Abstract
INTRODUCTION: A challenge for many busy educators in social work is how to design realistic case studies to evoke learning experiences that engage the imagination and clinical reasoning of the student. This article focuses on the authors’ experiences of designing and developing authentic case scenarios to embed in learning in a four-year Bachelor of Social Work programme in Australia.METHOD: Assisted by a grant from the Australian Government Office of Learning and Teaching, a project plan was developed, inspired by Lipsky’s (2010) framework, “street level bureaucracy” and methodology derived from Maynard-Moody and Musheno (2012). The aim was to produce a series of online, filmed podcasts to be embedded into blended learning to enable students to build confidence in ethical decision making.FINDINGS: Early results from the project suggest that the students found deliberating on ethical dilemmas evoked by the resource a useful addition to more conventional teaching approaches as it tangibly demonstrated the connection of theory to practice in action.IMPLICATIONS: The approach to both conceptualising and developing such resources could further be utilised in social work education settings and more broadly, in human services occupations including the health sector to focus on confidence building in ethical decision making and navigating the complex interplay between theory and practice. There is potential for the approach to be adapted and used as a reflective tool for established social workers.
Highlights
A challenge for many busy educators in social work is how to design realistic case studies to evoke learning experiences that engage the imagination and clinical reasoning of the student
What seems clear to our team in completing the project with the research, production and use of the resource is that social work and social workers need to be prepared to decolonise our own practice through a critical-reflective process focusing on an analysis of the use of power
Because of the imposition of cultural norms by the predominant culture, it is important to consult with client groups and communities about their priorities; these need to be included in the design of case studies. This theme became apparent when a scene involving a fridge/cupboard inspection as part of a child neglect investigation was embedded in the script aligning with one of the social worker’s narratives of practice
Summary
The primary aim of the project was to develop, implement and evaluate a new digital resource to enable undergraduate social work students to understand, explore and practise the difficult work of discretion in everyday professional life in human services. Our aim was to be transparent about his attitudes, worldview and beliefs as he grappled with the ambiguity of how to do his job, in light of the fact that he did not share the same cultural background and understandings of many of his clients
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