The transition to online education due to the pandemic may benefit future social workers.Researchers provide a framework

LAWRENCE — The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed education, services, healthcare, and many other aspects of daily life online. For social work, that transition began as a challenge, but it can actually be an opportunity for educators, social workers, and the people they serve. published a paper arguing that educational practices can be adapted in ways that best prepare students to interact with those they serve, online, in person, or both.

Social work education, like most fields, had moved to online teaching years before the pandemic. Teaching someone how to build trust with a client, assess the progress of someone in treatment, intervene with a family in crisis, or teach other skills online It can be difficult, but it is necessary.

“Over the past decade or so, we have gone from teaching social work face-to-face, to teaching a combination of face-to-face and self-paced online content, to an online hybrid that leverages synchronous component teaching via video conferencing platforms. I now teach courses, using tools such as Canvas for asynchronous components that provide live interaction and enable autonomous online activities,” said Nancy Kepple, Associate Professor of Social Work. says. “I’ve seen people try to translate exactly what they did in the classroom and say it didn’t work, or drastically change what they did to fit in these virtual spaces. I’m basically saying it’s not one or the other.”

While providing a framework for how to teach hands-on courses across modalities, Kepple and co-author D. Crystal Coles of Morgan State University provide guidance on how future social workers can feel comfortable working with clients, both in person and online. It argues that it is important to Social work was already moving towards adding telemedicine approaches, but the pandemic has moved many services to the online space, making it clear that many people prefer to receive services online. rice field. This research was published in the Journal of Teaching in Social Work.

“In modern social work, we no longer just engage directly with people. It’s the only way.”

The title of this article is “Maintaining Magic”. This is because Kepple and Coles argue that the strength of practice instruction can be maintained as it is translated across modalities. Schools of social work/social work have returned to more face-to-face classes, but the main four modalities still exist. A hybrid of face-to-face and self-guided online activities. An online hybrid of synchronous virtual meetings and self-guided online activities. Fully asynchronous online. This article considers the structural and interactivity process elements of space, time, and people to develop a framework for maximizing the strengths of each (while navigating their constraints). It is presented in four parts.

When it comes to learning locations, educators designing hands-on courses need to consider whether they are in physical classrooms, online spaces, self-guided courses, and how students interact with each other and with instructors. The authors give examples of how practice instructors encourage people to work together based on physical or virtual space opportunities to maximize what is available and unique to each. and Coles discuss how educators and students can make the most of their time. For example, every online class spends some time troubleshooting technology. It may take time away from teaching, but educators can strategize how to find additional time to give back to their students and experiential practice. Instead, you should consider the experiences of your class participants and how you can bring them to the fore in your in-person or online instruction. Finally, interactivity is key. In the hands-on course, students interact with instructors, communicate Emphasizes the need for ideas, interaction with fellow students. This article discusses role-playing strategies and other ways to build interactions specific to each modality.

“Just reading these ideas doesn’t tell you how to experience or communicate these important skills. Empathy is both a concept and an experience to effectively communicate when interacting with someone. You have to understand,” said Kepple. “Social workers must be ready to work and help people everywhere. No. We want to be at the forefront of how we prepare students for the profession.”

Technology has evolved to provide education and social work services, but the pandemic has necessitated rapid adaptation. Although both life and education have returned to their previous norms, the change has shown the need to understand both technology and humanity, the authors say. Some clients need to be served virtually due to distance or preference. Some educators may prefer face-to-face classes, but student preferences are diversifying. In addition, students who will become the next generation of social workers must be prepared for new technologies. Considering how educators can innovate their approach will help new social workers adapt, the authors argue.

“It’s important to think about how all these elements work and how it affects the way we teach,” Kepple said. Finding intentional ways to offer what we know and what we do well in new ways Social workers and educators need to know what makes a great educational space. We want you to believe that there are many ways you can make your practice space work.”