Helen E. Petracchi

Distance Education: What Do Our Students Tell Us?

Objective Given the rapid growth of distance education in social work, there is need to evaluate contemporary efforts in schools of social work, including multisite assessments of distance learning. This article reports multisite data addressing the question of how students enrolled in distance learning courses at two urban campuses (one using Interactive TV [ITV] and the other videotape) perceive their learning experiences. Method 142 students’ responses were received from voluntarily submitted survey questionnaires querying students regarding their experiences with the technology used in their course, their learning environment, the instructors teaching skills, and perceived resource availability. Results Respondents at both sites were pleased with their learning experience, with 100% of ITV students and 75% of the students Who viewed videotaped courses indicating they would enroll in distance learning again. Conclusions The opinions of remote student respondents suggest positive learning experiences are had by students in schools of social work, particularly as they experienced these two delivery formats.

SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A COMPARISON OF INTERACTIVE TELEVISION, FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION, AND THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM

Literature on social work student experiences in distance education is limited, as are studies of student experiences using valid comparison groups. This study compares three groups of students in a research methods course. One group took the course in a classroom from which interactive television (ITV) broadcasts originated; another group participated in the same section from a remote site; and a third group enrolled in a different section using an ITV-free classroom. Students reported very favorable and comparable experiences—no statistically significant differences found. Regardless of setting, the majority of students indicated they would enroll again in courses offered in their respective formats.

A Comparison of Live Instruction and Interactive Televised Teaching: A 2-Year Assessment of Teaching an MSW Research Methods Course

Objective: This study evaluated the performance and experiences of distance learning students enrolled in a graduate-level foundation social work research methods course. Method: Students who received face-to-face instruction in a media-readied classroom on the main campus of the university were compared with their remote classmates who simultaneously received course instruction at a regional campus via interactive television (ITV). Students’ performance in the course was evaluated. In addition, students’ attitudes toward distance education as well as their experiences in this course were assessed and compared. Results: The findings illustrate there were no statistically significant differences in students’ performance or attitudes and only minor differences in the assessment of their experiences in the course. Conclusions: With no statistically significant differences found in students’ performance or experiences, ITV appears to be a viable technological option for schools of social work to deliver research methods courses.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Traditional and Web-Assisted Instruction in an Undergraduate Social Work Practice Class

SUMMARY This article addresses the dearth of research utilizing a quasi-experimental design and student performance measures in assessing web-assisted instruction in social work undergraduate practice courses. Social work students were randomly placed into two sections of a practice course. The experimental section (n = 18) students received 50% of course lectures with web-assisted instruction while the comparison class (n = 18) received identical lectures delivered in traditional face-to-face format. There were no statistically significant differences on assignments, the midterm exam and a final videotaped exam project between the two sections. These results suggest students in an undergraduate social work practice course learn similarly regardless of course format.

Benefits and Challenges of Service-Learning in Baccalaureate Social Work Programs

Service-learning is a pedagogical approach that integrates students’ classroom instruction with community experience. This article discusses qualitative results from a national survey examining service-learning in Council on Social Work Education–accredited baccalaureate programs. Almost 80% of the 202 program respondents required service-learning. They reported that benefits of incorporating service-learning in the BSW curriculum include assisting students in building community connections, applying theory and skills, socializing to the social work profession, and increasing self-awareness and exposure to diverse populations. Cited challenges include securing agency sites, time, and logistics. Findings support existing research suggesting that service-learning may benefit social work undergraduate education.

An Assessment of Service Learning in a University Living-Learning Community: Implications for Community Engagement

This article describes a civic engagement and service learning living-learning community on a dedicated floor in a university residence hall. Students volunteered to live with one another while concurrently enrolled in social work service-learning courses. Student assessment of the combined affect service learning and residence hall living-learning experience on community engagement is presented for three cohorts of participants.

Integrating Video Documentary Into the Classroom: A Community Assessment Assignment

ABSTRACT Community assessment is a strategy commonly taught to social work students to identify a community’s strengths and challenges. This article describes the value of using video documentary as part of a community assessment assignment. We identify the advantages of using video documentary in the assessment process and the reporting of findings. We discuss the preproduction, production, and postproduction steps necessary to produce a video documentary and illustrate how such assignments can be incorporated into a social work course. We conclude by identifying the educational benefits accrued to students.

Service-Learning in Baccalaureate Social Work Education: Results of a National Survey of Accredited Programs

ABSTRACT Service learning is neither field education nor volunteerism. Rather, it is a pedagogical approach designed to reinforce classroom instruction with concurrent service activities occurring in the local community. This service is driven by community-identified needs. Service learning supports social work values, yet the profession has been slow to embrace it in social work education. This article reports results of a national survey examining the use of service learning among baccalaureate programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The majority of respondents report service learning is a required component of at least one course (generally an introductory or practice-based course) and has been incorporated into their programs for more than a decade. Results also suggest some programs may not implement service learning appropriately as it remains undifferentiated from volunteerism or field education.