Comparison of Student Outcomes in a Campus and a Distributed Learning Class

Although interest and development of online and distributed learning (DL) has increased in recent years, the social work community has not fully embraced these formats. Many social work students are unable to commute to universities and DL education can provide degree options. A nonexperimental study using a convenience sample was done comparing student outcomes from campus and DL research methods classes with 44 students. Results indicated that final course scores did not statistically differ by course format. Results from this study confirm previous studies' conclusions that online and DL courses are an effective format for social work education.     

Field Clusters Online

SUMMARY

Social Work education relies heavily on agency-based field instruction to assist students in developing skills, and in integrating theory, practice, and research. Web-based components of field instruction may offer advantages in the integrative process, which relies on reflection, responsive communication, and feedback. Using an online format for the integrative field seminar, a new MSW advanced genera-list program in a large metropolitan area implemented an experimental model for delivery of field seminars. Results indicate high student satisfaction, greater depth of discussion, improved student involvement, and integration of learning in field.     

Student Perspectives of Online Discussions: Strengths and Weaknesses

SUMMARY

Limited research exists that examines student perceptions of online discussions in fully online classes. This is a report of initial investigation into undergraduate distance education majors' perspectives of the pedagogical value of online discussions. Over a two semester period (Spring and Fall, 2003), students taking the same online course delivered using Web Course Tools (WebCT) were surveyed regarding opinions of online discussions. The students surveyed were undergraduate students enrolled in a fully online degree program at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Although limitations exist due to small sample size and a non-standardized data collection instrument, findings from this exploratory study offer insight into undergraduate distance education student opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of online discussions as a pedagogical tool.     

Teaching Social Work in an Online Environment

This article discusses the current debate surrounding online instruction (also known as distance) versus in-class social work instruction and reviews the relevant literature associated with those instructional models. The discussion specifically focuses on key issues, including the definition and growth of online education and the Blackboard revolution, and it addresses concerns about the effectiveness of teaching online compared to in-class social work instruction in areas related to students’ learning outcomes and satisfaction. Literature references also suggest that factors such as demographics may be related to outcome differences between distance and traditional students, while others found no significant differences between both student populations and their learning outcomes in particular courses such as research methods courses. Even today, however, the comparisons between online and traditional courses are unsettled, and many questions remain about the appropriateness or usefulness of these models. Therefore, the debate will continue to lead to even larger disagreements between researchers and educators on both sides. The concern about the effectiveness of teaching in an online environment is still the main concern of educational models in general and of social work education in particular. Even deeper concerns are found among educators and scholars about the ethical issues surrounding the entire online education debate.     

Examining the Student's Decision to Pursue a Joint Graduate Degree Program in Social Work and the Law

In response to economic and educational trends, an increasing number of American universities are offering joint graduate degree programs in social work and the law. However, little is known about what drives a student to pursue study in these programs. This research study involved qualitative interviews with nine students in the United States either currently enrolled in a joint degree program in social work and law or who considered the joint degree program, but chose a single degree program instead. Interviews focused on what factors drew students to, or deterred students from, dual matriculation. Grounded theory analysis was used to identify themes across interviews. The findings can inform development of new joint degree programs in social work and law, as well as guide improvement of recruitment and retention practices for existing programs.     

Student Voices Speak Quality Assurance: Continual Improvement in Online Social Work Education

As social work education expands instruction through the rise of distance education, educators seek new ways to improve quality in online courses. Quality assurance standards and student feedback offer valuable insights to ensure satisfying and effective online learning experiences. An examination of these two assessment approaches concurrently in the context of a 4-year study of student perspectives in MSW Human Behavior and the Social Environment foundation courses illustrates how systematic feedback from students can complement existing quality assurance standards. Of particular importance is the unmistakable strength of student voices about their learning from diverse perspectives in an online collaborative leaning setting that can and should be incorporated into standardized quality assessment guidelines for social work programs.     

The status of nutrition education in ACHA college and university health centers.

An assessment of the prevalence and scope of nutrition services offered through 208 randomly selected American College Health Association member student health centers revealed that 79% of the 160 respondents provided some type of nutrition education for students. One-to-one counseling, available at 96% of the institutions, was the most common approach. The larger the school's enrollment, the more likely it was to provide programs in nutrition. All of the institutions with student populations of more than 35,000 offered some type of nutrition service, as did 52% of the 19 schools with enrollments between 2,000 and 5,000. Health educators, nurses, doctors, dietitians, and trained peer educators provided the services, with registered dietitians the most common providers and often coordinators of the programs. Costs to students for nutrition interventions were nominal; weight-management programs were the most expensive and showed the greatest variation in content.     

The Status of Nutrition Education in ACHA College and University Health Centers

Abstract

An assessment of the prevalence and scope of nutrition services offered through 208 randomly selected American College Health Association member student health centers revealed that 79% of the 160 respondents provided some type of nutrition education for students. One-to-one counseling, available at 96% of the institutions, was the most common approach. The larger the school's enrollment, the more likely it was to provide programs in nutrition. All of the institutions with student populations of more than 35,000 offered some type of nutrition service, as did 52% of the 19 schools with enrollments between 2,000 and 5,000. Health educators, nurses, doctors, dietitians, and trained peer educators provided the services, with registered dietitians the most common providers and often coordinators of the programs. Costs to students for nutrition interventions were nominal; weightmanagement programs were the most expensive and showed the greatest variation in content.     

Collaborative argumentation through role-play by students on a degree programme in social services

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of collaborative argumentation by students enrolled in a degree program in social services. Students (n = 29) in a University of Applied Sciences participated in role-play discussions and problem solving on adolescents’ substance abuse. The discussions were conducted either online (15 students) or face-to-face (14 students). The data comprise the students’ asynchronous online and face-to-face discussions, which were analysed by identifying discussion fragments relevant in collaborative argumentation, and by comparing the results of the two groups. The results showed that the face-to-face discussions were more collaborative than the online discussions. Collaboration during the face-to-face interaction was particularly evident in the higher number of explanations and acceptances. The online discussions, in turn, exhibited a higher quality of argumentation than the face-to-face discussions. However, the level of students’ justifications in both discussion types was rather low. In conclusion, these results emphasise the importance of developing methods of learning collaborative argumentation in social work education for students’ multifaceted understanding of issues encountered in the field.     

The learning camera: A personalized learning model for online pedagogy in human services education

Abstract

This article describes the development of a personalized learning approach to human services online education that utilizes a “learning camera” as a metaphorical tool for undergraduate students’ development of knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for successful transition to professional practice. By highlighting students’ ongoing development as knowledge builders and constructivist learners, the online curriculum is enacted within each student’s area of interest and in their home communities. This “learning camera” model of online pedagogy for human services education is intended to serve as a resource for other institutions interested in praxis-oriented approaches to personalized online teaching and learning.     

Social Work Admissions and Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects students wth disabilities from discrimination by academic and professional programs in higher education. A student with a disability cannot be denied admission to an educational program because of his or her disability if the student is otherwise qualified. This means that a student with a disability who is qualified for an academic or professional educational program cannot be denied admission to a program based solely on the student&s disability. This educational requirement mandated by the ADA applies to all educational fields including social work education. The purpose of this study was to explore how social work programs are dealing with these requirements in their admission and academic accommodation procedures. Twelve social work programs located in the mid-western United States participated in the study. Representatives of each of these programs were given an in-depth interview focusing on their admissions process, academic accommodations, and general topics related to social work education and disabilities. All programs taking part in the research were accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The CSWE is the national accreditation body for social work education within the United States.     

To ITV or Not to ITV: A Comparison of Hybrid and Web-enhanced Approaches to Teaching a Macro-course in Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Hybrid education includes an online component and interaction between students and teacher by televised sound and image. This approach contrasts dramatically with traditional face-to-face teaching and classroom teaching modalities enhanced by Web-based tools. Should educators in “human behavior and the social environment” (HBSE) use hybrid technologies? This study explores the differences and similarities in student satisfaction and learning outcomes between a hybrid and a face-to-face Web-enhanced macro-course in HBSE. Results suggest that hybrid and Web-enhanced course delivery methods do not differently impact student learning. Students did report greater satisfaction with some but not all aspects of the hybrid sections.     

The Implicit Curriculum: Student Engagement and the Role of Social Media

This article presents results from an exploratory study conducted as a component of an assessment of the implicit curriculum in one master’s-level social work program. Web-based surveys were used to collect data from 80 graduate social work students in online and face-to-face programs. Findings indicate students who perceived social media as more useful reported higher levels of engagement and participation in program governance. The implications for social work education deal with the ability to competently use social media as a tool to increase student engagement. Students will only be exposed to elements of the implicit curriculum if they are active participants in their academic environments.     

Perceptions of Self-Care Among MSW Students: Implications for Social Work Education

ABSTRACT

For students new to social work, self-care is a strategy for addressing potentially negative impacts of the profession. Curiously, however, participation in a university’s self-care program has been chronically low. The purpose of this study is to explore social work students’ perceptions of self-care and to create a database for supporting changes in social work education. Qualitative data were collected via an online survey from MSW students. The findings revealed 5 categories for student perceptions of self-care, including health, time, activities, balance, and professionalism, and 3 categories for self-care and the social work program, including academic program experiences, resources, and modeling. Implications of the study in developing and tailoring a self-care program to students in MSW programs are discussed.     

On-Line,Computer-Based,Interactive Simulations: Bridging Classroom and Field

ABSTRACT

This paper briefly describes two educational tutorial programs, and the efforts of this author to evaluate the effectiveness of these computer mediated programs. One interactive program is designed to teach students how to apply crisis concepts to a practice simulation, and the second program is designed to teach students how to assess lethality with a suicidal client. Formal evaluations by students of these two programs and student performance on a follow-up quiz have produced positive results. A comparison study of classes who completed these programs and a class that did not have the training has also produced significant, favorable results.     

Perceived value of a campus-based college support program by students who aged out of foster care

The purpose of this study is to evaluate core components of one college support program at a midwest university from the perspective of student users who have aged out of foster care and to assess the perception of these supports in the context of the program's college graduation rate. Ninety-five students enrolled in the program completed a 44-question survey to evaluate the program's services. Student perceived value of these services is presented along with graduation rates for students from the program. The findings confirm the importance of financial aid, housing, and adult guidance for this population in successfully graduating from college. While the 30% graduation rate for students from the program far exceeds the national average for degree completion of students with a background in foster care, it is below the rate for a comparable first-generation student population at the university. We conclude that while key components of a college support program like financial aid, housing, and trained adult staff guidance are necessary in supporting students with a background in foster care attain postsecondary success, they are not sufficient to adequately explain graduation rates.     

Student perceptions of international education and study abroad: a pilot study at York University,Canada

International student mobility has been identified as a key strategy for the internationalization of higher education. Although an institutional priority, Canada has among the lowest levels of international student mobility, with only 2% of full-time university students participating in study-abroad programs. This pilot study, conducted at a large public university in Toronto, examined the value that students place on international education, their awareness of opportunities made available by the university, their attitudes toward, perceptions of, and preferences toward study abroad, and the institutional and individual factors that influence their intent to engage in study abroad. The study found associations between students’ intent to study abroad with their perceived social and institutional support and academic hassles at the host and home institution. It identified three distinct groups within the population, those intending to study abroad, those unsure about their plans, and a third group who does not seek to pursue study abroad. In terms of applied value, the findings will inform program administrators how to customize their support services and programs to both assist interested students and attract new students that otherwise would not be interested in such an experience.     

The development and field testing of a vocational education evaluation model

Reported is the development and field testing of an evaluation model used to evaluate the vocational education programs at the Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC) of Kansas City, Missouri which can be implemented on vocational programs at other institutions. The model evaluated a vocational program on the following six criteria: (1) program's relationship to job market profile; (2) program's level of community support; (3) program's success in meeting vocational aspirations of clientele; (4) program's success in terms of student performance; (5) program 's cost-effectiveness; and (6) program 's success in reaching the handicapped and disadvantaged. The evaluation model provides a strategy and a set of procedures for assessing the quality of existing vocational education programs of study at any post-secondary institution. The model can be easily and inexpensively implemented, thus providing a data base which is useful for administrative planning and decision making.     

The impact of student loans on college access,completion, and returns

Nearly half of all first‐time undergraduates take a loan to pay for college, and many students will borrow tens of thousands of dollars by the time they leave. Low‐income students and students of color borrow student loans more often and in larger amounts, yet attend less selective institutions, are more likely to drop out with debt. Among students who complete college, those with larger amounts of debt may struggle to pay back their loans or to invest in a house, family, or future education. Researchers are just beginning to untangle how the availability and use of student loans affects college access, educational attainment, and life after college, yet this topic has important implications for economic inequality and social stratification. In this article, we summarize what is known and what remains to be investigated, about the impact of student loan availability and use on college enrollment, degree completion, and postcollege outcomes.     

An investigation of perceptions of programme quality support of adult basic education programmes

This study was designed to identify the degree to which the directors of adult basic education programs perceive they have program quality support, as evidenced by a well-defined mission and role in the community, a management system, human resources management, and a suitable learning environment. NSCALL’s Evidence-based program self-assessment (2006) was modified and administered electronically to administrators of adult education programs in a mid-southern state. Findings indicated that most directors perceive they are implementing the indicators of program quality support in all of the areas surveyed. A research-based annual self-study that considers the quality indicators is recommended, leaving a need for an update to the NCSALL assessment for use as a program assessment instrument.