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.     

Landcare as a politically relevant new social movement?

This paper explores the political relevance of the Landcare movement in Australia in an attempt to understand the capacity of rural people to develop political outcomes through social action in civil society. We relate Claus Offe's notion of a politically relevant new social movement to movement development in Landcare and discuss the implications of this in terms of movement stability, relationships with the state and neo-liberal governance in Australia.Landcare has many of the characteristics attributed to new social movements. People involved in Landcare typically express a commitment to participatory forms of action and coordination, believe in a ‘win-win’ approach to conflict and are opposed to government ‘telling them what to do’. Forms of limited protest and conflict with government occur when core values of autonomy and participation are perceived to be under threat and these values are perceived to be universal rather than just applying to movement participants. However, in contrast to the attributes associated with new social movements, Landcare does not have an outwardly ‘oppositional’ character and a high proportion of movement members in Landcare are farmers and close to the imperatives of agricultural commodity production. Further, the state has had a central role in the initiation and ongoing support of the ‘movement’.These two latter points of difference, however, confer the most ‘political relevance’ to the movement. The role of the state in catalysing Landcare and promoting the ‘program’ in terms of its participatory values, confers significant legitimacy on the outcomes of participatory Landcare fora. Further, the increased transparency and learning of the environment through Landcare activities by farmers can lead to a questioning of the current economic orthodoxy that underpins rural policy.     

Situated (un-)learning in software design: a deconstructive approach

Constructive technology assessment aims at anticipating societal impacts of technological innovations and suggests incorporating reflexivity and social learning into technology development. Social learning involves fostering the ability of diverse social actors to cultivate sociotechnical critical skills, thus allowing technological and social change to be governed with consideration for social values and diverging interests. Based on this demand, our paper presents a discourse-theoretical, interventionist approach to software design introducing deconstruction and (un-)learning as reflective practices to guide development processes. Inspired by Donna Haraway’s focus on power relations in technoscience culture, our approach—called ‘deconstructive design’—traces how structures such as in/formal hierarchies and discursive hegemonies affect the development processes and design decisions of teams or communities of practices. The underlying deconstructivist methodology refers to practice-based concepts of situated learning. Thus, it locates a potential for value-based intervention at the micro/meso-level of everyday work practices.     

Evaluating development programs: building joint activity

There has been an increasing plea for a participatory approach to development programs. It is argued that for programs to be sustainable, they need to be conceptualized, negotiated and run by all stakeholders jointly. Concurrent with this trend, there has been an increasing demand for program evaluation strategies, which encompass an evaluation of the nature and level of participation of the different stakeholders in the program. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for such evaluation and subsequently provides a practical illustration. Engeström's notions of ‘activity system’ and ‘learning by expanding’, are proposed as a framework for the evaluation of participation and an action evaluation methodology is suggested as the practical tool within such framework. The paper presents a case study of a conservation education program in Africa, which operationalizes the proposed theoretical framework.     

Task-based learning approaches for supporting the development of social science researchers’ critical data skills

Conducting social science research is a complex process, and social science students face a number of learning challenges in order to develop their skills. Moreover, new sources and types of data including so-called big data are providing new opportunities for research, but also pose methodological challenges. In this article, we explore a task-based learning approach for teaching social science research methods. We draw on evidence from two case study learning tasks: (i) the collection and analysis of Twitter data; and (ii) designing and conducting a face-to-face and online survey. The students were guided to co-lead the tasks, apply their knowledge and then to critically reflect. The pedagogical framework of task-based learning provides opportunities to embed learning in new ways by integrating knowledge, practice and critical reflection. Task-based learning can create a dynamic learning environment and can empower students to develop their identities as researchers.     

Collective consumption: an application to the passive drinking effect

This study introduces a new collective complete demand system with individual Engel effects that is easy to estimate and permits undertaking policy analysis at the individual rather than household level. Previous estimations of collective demand were limited to single equations. The empirical application investigates the passive drinking effect, that is, whether consumption of alcohol affects the distribution of resources among household members and their level of wellbeing. The results show that a high level of alcohol consumption of one household member significantly affects the allocation of household resources and suggest thought-provoking policy implications.     

Analyzing consumers heterogeneity and self-reported tastes: An approach consistent with the consumer’s decision making process

This paper analyses whether self-reported valuation of goods is an adequate proxy for underlying tastes. In this case, different self-reported appraisals, which we can associate with different utility functions, would imply different demand curves. To estimate these kinds of relationships we have used data on reported tastes on new film releases and cinema attendance. We have used a latent class approach in order to imitate the data generating process underlying the demand functions, where consumer’s preferences are determined before consumers purchase. With this procedure we can reject the hypothesis of a unique demand function for all consumers. As expected, moreover, prices have a different influence depending on individuals’ self-reported tastes and specific market policies for each consumer group could therefore be designed.     

Engaging through Learning—Learning through Engaging: An Alternative Approach to Professional Learning about Human Diversity

This paper presents an alternative framework for construing learning about human diversity as an ongoing, socially constructed, contextual process based in relational learning. The approach enables shifts in understanding for teachers, students, practitioners, client groups and organizations. Conceived to strengthen professional social workers' capacity for on the job learning, this approach provides another entry point for social work faculty to conceptualize the learning process as relational, contextual and process based. It seeks to capitalize on the learning process itself as a mechanism through which learners simultaneously engage one another around issues of culture, identity, and difference and learn through the engagement. The approach is guided by four conceptual touchstones, 14 years of social work practice in a global context, and eight iterations of teaching a masters level diversity course. Eight constructs animate this process approach. They include: exposure, engagement, emotion, empathy, narrative, personal disposition, the learning environment, and a sense of ‘self‐in‐relation’. In addition to illuminating the social structures and social processes that construct diversity, the approach can also engender the sense of relational solidarity among learners necessary for prolonged commitment to social change.     

Educating for social work in Poland—challenges of the transformation period

This article discusses the changing approach to social welfare staff education against a background of political and social transformation in Poland: new social processes, growth of social problems—especially crime and unemployment, a widening poverty sphere, but at the same time new possibilities created by the development of democratic structures, requiring new qualifications. The change in professional profile of social workers and an updated curriculum were natural consequences of that demand. Both internal reforms as well as an increase in international contacts have had a great impact on the curriculum, making it modern in regard to its content and the approach to the process of education. Important virtues of the curriculum are: due consideration for the international context of the material presented and teaching goals defined in such way that they meet the transformation period requirements without introducing only provisional solutions. Professional improvement training and post-diploma courses have also been mentioned as an important factor of successful welfare sector operations. This kind of education equips welfare staff with necessary qualifications and prevents burnout syndrome. The article briefly discusses new conditions for social education development and identifies the remaining stumbling blocks.     

'Inquiries of every imaginable kind': ethnomethodology, practical action and the new socially situated learning theory

This paper examines the increasing interest in practice‐based theorising in the new social learning theory. It argues that this body of work does not pay sufficient attention to ethnomethodology's understanding of practical action. The paper then illustrates ethnomethodology's approach to understanding practical action, highlighting the concepts of ‘inquiry’ and ‘work’, and drawing upon examples from two phases in Garfinkel's work. Potential implications are then discussed for the new practice‐based social learning theory and conclusions are drawn.     

‘Health in all Placements’ as a Curriculum Strategy in Social Work Education

The convergence of health and social perspectives that aim to improve the quality of life of individuals, groups and communities through advancing the social determinants of health provides an important context for social work education. The adaptation of global initiatives such as Health in All Policies (HiAP) to a `health in all placements' approach in social work education is suggested as a curriculum initiative to support learning about health inequalities and enable students to locate their practice in the social, political, environmental and economic context of health and wellbeing. The integration of this approach with principles of social justice, social inclusion and the theoretical framework of transformative learning in field education is also discussed. It is argued that the approach supports the inclusion of global and local perspectives in social work curricula and pedagogical imperatives in higher education.     

An Outcome Evaluation of a Problem-Based Learning Approach With MSW Students

In this article, we report the findings from a study exploring the effects of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching and learning on learning outcomes for master’s of social work (MSW) students. Students who participated in a PBL pilot project were compared with students who did not participate in 5 outcome areas: social work knowledge, values, and skills; confidence in practice skills; confidence in learning skills; motivation to engage in deep learning and use deep-learning strategies; and satisfaction with their MSW education. PBL and non-PBL approaches were equally effective in helping students learn social work skills, knowledge, and values and in developing learning skills; the non-PBL group reported a significant shift to a more situational approach to their learning.     

Continuing Validity of the Collective Behavior Approach

This study evaluates the collective behavior (CB) approach that dominated studies of social movements from the 1920s to the 1970s. Its roots lie in five scholarly traditions: Durkheim (collective consciousness), Mill (a sum of individual cost‐benefit calculations), Weber (charisma and bureaucracy), Simmel (interaction of individuals), and European mass psychology. CB studies began in Chicago University in the 1920s by Robert E. Park. His pupil Herbert Blumer made the basic classifications in the field. In the interactionist school, Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian stressed the emerging norms that modify CB, and Kurt and Gladys Engel Lang focused on collective processes. In the structure‐functionalistic school, Talcott Parsons stressed the impact of cultural trends in movement emergence, and Neil Smelser developed a value‐added theory of how social movements form. CB tradition was attacked in the 1960s when its theories did not fit into the student movement and there was a paradigm shift to resource mobilization and Marxist approaches. However, with the rise of constructivism, the ideas of CB have been reinvented in new social movement studies.     

Using a peer action learning approach in the implementation of communication and information technology in social work education

This paper reports on a peer group learning process developed within a School of Social Work to facilitate the implementation of intra-net sites to support all modules provided on a Masters Diploma in Social Work course. Based on principles of action learning, an exposition of the approach taken illuminates the value of using collective peer learning among a team of educators, especially when implementing teaching and learning methodologies which are relatively new and unfamiliar. Within the context of this demonstration, the importance of ongoing critical reflection about the use of C&IT resources to enhance learning and teaching is highlighted. The paper ends with a commentary on how learning from this process has enabled participants to become more advanced users of C&IT--advanced, not just in terms of the technical competence required to provide C&IT resources but also in terms of their ability to reflect critically on the pedagogical concerns. Possibilities for continuation and transferability of the learning process within social work education are considered.     

Learning social work law: An enquiry-based approach to developing knowledge and skills

This paper, written jointly by tutors and students, discusses an enquiry-based approach to learning and assessing law as part of social work qualifying training in England. It is argued that social work law is an area of learning particularly suited to an approach in which enquiry and analysis skills are promoted through practical problem solving. The paper considers the theoretical rationale for this approach and identifies how this conceptual frame informs the learning and assessment structure. It identifies how students present evidence for assessment of their skill and knowledge development, through both written and verbal submission, and considers the learning outcomes achieved. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the approach as an example of knowledge and skill development through problem solving and reflection.     

An evaluation paradox in social work? An empirical study of evaluation use in connection with temporary programmes in Swedish social work

This article contributes to the debate on evaluation use by analysing temporary national programmes in Swedish social work. Previous empirical research shows a gloomy picture of evaluation use, thus supporting an evaluation paradox: evaluations are not used for learning and development, but are continually prioritised. The aim of this article is to study, through interviews and document analysis, how evaluations of temporary programmes in social work are designed and used. The results support the paradox and we found that it has two dimensions. First, evaluations are prioritised, but they function as a ritual, characterised by routine and unclear intentions, with limited relevance for professional learning and improvement. The second dimension is about limited use by those commissioning the evaluations, but the evaluators are using data for new purposes and in new contexts. This is, at best, a form of conceptual use, hopefully contributing indirectly to social work practice. The article ends in a discussion on how evaluations could be designed for learning and improvement by focusing on three normative models: utilisation-focused evaluation, responsive evaluation and evidence-based practice approach (EBP).     

Teaching to teach: An ethnographic exploration of a course in social work education

A large proportion of social work doctoral students are interested in pursuing a career in academe. Despite this career aspiration, few have any notion of what is involved in teaching. This article presents a dialogue about the experiences of both a teacher and preparing teacher/student during a doctoral course in social work education. Using an ethnographic approach, the article is written as a set of observations about a shared experience. Its aim is to highlight the process of learning to teach, the struggles of students to learn a new role, the perceptions of the teacher and student about how well the role is learned, and the learning opportunities this type of course affords to would-be educators and even an experienced educator. Codification of these experiences in preparing future educators for their role provides a basis for curriculum protocols that may be used by other social work education programs.     

A Transdisciplinary Approach to Teacher Preparation: Providing Equitable Access for All Students to Learn Social Studies Content,Skills, and Processes

Abstract

Contextualized in the critical pedagogies of universal design for learning (UDL) and social justice education, our study aimed to equip teacher candidates (TCs) to provide students with equitable access to learning social studies content knowledge, skills, and processes as a way to equally empower all students to be civically engaged, and thus to disrupt the social reproduction of empowering privileged students and disempowering marginalized ones in the public schools. An earlier study indicated that our TCs did not transfer or generalize the UDL framework from foundation courses to subsequent classes or in practice. This case study describes how and in what ways elementary education faculty used a transdisciplinary approach, integrating the UDL framework taught in the foundation’s course into a social studies methods course to facilitate TCs’ continued learning and application of theory into practice. The results of this case study suggest that TCs that TCs had not yet internalized the UDL framework or critical consciousness and that these must be intentionally transferred and generalized to new coursework by the faculty on a consistent, ongoing basis.     

Teaching pedagogies enhancing social work students’ perceptions and attitudes toward older age in an undergraduate course on working with older people

Approximately threefold increases in older age population groups (+65 years) are projected in the next 15 years. Demographic changes in society will mean greater numbers of older adults in proportion to the younger generation. In the current policy on older age groups, emphasis is placed on healthy aging warranting a multidisciplinary workforce to work with older people. Despite this need and increased demand in the aged care sector, a fewer social work students are willing to undertake aged care placements or to choose it as a career option.

An innovative teaching and learning pedagogy was used in designing the course curriculum titled ‘Social Work with Older People’, including the input of invited specialist guest speakers, an on-campus interactive workshop with older guests, and an assessment designed to evaluate the learning related to the workshop content. The paper reports changes in the attitudes of students studying gerontological social work after the course delivery, evaluated through an online survey with the purpose of improving the learning outcomes in the course and to gauge students’ interest, experiences, attitudes and motivation to work in the aged care sector. The paper contributes to building knowledge in addressing the needs of the changing social demographic.