THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LEARNING (TEL) TO FACILITATE AUTHENTIC LEARNING: EXPERIENCES OF SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS

Roshini Pillay,Vivienne Bozalek,Denise Wood

doi:10.15270/51-4-464

Abstract

Pedagogies incorporating technology-enhanced learning (TEL) are growing in social work education. However, there have been few explorations of the effectiveness of use of particular pedagogical designs based upon authentic learning principles in social work education. This paper contributes to such scholarship on teaching and learning using technologies through the analysis of five qualitative case studies of South African social work educators in order to ascertain whether and how the principles underpinning authentic learning are present in their teaching practices. The paper concludes by arguing that the use of TEL in combination with the principles of authentic learning have the potential to support social work students become work-ready

Highlights

IntroductionThe use of technology-enhanced learning within social work education is seen to “bridge the current pedagogical expectations sandwiched between contextual constraints and concerns” (Ngambi & Bozalek, 2013:351), a point which is further elaborated in the literature review which follows
The profession of social work has been classified by the South African Department of Labour as a “scarce skill” (Earle, 2008), a situation which compels leadership and educators in institutions of higher learning to search for pedagogically effective and economically viable ways to capacitate future professionals, whilst addressing the need to train more students in this field
The sample was derived from a survey with 262 respondents, and sought to map the use of technology-enhanced learning across South African higher education (Bozalek et al, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

The use of technology-enhanced learning within social work education is seen to “bridge the current pedagogical expectations sandwiched between contextual constraints and concerns” (Ngambi & Bozalek, 2013:351), a point which is further elaborated in the literature review which follows. Against this background, the authors of this study set out to explore whether and how a sample of South African social work educators who were using technology-enhanced learning were able to incorporate authentic learning principles in their teaching. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the findings derived from an analysis of a sub-sample of social work educators through exploring their use of technology in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion