The Transformation of Social Work Education through Virtual Learning


Book Description

Over the past few years, numerous highly ranked, Tier 1 universities across the United States have embraced the development of advanced online degrees, a niche of secondary education long held by a small group of private, for-profit universities. Rapid advances in online learning technology, increasingly sophisticated, and easy to use ‘learning management systems’ and ‘anytime, anywhere access’ has dramatically increase the demand of individuals, mostly full time employed, working professionals. This volume addresses the dramatic changes that are occurring in social work pedagogy as more schools develop online programs. The University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work launched their ‘Virtual Academic Center’ with a cohort of 80 online students. The program has now reached a ‘steady state’ of 2,200 ‘virtual’ students now representing two thirds of their MSW student population. Additionally, the school launched a doctorate of social work degree with a focus on leading and managing innovation, leading public discourse and management of large complex systems. This book essentially tells the ‘USC story’ with the challenges faced in embracing this new technology, teaching social work courses in an online environment, as well as pedagogical enhancements made by faculty in converting traditional campus based courses to the virtual environment.







School Social Work Worldwide


Book Description

This book opens the boundaries of international school social work as never before. Sequentially arranged chapters allow practitioners, educators, and students to follow the expansion of school social work practice around the world. Leaders in the field from 12 countries provide eye-opening perspectives and interventions that are impressive in their range and application. Further, the book looks ahead to policy and practice issues for the future direction of the profession. The book makes a compelling statement about contemporary school social work -- the critical need for the international professional community to learn from one another so that all of our children can reach their full potential through education. It exemplifies the value of collaboration in developing the literature of the profession and raises issues for social work educators about including international themes in social work education.




Leading the e-Learning Transformation of Higher Education


Book Description

ÿWritten by pioneers in the field of online learning,ÿLeading the e-Learning Transformation of Higher Educationÿis a professional text that offers insights and guidance to the rising generation of leaders in the field of higher education. It explains how to integrate online learning into an institution during a period of rapid social and institutional change. This important volume: ? Shares success stories, interviews, cases and insights from a broad range of leadership styles ? Reviews how technology is transforming higher education worldwide ? Provides an overview of how distance education is organized in a range of institutional settings ? Breaks down current leadership challenges in both unit operations and institutional policy This volume launches the new Stylus series that is aimed at the online learning and distance education market. It offers readers the opportunity to benefit from the collective experience and expertise of top leaders in the field. All of the contributors have held leadership roles in national and international distance education organizations. Five of the contributors have been recognized as Sloan Consortium Fellows in 2010 and they have all collaborated with the Institute for Emerging Leaders in Online Learning. These contributors have helped pave the way and now share their insights, advice, and broad vision with the future leaders of the field.ÿ




Using Research Instruments


Book Description

Clear, accessible and practical, this guide introduces the first-time researcher to the various instruments used in social research. It assesses a broad range of research instruments - from the well-established to the innovative - enabling readers to decide which are particularly well suited to their research. The book covers: questionnaires interviews content analysis focus groups observation researching the things people say and do. This book is particularly suitable for work-based and undergraduate researchers in education, social policy and social work, nursing and business administration. It draws numerous examples from actual research projects, which readers can adapt for their own purposes. Written in a fresh and jargon-free style, the book assumes no prior knowledge and is firmly rooted in the authors' own extensive research experience. Using Research Instruments is the ideal companion volume to The Researcher's Toolkit. Together they offer a superb practical introduction to conducting a social research project.




Relational Social Work


Book Description

In this innovative book Fabio Folgheraiter presents a systematic introduction to networking and reflexive practice in social work. The text explores how the interested parties in social care can acquire a shared power in care planning and decision making and that when this networking occurs, the efficacy of caring initiatives increases.




Teaching in Social Work


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive survey of the theories, principles, methods, and formats that are most appropriate and applicable to teaching in the field of social work. Drawing from her extensive classroom and field experience, the renowned social work researcher and educator Jeane W. Anastas merges “practice wisdom” with rigorous research on instruction and learning, identifying the factors that produce effective educational outcomes. Built around a teacher- and student-in-situation framework, Teaching in Social Work examines the effect of social issues, professional norms and needs, and educational settings on the interactions among educators, students, and subjects. Anastas draws on the theories and research findings of higher education and social work education literature. She illuminates the critical aspects of teaching and learning as an adult, the best uses of different modalities of instruction, and the issues of diversity that influence all aspects of teaching and learning. The book also engages with ethics, teaching and learning assessments, and faculty work in full-time social work education. This second edition is thoroughly updated to reflect the many important developments in the years since the book’s original publication, including new accreditation standards, the rise of online instruction, changes in higher-education hiring practices, and more.




Podcasting in Social Work Education


Book Description

Technology innovations have changed how social work educators teach and students learn. This book is designed to assist social work academics and educators in enhancing their students' critical thinking, reflective capacity and skills in clinical and research settings through the integration of social work content podcasting. It delves into the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of podcasting within social work education and offers a framework for those looking to integrate podcasts into their pedagogical strategies. The book positions the co-creation of podcasts as a way forward in storytelling lived experience, enriching the lifelong educational journey for educators and students. Written by Mim Fox and Jonathan B. Singer—social work educators, practitioners, and hosts of the award-winning Social Work Stories Podcast and The Social Work Podcast, respectively—this book is an indispensable resource. It is packed with practical tips, insightful advice, compelling case studies, and helpful media links. Essential for all social work educators and practitioners, this book is essential reading for any social worker who is interested in podcasting in social work.




Global Social Transformation and Social Action: The Role of Social Workers


Book Description

This informative and incisively written edited collection brings together experts from around the world to discuss issues which the social work and social welfare sectors face every day and to ensure a closer link between evidence-based practice, policy objectives and social development goals. Furthermore, this book reveals how these may affect the conditions of people and demonstrate how the social work and social development community can contribute to sustainable development.




Pathways to Transformation


Book Description

Pathways to Transformation: Learning in Relationship is an edited collection that synthesizes current research on transformative learning and expands the current knowledge-base. This book is timely and significant as it provides a synthesis of some of the most exciting research in two fields: adult education and human services. The objectives of this themed edited collection, Pathways to Transformation: Learning in Relationship, are threefold. First, this collection serves as a space to synthesize current research on transformative learning. Through an extensive literature review, the editors have discerned several important strands of research in the area of transformative learning and solicited chapters dealing with these topics. The second objective of the collection is to expand the current knowledge-base in the area of transformative learning by creating a space for dialog on the subject and bringing together diverse voices. The third objective of the collection is to transcend the field of adult education, with a specific goal to reach an audience in human services (psychology, counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy).