It is estimated that 25 to 30 million people are forced to leave their homes because of human rights violations or threats to their lives. Such massive dislocations at the international level result in significant numbers of diverse, persecuted populations seeking asylum in the United States. It is estimated that as many as 400,000 victims of torture now reside in the United States, with many survivors suffering in silence. The challenge for social workers is to discover this often hidden, vulnerable population and to serve them. Among all the populations experiencing the trauma and stress of persecution, most is know about Holocaust survivors. Through examining the long-term effects of massive psychic trauma gleaned from research on Holocaust survivors and their children, this article addresses the skills, techniques, and insights about current refugee populations that can be incorporated into social work practice and training.
This paper discusses a small, exploratory study introducing students to case management using role-plays conducted in a virtual world. Data from pre-and posttest questionnaires (to assess self-efficacy regarding a range of case management tasks) suggest students felt more confident in their abilities after virtual role-play participation. Also discussed is preparing students for learning in a virtual world, some best practices to consider when developing virtual world experience, and larger contextual issues of increased broadband access to avoid exacerbating educational disparities.
Given the proliferation of online groups and growth in distance learning, there is a pressing need to develop best practices for teaching group work online. The following paper explores the implementation of an asynchronous role-play exercise conducted in online undergraduate classes about group work. The overall purposes were to help students learn about group stages and dynamics through participating in an experiential exercise and further develop their knowledge about online groups. Thematic analyses of students' refl ections on their online role-play experience are discussed, considerations regarding the complex role of the instructor are explored, educational benefi ts and related challenges are analyzed, and guidelines are presented to facilitate best practices when implementing an online role-play exercise.
<p><i>Given the proliferation of online groups and growth in distance learning, there is a pressing need to develop best practices for teaching group work online. The following paper explores the implementation of an asynchronous role-play exercise conducted in online undergraduate classes about group work. The overall purposes were to help students learn about group stages and dynamics through participating in an experiential exercise and further develop their knowledge about online groups. Thematic analyses of students’ reflections on their online role-play experience are discussed, considerations regarding the complex role of the instructor are explored, educational benefits and related challenges are analyzed, and guidelines are presented to facilitate best practices when implementing an online role-play exercise.</i></p>
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