A packaged learning process: The consolidated approach

The authors have recently completed a research review on learning and teaching of assessment in social work which was commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the Social Policy and Social Work Learning and Teaching Support Network (SWAPltsn) to support the development of the new social work award in England. This involved reviewing relevant literature from social work and cognate disciplines back to 1990 with the aim of identifying best practice in learning and teaching of assessment skills.Although assessment has been recognised as a core skill in social work and should underpin social work interventions, there is no singular theory or understanding as to what the purpose of assessment is and what the process should entail. Social work involvement in the assessment process may include establishing need or eligibility for services, to seek evidence of past events or to determine likelihood of future danger, may underpin recommendations to other agencies, or may determine the suitability of other service providers. In some settings assessment is considered to begin from the first point of contact and may be a relatively short process, whereas elsewhere it may be a process involving several client contacts over an extended period of time. The assessment process may range from the collection of data on standardised proforma to a flexible approach depending on circumstances. These variations permeate the literature on the learning and teaching of assessment in social work and cognate disciplines.Several different approaches to classroom based learning were proposed in the literature including case-based teaching, interviews with actors who have been trained to play 'standardised clients', and observation of children and families, as well as didactic lecturing and various uses of video equipment and computers. Furthermore learning by doing has long been one of the hallmarks of social work education, and there are a number of models proposed in which students learn about the assessment process through conducting assessments. The evidence to support these different approaches to

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Information Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Learning and teaching assessment: reviewing the evidence1

Crisp

Anderson²,

Orme³

et al. 2004

“…These methodologies include such formats as the use of case studies (Cramer, 1995;Jones, 2003;Jones & Cearley, 2002), cooperative learning strategies (Calderwood, 2002;Steiner et al, 1999), or problem based learning (Altshuler & Bosch, 2003;Burgess, 1992). These types of articles discuss the application of these methodologies to the social work curriculum and are useful in providing educators with strategies for effective content delivery.…”

Section: Social Work and Teachingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Courage to Teach for Social Work Educators

East

Chambers

2007

Teaching social work is a science, an art form and a passion. Within that context, the purpose of this article is to explore teaching as a science/art, and to integrate the work of Parker Palmer into the scholarship of teaching and learning for social work education. Using the narratives of two 'still learning' social work educators, Palmer's work will be described and its application experiences shared. The article concludes by making a link between Palmer's ideas and social work education.

Making Changes to Assessment Methods in Social Work Education: Focusing on Process and Outcome

Cartney¹

2010

SummaryMoving towards delivering the new social work qualification led to many social work programmes considering the 'fitness for purpose' of assessment methods being used to assess the competence of social work students. This article highlights how changes in assessment methods were considered on one particular social work programme. The advantages and disadvantages of three particular assessment methods in relation to professional practice are debated here. Discussions emanating from these considerations and subsequent changes made to the programme are highlighted. The specific focus is on the experience of one particular social work programme which is used as a case study to illustrate issues of general relevance in social work education. It is intended that the reflections presented in this article contribute to this broader arena of learning and teaching for professional practice taking place and continuing beyond the introduction of the new qualification. Key words: assessment methods, advantages, disadvantages, essays, case studies, SCREEs and LASERs IntroductionThe General Social Care Council (GSCC), the British regulatory body for the social work profession and social work education, introduced a new three year qualifying degree in social work in 2003 replacing the previous two year Diploma in Social Work. Curriculum changes required for this new social work qualification provided the impetus for many social work programmes to review curriculum content and to reflect on the appropriateness of assessment methods 2 used. This article is based on the ongoing of one such programme's experience. It provides a brief overview of some commonly used assessment modes and how they relate to social work practice, but is offered primarily as a case study illustrating processes involved in changing assessment methods which may have resonance for programmes elsewhere and contribute to current debates about the use of assessment methods for social work students. Locating the LiteratureLiterature in the field of social work education has traditionally focused more on the assessment of practice based learning in field settings. There is a paucity of literature on the assessment of classroom based learning (Crisp and Lister, 2002) in social work, however a wide range of material exists in the field of adult learning. Cree (2000) acknowledges that changes to assessment in social work tend to reflect changes in higher education generally. This wider literature has been criticised, however, for its tendency to omit discussion of the social, political and economic context in which learning takes place. It has been argued that this gives it a limited applicability to professional education (Taylor, 1997). This paper therefore explicitly places it within the broader framework necessary for professional practice.Adult learning literature emphasises the key role of assessment in students' learning. Gibbs (1999) argues that assessment is the most powerful lever teachers have to influence the way students respond to courses and su...