Competency-BasedFieldEducation
Objectives
• Distinguishbetweencontent-basedandcompetency-basedlearning
• Describe9coresocialworkcompetencies• Identifythefieldinstructor'sroleincompetency-basedlearning
• Applycontenttostudentcasevignettes
CouncilonSocialWorkEducation• TheCouncilonSocialWorkEducation(CSWE)isanonprofitnationalassociationwhichisrecognizedbytheCouncilforHigherEducationAccreditationasthesoleaccreditingagencyforsocialworkeducationinourcountry
• ProvidesguidelinesforsocialworkeducationthroughitsEducationalPolicyAccreditationStandards(EPAS)– Publishesrevisionsevery7years– Mostsignificantrevisionoccurredin2008withamovetocompetency-basededucation(CBE)
– 2015EPASisthecurrentsetofstandardsRobbins,S.P.(2014).FromtheEditor—Accreditation,competency-basededucation,andEPASrevisions.Journal
ofSocialWorkEducation,50:4,581-586.
WhatisCompetency-BasedEducation?
Competency-Based• Anoutcomes-oriented
approachfocusedonstudentlearningoutcomes
• Addressesstandards ofstudentperformanceofprofessionalfunctions
• Involvesidentifyingandassessingstudent’sabilitytodemonstrate competenciesoutlinedintheCSWEEPAS
CouncilonSocialWorkEducation.(2015).Educationalpolicyandaccreditationstandards.Retrievedfromhttp://www.cswe.org/File.aspx?id=81660
Traditional/Content-Based• Amethods-oriented
approachfocusedoncontentandtheteachingprocess
• Addresseslearninggoalsandobjectives
• Involvesassessingstudentlearningwithexam/testscoresandearningcreditforcompletingcourse
“Socialworkcompetenceistheabilitytointegrateandapplysocialworkknowledge,values,andskillstopracticesituationsinapurposeful,intentional,andprofessionalmannertopromotehumanandcommunitywell-being.”
CouncilonSocialWorkEducation.(2015).Educationalpolicyandaccreditationstandards.Retrievedfromhttp://www.cswe.org/File.aspx?id=81660
DEMONSTRATEETHICALANDPROFESSIONALBEHAVIOR
• Socialworkersunderstandthevaluebaseoftheprofessionanditsethicalstandards,aswellasrelevantlawsandregulationsthatmayimpactpracticeatthemicro,mezzo,andmacrolevels.
• Socialworkersunderstandframeworksofethicaldecision-makingandhowtoapplyprinciplesofcriticalthinkingtothoseframeworksinpractice,research,andpolicyarenas.
• Socialworkersrecognizepersonalvaluesandthedistinctionbetweenpersonalandprofessionalvalues.Theyalsounderstandhowtheirpersonalexperiencesandaffectivereactionsinfluencetheirprofessionaljudgmentandbehavior.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheprofession’shistory,itsmission,andtherolesandresponsibilitiesoftheprofession.
• SocialWorkersalsounderstandtheroleofotherprofessionswhenengagedininter-professionalteams.
• Socialworkersrecognizetheimportanceoflife-longlearningandarecommittedtocontinuallyupdatingtheirskillstoensuretheyarerelevantandeffective.
• Socialworkersalsounderstandemergingformsoftechnologyandtheethicaluseoftechnologyinsocialworkpractice.
ENGAGEDIVERSITYANDDIFFERENCEINPRACTICE
• Socialworkersunderstandhowdiversityanddifferencecharacterizeandshapethehumanexperienceandarecriticaltotheformationofidentity.Thedimensionsofdiversityareunderstoodastheintersectionalityofmultiplefactorsincludingbutnotlimitedtoage,class,color,culture,disabilityandability,ethnicity,gender,genderidentityandexpression,immigrationstatus,maritalstatus,politicalideology,race,religion/spirituality,sex,sexualorientation,andtribalsovereignstatus.
• Socialworkersunderstandthat,asaconsequenceofdifference,aperson’slifeexperiencesmayincludeoppression,poverty,marginalization,andalienationaswellasprivilege,power,andacclaim.
• Socialworkersalsounderstandtheformsandmechanismsofoppressionanddiscriminationandrecognizetheextenttowhichaculture’sstructuresandvalues,includingsocial,economic,political,andculturalexclusions,mayoppress,marginalize,alienate,orcreateprivilegeandpower.
ADVANCEHUMANRIGHTSANDSOCIAL,ECONOMIC,ANDENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
• Socialworkersunderstandthateverypersonregardlessofpositioninsocietyhasfundamentalhumanrightssuchasfreedom,safety,privacy,anadequatestandardofliving,healthcare,andeducation.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheglobalinterconnectionsofoppressionandhumanrightsviolations,andareknowledgeableabouttheoriesofhumanneedandsocialjusticeandstrategiestopromotesocialandeconomicjusticeandhumanrights.
• Socialworkersunderstandstrategiesdesignedtoeliminateoppressivestructuralbarrierstoensurethatsocialgoods,rights,andresponsibilitiesaredistributedequitablyandthatcivil,political,environmental,economic,social,andculturalhumanrightsareprotected.
ENGAGEINPRACTICE-INFORMEDRESEARCHANDRESEARCH-INFORMED
PRACTICE
• Socialworkersunderstandquantitativeandqualitativeresearchmethodsandtheirrespectiverolesinadvancingascienceofsocialworkandinevaluatingtheirpractice.
• Socialworkersknowtheprinciplesoflogic,scientificinquiry,andculturallyinformedandethicalapproachestobuildingknowledge.
• Socialworkersunderstandthatevidencethatinformspracticederivesfrommulti-disciplinarysourcesandmultiplewaysofknowing.
• Theyalsounderstandtheprocessesfortranslatingresearchfindingsintoeffectivepractice.
ENGAGEINPOLICYPRACTICE
• Socialworkersunderstandthathumanrightsandsocialjustice,aswellassocialwelfareandservices,aremediatedbypolicyanditsimplementationatthefederal,state,andlocallevels.
• Socialworkersunderstandthehistoryandcurrentstructuresofsocialpoliciesandservices,theroleofpolicyinservicedelivery,andtheroleofpracticeinpolicydevelopment.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheirroleinpolicydevelopmentandimplementationwithintheirpracticesettingsatthemicro,mezzo,andmacrolevelsandtheyactivelyengageinpolicypracticetoeffectchangewithinthosesettings.
• Socialworkersrecognizeandunderstandthehistorical,social,cultural,economic,organizational,environmental,andglobalinfluencesthataffectsocialpolicy.
• Theyarealsoknowledgeableaboutpolicyformulation,analysis,implementation,andevaluation.
ENGAGEWITHINDIVIDUALS,FAMILIES,GROUPS,ORGANIZATIONS,AND
COMMUNITIES
• Socialworkersunderstandthatengagementisanongoingcomponentofthedynamicandinteractiveprocessofsocialworkpracticewith,andonbehalfof,diverseindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersvaluetheimportanceofhumanrelationships.• Socialworkersunderstandtheoriesofhumanbehaviorandthesocialenvironment,and
criticallyevaluateandapplythisknowledgetofacilitateengagementwithclientsandconstituencies,includingindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersunderstandstrategiestoengagediverseclientsandconstituenciestoadvancepracticeeffectiveness.Socialworkersunderstandhowtheirpersonalexperiencesandaffectivereactionsmayimpacttheirabilitytoeffectivelyengagewithdiverseclientsandconstituencies.
• Socialworkersvalueprinciplesofrelationship-buildingandinter-professionalcollaborationtofacilitateengagementwithclients,constituencies,andotherprofessionalsasappropriate.
ASSESSINDIVIDUALS,FAMILIES,GROUPS,ORGANIZATIONS,AND
COMMUNITIES
• Socialworkersunderstandthatassessmentisanongoingcomponentofthedynamicandinteractiveprocessofsocialworkpracticewith,andonbehalfof,diverseindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheoriesofhumanbehaviorandthesocialenvironment,andcriticallyevaluateandapplythisknowledgeintheassessmentofdiverseclientsandconstituencies,includingindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersunderstandmethodsofassessmentwithdiverseclientsandconstituenciestoadvancepracticeeffectiveness.
• Socialworkersrecognizetheimplicationsofthelargerpracticecontextintheassessmentprocessandvaluetheimportanceofinter-professionalcollaborationinthisprocess.
• Socialworkersunderstandhowtheirpersonalexperiencesandaffectivereactionsmayaffecttheirassessmentanddecision-making.
INTERVENEWITHINDIVIDUALS,FAMILIES,GROUPS,ORGANIZATIONS,
ANDCOMMUNITIES
• Socialworkersunderstandthatinterventionisanongoingcomponentofthedynamicandinteractiveprocessofsocialworkpracticewith,andonbehalfof,diverseindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersareknowledgeableaboutevidence-informedinterventionstoachievethegoalsofclientsandconstituencies,includingindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheoriesofhumanbehaviorandthesocialenvironment,andcriticallyevaluateandapplythisknowledgetoeffectivelyintervenewithclientsandconstituencies.
• Socialworkersunderstandmethodsofidentifying,analyzingandimplementingevidence-informedinterventionstoachieveclientandconstituencygoals.
• Socialworkersvaluetheimportanceofinter-professionalteamworkandcommunicationininterventions,recognizingthatbeneficialoutcomesmayrequireinterdisciplinary,inter-professional,andinter-organizationalcollaboration.
EVALUATEPRACTICEWITHINDIVIDUALS,FAMILIES,GROUPS,
ORGANIZATIONS,ANDCOMMUNITIES
• Socialworkersunderstandthatevaluationisanongoingcomponentofthedynamicandinteractiveprocessofsocialworkpracticewith,andonbehalfof,diverseindividuals,families,groups,organizationsandcommunities.
• Socialworkersrecognizetheimportanceofevaluatingprocessesandoutcomestoadvancepractice,policy,andservicedeliveryeffectiveness.
• Socialworkersunderstandtheoriesofhumanbehaviorandthesocialenvironment,andcriticallyevaluateandapplythisknowledgeinevaluatingoutcomes.
• Socialworkersunderstandqualitativeandquantitativemethodsforevaluatingoutcomesandpracticeeffectiveness.
FieldInstructor'sRoleinCBL
• Engagingthroughuseofrelationship1. Establishanavailable andsupportive
relationship2. Provideabalancebetweenstructure and
autonomy inpracticeandlearning3. Offeranopportunityforstudenttodevelop
reflective andconceptual capacities4. Engageinobservation,reflectivediscussion and
provision ofconstructivefeedbackBogo,Marion.AchievingCompetenceinSocialWorkthroughFieldEducation(p.101).UniversityofTorontoPress.KindleEdition.
FieldInstructor'sRoleinCBL(cont.)
• AssessmentofCompetence– Assessreadinesstoengageinpractice– Assessreadinesstoadvanceinpractice
• PlanningforCompetence– Co-createalearningagreementeachsemester
• EvaluationofCompetence– Evaluategrowthandlearning• Mid-semesterevaluation• Endofsemesterwrittenevaluation
FieldInstructor'sRoleinCBL(cont.)
• Teachingstrategiesandapproaches– Providetheoreticalframeworksandexplanationsforunderstandingpractice
– Helpstudentsuseconceptsandknowledgetheyhavegainedintheirpracticecourseswithclients,committees(withinandbetweenorganizations)andinthecommunity
– Offerarangeofdiverselearningactivitiesthatincludeopportunitiestoobserveandbeobserved