Blending learning for the human services

Neil Ballantyne

Director

Learning Designs

Blended learning

“Blended learning is the thoughtful fusion of face-to-face and online learning

experiences…such that the strengths of each are blended into a unique learning

experience congruent with the context and intended educational purpose.”

(Garrison & Vaughan, 2008, p5)

What’s in the human services blend?

1. Social science knowledgedeclarative knowledge – knowing about

2. Clinical practice knowledgefunctioning knowledge – know how

3. Direct practice experiencethe practicum or placement

The first is the most likely candidate for online delivery

The second two are usually delivered F2F

Moving beyond technoscepticism

• The human services literature includes a strong element of techno-scepticism and resistance to technology use in teaching and in practice.

• Sometimes presented in the form of a manifesto for resistance rather than a reasoned academic discussion of evidence

• See in particular: Kreuger & Stretch (2009); Kreuger & Stretch (2000a); Kreuger & Stretch, (2000b), and for a more recent example Vodde et al. (2010)

• However, social work is engaging with the emerging network society (Ballantyne & LaMendola, 2011); and the use of distance learning is increasing (e.g. Oliaro & Trotter, 2010; Vernon et al. 2009; Wilke & Vinton, 2006)

Distance education in social work: current and emerging trends

Survey by US Council of SW Education• 41% of BSW and 52% of MSW are delivering distance

courses• Further 18% of BSW and 19% of MSW are considering

delivery• 72% of BSW and 56% of MSW are using Internet/web

delivery• 63% of BSW and 76% of MSW delivery is blended• 14.5% of BSW and 20% BSW delivering practice

courses(Vernon et al., 2009)

A comparison of on-campus and distance social work education

• @Monash University, Australia• Different demographics

– Off-campus students were older, had children, working in social services, lived at a distance

• Both groups satisfied with programmes of study• Distance students more satisfied with access to staff• Distance students less satisfied with distance as a

mode of study• No significant difference in grades

(Oliaro & Trotter, 2010)

Evaluation of first web-based advanced MSW programme

• @Florida State University, USA• Demographic difference

– Distance students older and had more work experience

• No significant difference in satisfaction or grades

• Distance students score slightly lower in relation to some Fieldwork Educator ratings

(Wilke & Vinton, 2006)

Human service educators are beginning to harness new ways ofteaching practice skills

Learning practice skills online

• Some exceptions to the rule that clinical practice skills ought to be taught F2F

• Social work students in Canada and Scotland use multimedia case studies in a blended problem-based learning environment (Ballantyne & Knowles, 2007)

• Social work students – one group F2F and one online – develop social work interview skills and video record interviews for assessment (Ouellette et al., 2006)

• Social work students use web-based environment to learn skills in couples therapy (Shibusawa et al., 2006)

• Online course as part of online MSW teaches clinical skills online (Siebert & Spaulding-Givens, 2006)

We need new kinds of interactive learning…

(Anderson, T. , 2008)

…new ways of conceptualising interactivity

(Garrison & Anderson, 2003)

…and new ways of imagining community & presence

The limitations of the practicum

• The supply of quality placements• The training and experience of practice educators• Timely access to the right learning opportunities

A thought experiment…the virtual practicum?

• It’s the year 2020• For one hour each week practicum students (as as an

adjunct to their live practicum experience) engage in an immersive VR simulation

• They work with real and simulated actors in virtual scenarios linked to key learning outcomes

• Different cultures can be represented• Skills are practiced and can be assessed• The avatars pass the Turing Test• Would this be an educationally toxic experience?

Image Credits

Slide 8

By: iriss.org.uk

CC License: Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) |

URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/openlx/5950636723/

Slide 10

By: Tadeeej

CC License: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tadeeej/3228729514/

Slide 13

By: iriss.org.uk

CC License: Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/openlx/3697928772/