An integrated and experience-based approach to social work education: The Newcastle model

This paper describes a unique social work education model developed by a group of social work practitioners, all but one of whom were new to academia. The University of Newcastle, in New South Wales, pioneered problem-based learning (PBL) in Australia. The social work programme adopted PBL and gave it a strengths focus, making experience and experiential learning central to its approach. Newcastle's model is based on the belief that learning to be good social workers is best achieved through learning by doing, working with students' experiences, integrating theory and practice, using a collaborative or small group approach, and locating these elements in a strong social justice context. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is relatively new. Introduced in 1991, its first graduates entered the workforce in 1995. The Newcastle model provides a unique example of experience-based learning and an integrated approach to social work education.     

Role of rural camps in nurturing field practicum: narrative from a faculty of social work,Delhi, India

Rural camps are an integral part of practice learning for most schools of social work in India. The paper locates the relevance of rural camps in social work education and unveils its pedagogy and broad learning framework. Based on the experiential account of the author in a rural camp as a teacher educator, the paper situates the role of camps in professional development of social work students and how it enables to bridge the gaps between academic knowledge base and the complex realities of practice. The unique standpoint of the paper is the students’ account of their experiences, challenges faced and its impact on their personal and professional growth.     

The Use of Postage Stamps to Teach Social Studies Topics

In recent studies, youths in the United States have demonstrated a remarkable lack of cultural literacy. As the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, it is imperative that students enhance their understanding of other cultures. A classroom correspondence match with a Peace Corps volunteer through the Coverdell Peace Corps World Wise Schools program can help students make this improvement by traveling the globe and raising their cross-cultural awareness—without leaving the classroom. In this article, a returned Peace Corps volunteer and current classroom instructor presents classroom strategies he has used from the Coverdell Peace Corps World Wise Schools program. Using Robert Hanvey's (1976) four levels of cross-cultural awareness, the author demonstrates how this unique program can dramatically improve students' cross-cultural awareness.     

Solving Current Social Challenges: Engaging Undergraduates in Policy Practice

This article explores an innovation in teaching policy practice at the undergraduate level. It analyzes an experiential learning model that uses current social challenges as a compelling way to generate student learning about policy practice. Over the course of the semester, students examine antecedents, current issues, and potential solutions to a contemporary social issue through a series of assignments that build knowledge and skills and link the topic to larger social policy concerns. Using quantitative and qualitative evidence from seven semesters, the article explores benefits and challenges of this approach to teaching, and derives lessons for social work education.     

A New Course Model for Content on Women's Issues in Social Work Education

This paper describes both the process of developing a new course on women and the content of such a course. Four issues that arose in introducing the course are critically examined: separation versus integration of course content; sexism versus racism; intellectual versus experiential learning; and women only versus coeducational enrollment. Throughout the paper, comparisons are made between basic tenets of social work practice and the women's movement. The paper concludes by speculating on the relationship between social work education and social movements in general.     

Teaching Note—MSW Student Perceptions of Learning Advanced Clinical Practice Skills Through the Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom, with its focus on student-centered learning and active student engagement, is a growing trend in social work education. This article presents an innovative way of delivering practice content through the flipped classroom model, which can be adapted for any level of social work education. It walks readers through the steps of developing the course and the successes and challenges of the flip, particularly with an incorporated skills lab component. Additionally, this article shares student reflections on the development and execution of the course, with specific feedback on the experiential learning environment, discussions surrounding instructor workload and preparation, and implications for future iterations of the course from students who had very little prior technologically centered learning experiences.     

Five-Way Experiential Learning Model for Social Work Education

Social workers exercise their practice skills by helping clients find strengths and solutions. In order to comprehensively practice skills for diverse client situations, it is crucial to practice and fine-tune the applications of various therapeutic approaches through clinical drills. This paper presents an experiential learning model, expanded from Kolb's Learning Cycle, which fits the dynamic pedagogical needs of the social work profession. It examines the implementation of the use of the ‘Five-Way Experiential Learning Model’ based on practice learning through personal reflections and professional evaluations. This practice learning study helped 79 MSW students define their ‘five-way learning’ and to analyze its impact on their acquisition of social work skills and clinical practice competencies. This process demonstrates the importance of the transtheoretical connection to achieve a better understanding of clients' situations through the process of change and peer input. Discussions will focus on the model elements, results on experiential learning, and ethical considerations.     

Teaching Critical Practice: Resisting Structural Domination through Critical Reflection

This paper explores some of the responsibilities and challenges that face social work educators who teach critical practice to social work students. It is suggested that using critical reflection may enhance social work educators' capacity to prepare practitioners to work towards progressive social change and social justice, despite current social trends, such as globalisation, which potentially marginalise critical practice. This paper provides a reflective account of my experiences of teaching critical reflection to undergraduate social work students, drawing on critical postmodern theoretical underpinnings. Related pedagogies will be discussed which outline experiential reflective learning. It is ultimately contended that critical reflection is an important part of social work education and practice that is committed to enhancing citizenship, human rights, social justice and social change ideals.     

The Debate as a Pedagogic Tool in Social Policy for Social Work Students

Social work education under the Diploma in Social Work has been shaped by a competency led training model. The danger in this approach is that the critical thinking required of the reflective practitioner becomes lost. This paper argues that the teaching of social policy requires a complex interplay of knowledge, skills and values if students are to be equipped to participate effectively in the policy process. The authors, as teachers of social policy to social work students, have developed the use of the debate as a tool for learning and assessment. This approach is evaluated using structured student feedback and is discussed in the context of experiential and reflective learning and the application of social policy as ‘policy practice’. Over three cohorts, students reported increased knowledge and understanding and improved confidence in argumentation skills. Observation showed them utilising a range of policy practice skills. Recent evidence from the USA and Australia begins to confirm the value of this learning tool.     

The Effect of Cooperative Concept Mapping on Misconceptions,Knowledge Achievement,and Transfer of Learning in Peace Education

Abstract

This study tested the effect of cooperative concept mapping on knowledge achievement and transfer in peace education on 159 social studies students using a quasi-experimental research design. Four intact classes—two each in rural and urban areas—were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions, and two instruments—Peace Education Achievement Test and Peace Education Transferability Test—were used for data collection. Findings showed that cooperative concept mapping unveiled students’ misconceptions in peace education and their perceptions about violent behaviors, raised students’ consciousness about asymmetric structures undermining peace, empowered them with ability to establish connections between intrinsic and extrinsic causes of conflict, and encouraged practical suggestions on how to resolve conflict and promote peace through enactment of peace virtues. Bivariate associations showed that students’ achievement in one context correlated with their transfer of learning in another context, with stronger correlation exhibited among experimental students. We attributed the stronger correlation recorded among experimental students to the “concepts connection” and visual effect occasioned by concept maps and overt effort of experimental teachers to create cooperative, experiential, and learner-centered lessons. Also, our assumption that female students will do better than male students in peace education was met. Implications of findings for curriculum review, instructional delivery and teacher education were discussed.     

Outcomes focused user involvement in social work education: applying knowledge to practice

Abstract

This paper discusses an innovative approach connecting service user and carer involvement (SUCI) in social work education to social work practice. The research team, comprised service users, carers, social work students and module leader, worked collaboratively democratising the research process. At the University of Dundee, a core social work module facilitates students to spend 15 h with a service user and/or carer (host) gaining a unique insight into their everyday lives. During this time, hosts and students discuss two policy practice questions, responses to these questions are generating annual qualitative data, with study findings being disseminated at local and national level. The experiential learning students acquire from spending time with their host becomes the site of knowledge creation through involvement that is applied to practice. This paper reports on the narratives emerging from the longitudinal data (2012–2015, n = 90) on the changing landscape of social care in Scotland and the dissemination of project findings. We explore the intersection where the voices of service users and carers, student learning and social work practice coalesce. A model of outcomes focused SUCI is introduced as a template for meaningful, sustainable and outcomes-focused SUCI in social work education.     

Reality-play--experiential learning in social work training

A unique teaching model, called reality-play, arose as the result of the author's two concerns about how to teach students to integrate a theoretical model as a working tool in social work and how to prevent them from categorising people. In this teaching approach students have to go through a whole social work process by using their own real life challenges as learning material. The purpose is to learn social work from the perspective of a social worker, a user and an observer at the same time. The paper is divided into two parts. The first paper introduced the teaching model, showed how it built on an overall theoretical perspective of social constructionism, and on learning theories of adult, experiential and confluent learning to meet the concerns mentioned above. This second part presents a student evaluation of the teaching model in relation to three interwoven topics: involvement, integration of theory and practice, and awareness.     

Leadership in Social Work Education and the Social Change Model of Leadership

Leadership is a topic of international debate in both social work education and practice. Questions remain, however, regarding what specific models of leadership should be emphasized and how leadership content should be infused within the social work curriculum. This paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the infusion of leadership within social work education. Specifically, this paper shares the design and development of a graduate-level social work course in program evaluation that infused education around the social change model of leadership (SCM) and then explores qualitatively how 39 graduate students interpreted and applied this model of leadership through an experiential community-based evaluation project. Findings of this study suggest that students utilized the values identified in the SCM in a range of ways to understand and interpret their leadership experience both in their collaborative groups and in their partnerships with community-based organizations. Community organizations also reported benefiting from the experience in partnership with the students. Implications are discussed in relation to the potential value and impact of this model for social work education.     

Oasis in a concrete jungle: arts-informed methods in social work classrooms

This article presents a qualitative arts-informed inquiry on teaching and learning in social work education. Using arts-informed research methodology and grounded theory methodology, the research analyses ten interviews of social work educators in two Canadian provinces. This article focused on how university educators use arts-informed methods of teaching about social justice through anti-racist and decolonizing lenses; also discussed are the educators’ personal and professional transformation and development within this process. The main findings discuss the importance of creating an ‘artful’ space as a platform for experiential, embodied and emotive learning, which offers an innovative, more holistic and comprehensive way of teaching social justice. This way of teaching emphasizes personal transformation, giving space to marginalized voices and expression; as well as collective co-creation of meaning and creating practical tools for future social change. The study also touches upon challenges and gaps in using an arts-informed approach, which include student resistance to alternative ways of education, expressed specifically by racialized educators and ambiguity related to assessing artful works in an academic setting. The paper ends with recommendations for social work education.     

Learning Through Teaching: A Study of Social Work PhD Students in Their Roles as Educators and Learners of Research

PhD social work education programs train students to become effective researchers. Less recognized are the potential opportunities for PhD students to develop in their role as educators and the possible benefits of honing doctoral students’ knowledge of research through their role as educators. This study explored these opportunities for social work PhD students who taught an introductory research methods course to MSW students. Findings suggest that potential strong, mutual benefits for PhD and MSW students exist, and institutional supports improved PhD students’ confidence as educators and researchers. Finally, integration of Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Feynman’s mental model in the doctoral social work curriculum may enhance the profession’s development of future leaders.     

Translating knowledge into practice: using simulation to enhance mental health competence through social work education

ABSTRACT

Simulation-based learning (SBL) is an innovative experiential teaching method where students and instructors interact with a simulated client to foster students’ holistic competence in practice. Considering the context of North America where social workers are the largest service provider in the field of mental health, it is critical for educators to enhance competencies in students during the social work program. Guided by competency- and simulation-based, adult learning frameworks, this paper illustrates the development and integration of a range of educational activities into a treatment-focused advanced mental health course in the social work curriculum. We conclude by discussing how SBL enhances students’ mental health competence and provide recommendations when developing SBL in the mental health curriculum in social work education.     

Developing Entrepreneurship in Social Work Through International Education. Reflections on a European Intensive Programme

This paper addresses the issue of introducing training on entrepreneurial skills in social work education and illustrates the opportunities offered for doing so by international courses. It presents a critical reflection on the concept of entrepreneurship in social work based on the case of a European Intensive Programme within the Erasmus scheme. It explores the potential of using active experiential learning methods in an international environment and of creating a situation where participants are confronted with ‘real world’ problems so that they can develop entrepreneurial skills. The paper argues that experiences of this kind provide new stimuli and contribute substantially to developing an entrepreneurial mentality, by which is meant innovative and proactive attitudes as well as skills to develop the resources with which to face social problems in an adverse context.     

Trends in higher education in Canada and implications for social work education

Canada, like other countries around the globe, is facing new challenges and opportunities with respect to post-secondary education. Trends in higher education in Canada include rising enrolments and falling revenues; a focus on enhancing employability of graduates through experiential and interactive learning; increased calls for accountability through the assessment of teaching and learning; and the rise of technology-enabled teaching and learning. Social work education is, in many ways, well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by these trends due to the focus on case-based learning and practicum education, the focus on assessment of practice competencies as learning outcomes, and the long-standing commitment to teaching innovation and excellence. Nevertheless, meeting fiscal challenges and finding ways to exploit new technologies will require creativity and the development of an expanded body of research on social work education.     

Expansion of psychiatric services to the community

This paper describes an experiential model for teaching final year social work students how to deal with feeling issues in practice. It focuses on the middle phase of intervention primarily, using an outside person role playing a client in a classroom setting. The aim of the model is to enhance the students' ability in learning advanced empathic skills.