Bringing the Community into the Classroom: Applying the Experiences of Social Work Education to Service-Learning Courses in Sociology

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Isaacs Lowe ◽  
Michael Reisch
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Work Education

Social Work Education and Service Learning

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. King
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Master's Level ◽  
Social Work Values ◽  
Student Skill ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Schools Of Social Work

In order to increase the collaboration between communities and schools of social work, this article urges educators at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to consider the benefits of including service learning in social work curricula. An approach to social work education via service learning places an equal emphasis on meaningful community service and student skill development, in contrast to other forms of experiential learning. An empowering approach to integrating theory and practice, service learning embodies specific social work values, such as respect for diversity, self-determination, collaboration, social justice, a person-in-environment focus, and accountability. Drawing on recent examples from baccalaureate and master's-level programs, empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of service learning in the field of social work is offered.

Bridging the Explicit and Implicit Curricula: Critically Thoughtful Critical Thinking

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari Miller ◽  
Carolyn Tice ◽  
Diane Harnek Hall
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Critical Theory ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Work Education

Critical thinking lies at the core of social work practice given that decision making often is swift and occurs in a climate of uncertainty. The recent changes to the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards developed by the Council on Social Work Education emphasize critical thinking by promoting an integrative curriculum design that distinguishes between explicit and implicit elements. This article presents critical thinking, embedded in critical theory, as a discipline-specific construct central to effective social work education and practice that links the explicit and implicit curricula. Definitions of critical thinking and their relationship to critical theory are discussed. The article argues that a critical theory framework can be applied to social work education via service learning to enhance critical thinking skills among undergraduates.

scholarly journals Development of a Web-Based GIS Learning Module for Community Asset Mapping to Enhance Service Learning in Social Work Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-52
Author(s):  
Xue Luo ◽  
Wansoo Park
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Asset Mapping ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Learning Module ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Work Education

In recent years, service learning – a pedagogical approach that integrates learning through service in the community – has gained increasing popularity in higher education as a means to enhance student learning and civic engagement. Service learning is relevant to social work education because of its emphasis on social justice and the amelioration of social problems and field education through practicum sites. The benefits of service learning, however, are dependent on successful integration of this pedagogical approach into the classroom. By developing a web-based learning module, this project aims to explore the possibility of using community asset mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) as an integrated technology tool to promote service learning in social work education. An assessment of this module was conducted by a student survey. The overall positive feedback on the module indicates its contribution to social work study as well as its potential applicability to larger contexts. The project can serve as a starting point for developing best practices for the training of students in mapping and spatial thinking in their community practices that would benefit other disciplines as well. The project supports the university’s mission to improve student-centred, interdisciplinary, and innovative teaching and learning, and its commitment to enhance the economic and social well-being of the local communities.

scholarly journals SERVICE-LEARNING IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION TO DEVELOP SOCIAL WORK COMPETENCIES IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
Monika Gruslyte
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Education

The paper deals with service-learning as a teaching and learning approach in higher education being embedded in social work education seeking to achieve the synergy of the two reciprocally complementing and contributing phenomena. The aim of the theoretical investigation is to overview the concept of social work education as facilitated by service-learning to develop social work competencies in university students. The contribution of service-learning in delivering social work education curricula usually emphasises the development of core competencies and values in social work students, prospective professionals. The contemporary challenges, expectations and contextual demands are set for the social work profession both globally and locally. Therefore, the present research attempts to explore how the two concepts are bridged to meet for the development of social work competencies in university students and shares the insights on the implementation of this pedagogical approach in academic and broader community contexts. 

scholarly journals Service Learning as a Transition into Foundation Field

10.18060/29 ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy P. Kropf ◽  
Mininder Tracey
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Field Placement ◽  
Work Program ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Social Work Program

Service learning is a pedagogical method to bridge classroom and community experiences for students. Although social work education has historically emphasized this connection through internship experiences, service learning can fill a different function within the curriculum. This article proposes a service learning experience to assist graduate students with the transition into their foundation field placement. Beneficial outcomes of using service learning as an educational bridge are discussed for students, faculty, and the social work program.

scholarly journals Service-Learning and Social Work Competency-Based Education: A "Goodness of Fit"?

10.18060/1318 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Field Placements ◽  
Competency Based Education ◽  
Practice Behaviors ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Work Education

As social work education moves to a competency-based approach, faculty are increasing their use of pedagogical tools designed to provide students with opportunities, in addition to traditional field placements, to develop practice skills. Faculty are no doubt turning to service-learning, and other forms of experiential education, to provide these opportunities and to offer an additional means for departments to demonstrate and measure student practice behaviors. To help focus the use of service-learning in social work education, this article uses sources from the larger service-learning field and from social work scholarship to examine the nature of service-learning, to review current service-learning trends, to summarize its use in social work education, and to raise questions about its goodness of fit with competency-based education.

scholarly journals Institutionalizing service-learning as a social work pedagogy: experiences, challenges and contributions to acquisition of competencies

2022 ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Melody Ambagan
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Basic Competencies ◽  
Competency Based ◽  
Work Education

Social Work Education (SWE) in the Philippines is a competency-based academic discipline that focuses on the development of student practice behaviors. The goal of SWE is to demonstrate the integration and application of the competencies in practice with various client systems. This is where the SWE of Southern Christian College (SCC) saw the need to adopt service-learning (SL) as a pedagogy that would aid, assess, and enhance students’ readiness for professional practice. Since it is a combination of academic instruction and community service to address identified community needs, SL is viewed to be an effective vehicle to ensure that students apply what they learn from their classes to address real-world problems in communities. This paper will present the process of how SL had been introduced as an academic framework in one of the social work courses in SCC in 2010 and will particularly highlight the experiences, challenges, gains and learning insights. Experiences of students and faculty revolved around their engagements, challenges encountered, personal and professional learning, and social and psychological gains. Based on the data gathered, an SL framework was developed to reflect the practice of SL in the SCC-SWE. In conclusion, SL as a pedagogy in social work education has contributed to the acquisition and development of basic competencies in terms of knowledge, values and attitudes and skills. The gains which service-learners identified superseded the challenges which they encountered along the various phases.

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