Direct Service Applications of Videoconferencing Technologies: Case Examples from Korea and the United States

SUMMARY

This paper describes practice applications of videoconferencing technologies in two settings. In Korea, people who live in areas which lack social welfare expertise receive services such as education, counseling, diagnostic assessment, and therapy through a system linking the central site with three service agencies in three different cities. In the United States, an interactive video breast cancer support group links women in three distant communities monthly. Evaluative feedback concerning these applications from professional and lay users will be reviewed in detail. Implications for the use of videoconferencing in social work practice will be discussed.     

The Utilization of Technology in Graduate Schools of Social Work

SUMMARY

Fifteen faculty from graduate schools of social work and staff from three social work organizations were interviewed by telephone for this qualitative study to describe utilization of technology. Schools were engaged in technology activities that ranged from basic to special technology projects. For the most part there was unevenness in the use of technology within each school and between schools. A number of themes emerged. Eleven recommendations are given to help schools to become leaders in the field of social work and technology.     

Teaching Practice Methods Using Interactive Television: A Partial Replication Study

ABSTRACT

This study compares 52 on-campus and 26 distance education (DE) MSW students enrolled in two practice methods courses. This is a partial replication study, describing the results of the evaluation of the second cohort of a large DE program. The results from the first cohort are reported elsewhere (Kleinpeter & Potts, 2000). The DE students were located at four universities linked through interactive television (ITV). The comparison group was located at an urban university, taught in traditional classrooms. Comparisons were made on student grades, faculty evaluations, and field instructors' evaluations. Results indicate that no significant differences were found between on-campus and DE students which supports the findings of the first cohort, despite a reduction in faculty visits to off-campus locations, a greater use of ITV instruction, and an increased reliance on the use of local site coordinators as assistant instructors in the classroom.     

Infusing Web-Based Content Centers into an M.S.W. Curriculum: A Faculty and Student Development Project

ABSTRACT

Web-based content centers are collections of scholarly digital resources that can be used to support learning in a variety of contexts. Through a recent pilot project, faculty created web-based content centers to support key curriculum areas of an M.S.W. program. Additionally the project aimed at developing technology skills of faculty designers and student users of course support materials. Positive student learning outcomes and increased faculty use of technology resulted. Project outcomes also included the building of virtual learning communities.     

Newly Educated MSW Social Workers’ Use of Evidence-Based Practice and Evidence-Supported Interventions: Results From an Online Survey

ABSTRACT

Social work programs have increased evidence-based practice (EBP)-related curricular content; yet, it is unclear whether newer practitioners are successful in incorporating it into their practice. This study examines factors that influence the use of EBP among newly graduated social workers. We developed and implemented a Web-based survey that assessed individual, school, and agency factors that predict implementation of EBP among a sample of master’s of social work practitioners post-graduation. Multiple regression analysis resulted in five factors that were significantly associated with use of EBP: confidence with EBP; feeling that EBP is essential to practice; organizational culture emphasizes EBP; field placement/internship emphasizes EBP; and faculty emphasizes EBP. Findings suggest that individual and organizational factors may be more important in determining use of EBP than educational program factors alone.     

Senior Faculty Perceptions of Social Work Journals

Abstract

Academic journals are the primary means of disseminating new knowledge. A journal's prestige is a key determinant of its contents' visibility, readership, impact on practice, and use and citation in future research. This article presents a method for assessing the prestige of journals in the diverse field of social work, and demonstrates its application in a 1990 survey in which 421 senior faculty at accredited graduate schools of social work rated the familiarity and perceived quality of 120 journals in their field. The findings have value for researchers seeking to publish their work in the most appropriate journal and for persons attempting to assess the scholarly contribution of social work educators.     

Using Student Course Evaluations: Findings,Issues, and Recommendations

Abstract

Although university administrators widely use student course evaluations (SCEs) in evaluating faculty performance, faculty members are skeptical about what SCEs actually measure. Faculty lack information about SCE reliability and validity and whether administrators use them fairly in making personnel decisions. This article reports research findings on factors that threaten the reliability and validity of SCEs. It provides recommendations for minimizing these threats. It reports findings of a recent survey of social work deans on their opinions about and use of SCEs. The article also presents recommendations to enhance the use of SCEs.     

Student and faculty perceptions about mandatory influenza vaccinations on a health sciences campus

Objective: To examine the perceptions among faculty and health professional students regarding mandatory vaccination policies on a health sciences campus. Participants: A total of 296 faculty and 244 students completed surveys during Fall 2015. Methods: The online survey administered to individuals who received the influenza vaccine during the fall 2015 influenza vaccination clinic season included five items evaluating perceptions of employer mandatory vaccination requirements. Results: Chi-square analysis indicated that although faculty and students agree mandatory vaccinations in a health care environment are appropriate, faculty are more likely than students to get vaccinated in the absence of a mandate. Additionally, a small fraction of faculty would consider employment elsewhere when facing this mandate. Conclusions: Overall, faculty and students had favorable perceptions about mandatory influenza vaccine policies. Since students were less likely to be vaccinated in the absence of a mandate, education of students should be improved to support the importance of vaccinations in a health care environment.     

Bridging the Gaps: An Interdependent Model for Educating Accountable Practitioners

Abstract

This article presents an Interdependent Model that integrates field instruction with the clinical and research curricula to educate students to become accountable practitioners. It describes the application of this model in teaching single-system evaluation to social work students with support from faculty, field advisers, and agency practitioners who provide field supervision. The merits of using this model as compared to other more common, less comprehensive approaches to social work education are examined. Issues relating to the implementation of the Interdependent Model are also discussed.     

Unemployment and Political Partisanship: Support for the Null Hypothesis

Abstract

Analysis of survey data from faculty at fifteen colleges and universities in a large Midwestern metropolitan area supports earlier speculations that certain attributes unique to academia are predictive of differential participation in several aspects of socio-political life. Scholarly commitments and working in a field that studies socio-political issues per se are associated with liberal attitudes, casting votes for liberal candidates, and overt involvement in radical political activities. Tendencies for these associations were observed in both secular and church-related schools. Contrary to critics of the recent Ladd and Lipset studies, there is a clear tendency for faculty with liberal covert attitudes to translate them into overt participation in liberal and radical political activities.     

An Integrative Approach to Teaching Family Resource Management

Abstract

Family resource management is one of ten substance areas that are required for certification in family life education (National Council on Family Relations, 2005). Unfortunately, few discipline-specific resources are available for faculty assigned to teach the family resource management course. A rich tradition of theory and practice in the field has stalled, with little conceptual development since the 1980s to guide faculty teaching the course. In response, we offer a new conceptual framework for teaching family resource management that extends previous models by integrating management with other functions of the family. Specific course objectives, methods of evaluation, classroom activities, recommended materials, and teaching strategies are provided.     

Teaching without being taught how: social work practice faculty voices

ABSTRACT

Social work practice faculty have an important role in socializing MSW students to the field and practice of social work. This study, based on interviews with 15 faculty teaching an advanced clinical practice course in the United States, examines how faculty conceptualize teaching and learning. Faculty were asked about the theories or frameworks that guided their teaching, their own journeys to teaching and the resources that support their teaching. The study found that participants drew largely on their own experiences as student learners and social work practitioners and did not have much formal training in teaching and student learning. Furthermore, while half of the participants were able to identify a learning theory that guided their teaching, the other half were not. Finally, while participants articulated the need for support regarding their own teaching, many of the schools did not have formal faculty development opportunities. The paper ends with recommendations for supporting current and new faculty regarding teaching and student learning.     

Collaborative Education in a Radical Social Work Course

Abstract

This paper explores the use of social group work in a graduate MSW course on Progressive Social Work Practice co-taught by Jan, a faculty member, Stacy, a current graduate student, and the students enrolled in the course.     

Motivational Signage Increases Physical Activity on a College Campus

Objective: The authors evaluated whether motivational signage influenced rates of stair use relative to elevator use on a college campus. Participants: In March and April 2004, the authors observed students, faculty, staff, and any visitors accessing a college campus building. Methods: During Phase I, the authors monitored ascending stair and elevator use at the same time each weekday (Monday-Friday). During Phase II, the authors placed motivational signs encouraging stair use at the bottom of the stairs and outside and inside the elevators. During the third week (Phase III), the authors removed the signs. Results: The authors observed 18,389 ascending trips during the 3 weeks of the study. Motivational signs significantly contributed to an 18.6% increase in stair use in the second week, which was maintained in the following week. Conclusions: The signage intervention successfully enhanced physical activity on a college campus by providing educational health tips that may have served as motivation to choose the stairs.     

Active Commuting Patterns at a Large,Midwestern College Campus

Abstract

Objective: To understand patterns and influences on active commuting (AC) behavior. Participants: Students and faculty/staff at a university campus. Methods: In April–May 2008, respondents answered an online survey about mode of travel to campus and influences on commuting decisions. Hierarchical regression analyses predicted variance in walking and biking using sets of demographic, psychological, and environmental variables. Results: Of 898 respondents, 55.7% were female, 457 were students (50.4%). Students reported more AC than faculty/staff. For students, the models explained 36.2% and 29.1% of the variance in walking and biking, respectively. Among faculty/staff, the models explained 45% and 25.8% of the variance in walking and biking. For all models, the psychological set explained the greatest amount of variance. Conclusions: With current economic and ecological concerns, AC should be considered a behavior to target for campus health promotion.     

A Survey of 100 Community Colleges on Student Substance Use,Programming, and Collaborations

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to survey community college personnel about student substance use, and infrastructure (staff and funding), programs, and collaborations dedicated to substance use prevention. Participants: The sample included 100 administrators, faculty, and health services staff at 100 community colleges. Methods: Participants completed a Web-based survey. Results: Participants reported a number of alcohol and other drug (AOD) related concerns. Despite limited staff and funding dedicated to AOD, institutions are implementing a number of programs, although many are not implementing some of the programs popular at traditional 4-year colleges. They are also collaborating with a number of on- and off-campus groups. The availability of staff and funding dedicated to AOD, and the presence of residence halls, is associated with health programming and substance abuse collaborations. Conclusions: Results suggest that there is a need for increased research to understand the most effective AOD prevention strategies for community colleges.     

A Collaborative Student Affairs and Faculty Health Assessment and Intervention Initiative

Abstract

The authors describe a collaborative partnership forged between faculty and student affairs staff to improve student health at a large urban university. They examine skills and reward structures of each constituency and the stages of the collaboration in the context of 2 theoretical models. A comprehensive data collection and dissemination process in the campus community provided goals for the initial stage of the partnership, leading to implementation of campus initiatives that use the reciprocal skills of each stakeholder. Outcomes of the collaboration included (1) a working relationship between faculty and student affairs staff, (2) increased dialogue with high-level administrators, (3) more coordinated campus efforts to decrease high-risk drinking, (4) use of outcome measures for implementing and evaluating health programs, and (5) an opportunity for interdisciplinary research. The authors offer suggestions for implementing the process on other campuses.     

Violence in Predominantly White Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter examines the patterns of violence associated with the tenure process for the African American professor in traditionally white higher education institutions. In this article, violence is examined in the context of its psychological and demeaning effects. The following dimensions are reviewed: recruitment of African American faculty; the review process for tenure; the politics of tenure; socialization and orientation of faculty; junior faculty as victims and tenure denial. Intervention strategies for addressing the problems of violence are recommended.     

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Acceptability and Effectiveness of University Smoke-Free Policies

Abstract

Objective: Systematically review studies of support for, and effectiveness of, university campuses’ smoke-free policies. Participants/Methods: A search was carried out for studies in English related to campus smoking bans through June 2013. Eligible studies had outcomes for student or faculty attitudes, or measures of smoking prevalence or secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Results: Nineteen eligible studies were identified, 18 from the United States and 1 from the United Kingdom. A meta-analysis found 58.94% (95% confidence interval [CI] [52.35%, 65.53%]) of students (12 studies) and 68.39% (95% CI [65.12%, 71.67%]) of faculty (7 studies) supported smoke-free policies. Both studies measuring student smoking prevalence indicated a postban reduction (16.5% to 12.8% after 1 year [p < .001] and 9.5% to 7.0% [p = .036] after 3 years). Only 5% of UK universities were smoke-free compared with 25% of US universities. Conclusions: A majority of students and faculty support smoke-free campus policies, which may reduce smoking and SHS exposure.