Authored by widely recognized educators on the cutting edge of technological innovation, this text will be relevant to social work students and educators in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral programs in the USA and internationally. The chapters in this book were originally published in the Journal of Teaching in Social Work.

Distance education (DE) is one of the most important ways in which future social workers can complete their MSW degree. With a reach to multiple populations, DE is especially suited to the field of social work, allowing rural, working, and financially-strained individuals to complete degrees and provide important services to underserved communities. In this comprehensive and well-organized guide to understanding and implementing distance education components into social work, pioneering professors explain how to administer DE components, discuss the adjustments and rewards of the DE teaching experience, evaluate the benefits for both students and teachers, and address evolving issues in the field. In addition, readers will be introduced to the latest audio-visual, computer -mediated, and computer-assisted modalities now in use as applied to distance education. From audio and visual teleconferencing to e-mail, networks, and web based courses, we are exposed to the current and future trends and possibilities in DE programs.

Excellent social work education and training is vital for ensuring best practice, and it is important to understand the key approaches and methods in order to provide the best teaching and ensure effective learning. This volume provides an overview of social work education, including the background and current context. It covers the key debates surrounding social work education, such as the evaluation of social work education, the use of IT, research-mindedness, and the effectiveness of interdisciplinary education. The book also offers guidance on effective teaching and learning approaches tailored to the needs of social work educators, covering teaching within a higher education institution, on student practice placements, and in post-qualifying settings. This will be an indispensable text for educators and trainers in the field of social work.

This book opens the boundaries of international school social work as never before. Sequentially arranged chapters allow practitioners, educators, and students to follow the expansion of school social work practice around the world. Leaders in the field from 12 countries provide eye-opening perspectives and interventions that are impressive in their range and application. Further, the book looks ahead to policy and practice issues for the future direction of the profession. The book makes a compelling statement about contemporary school social work -- the critical need for the international professional community to learn from one another so that all of our children can reach their full potential through education. It exemplifies the value of collaboration in developing the literature of the profession and raises issues for social work educators about including international themes in social work education.

This book examines how the shift to remote teaching in March 2020 due to the global pandemic created new opportunities for innovation and creativity and shaped how social work classes were taught, with many temporary changes now part of permanent, standard practice. Drawing on narratives from 20 social work leaders across 17 different countries, the chapters explore particular themes and viewpoints on lessons learned during the pandemic, including case studies to examine copying mechanisms, insights into the transition to remote teaching, and the creative lessons that were learned. By taking an international perspective, it represents a key contribution to the scholarship of social work leaders from around the world concerning how institutions transitioned to remote learning and teaching and how these lived experiences and new discoveries are contributing to and influencing current practice. As such, it will appeal to social work educators, researchers, and field educators around the world with interests in experimental curriculum and field practice.

This is the first book to show how digitalisation and the better provision of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can improve access to a wide-range of social services, as well as make them more inclusive. Overcoming disparities across social groups using contemporary digitalisation models will have lasting consequences on social well-being and human welfare. Reflecting on current trends the authors vividly illustrate the collective, global nature of the challenge that digitalisation represents for providers, administrators and users of welfare services. It is important, therefore, to bear in mind the following for research design and practice: Citizens' rights must be protected Consideration should be given to how the services provided can be improved by more effective use of ICTs Digital interventions require better service coordination in the setting of priorities and specific training in digital skills for service providers and service users The chapters in this book address these problems and challenges in great depth, analysing the role of ICTs in promoting social inclusion and social welfare, drawing on examples of successful ICT applications around the world. The book contains country case-studies from the United States, Brazil, India, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong (China), Zimbabwe, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Singapore and will be of interest to all scholars and students of social policy, to social work educators, and social care providers.

Save time and trouble as you incorporate technology into your social work curriculum The dramatic increase in the use of computers and other forms of technology in social work education and practice has educators, trainers, and administrators investing valuable time, money, and effort into trying to make the transition from traditional teaching to a Web-assisted learning environment. Technology in Social Work Education and Curriculum takes the mystery out of the online experience with practical information on using technology to enhance and enrich learning—but not at the expense of the “human” approach to social work. This unique book presents a variety of creative and interesting methods for incorporating technology that’s affordable and user-friendly, and for developing online skills that won’t become obsolete as computer hardware and software evolves. Technology in Social Work Education and Curriculum transforms technology into an everyday resource for agency field instructors, human service educators, trainers, and social work administrators. The book addresses concerns that educators with limited technical skills may have in using technology to teach cultural competency, group work, research, direct practice, social policy and advocacy, and field practicum, presenting hands-on approaches that are innovative but accessible. And by focusing on approaches rather than simply reviewing available hardware and software, the book provides you with background knowledge that makes it easier for you to successfully incorporate online learning into the classroom. Technology in Social Work Education and Curriculum examines using instructional technology to emotionally engage students in the learning process using digital video and qualitative data analysis software to teach group practice the role technology plays in advocacy distance-education technologies in policy education incorporating Web-assisted learning into a traditional classroom setting the advantages of distance education over more conventional approaches a model for planning the use and integration of computer technology in schools of social work how the behaviors of computer consultants can affect the students who seek their help using innovation diffusion theory in technology planning and much more! Social workers have traditionally embraced the latest technologies and scientific developments since the earliest days of the profession. Technology in Social Work Education and Curriculum helps continue that tradition, offering invaluable guidance to educators and administrators, no matter how experienced—or inexperienced—they are in dealing with communications technologies.