Performance Evaluation Using a Rubric: Grading Student Performance in Practice Courses

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-125
Author(s):  
Eileen Widerman
Keyword(s):  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Performance Expectations ◽  
Social Work Educators

This article promotes performance evaluation using a rubric as a useful approach to assessing the extent to which social work students meet the complex learning objectives of practice courses. This approach permits assessment of qualitative competencies, such as use-of-self, and facilitates the reduction of multiple evaluation criteria to a single grade. It guides students in completing assignments, details performance expectations, and provides meaningful feedback to both student and instructor. Using a process recording as an example, the article describes how to construct, introduce, apply, and evaluate a rubric. The importance of grounding the rubric in the knowledge base of the course and submitting its content for student and peer input are stressed as a means to enhance its validity and address some of the disadvantages associated with its use. The author encourages social work educators to develop, explore, and empirically assess this, and other, nontraditional approaches to assessment.

"Do not Worry Your Head": The Impossibility of Indigenising Social Work Education and Practice in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwaku Osei-Hwedie ◽  
Doris Akyere Boateng
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
North American ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
The People ◽  
African Context ◽  
Drawing Board ◽  
Work Education

As the discussions and debates rage on about the content and direction of social work in Africa, the challenges associated with weaning the profession off its Western and North American roots become apparent. The desire to indigenise or make the profession culturally relevant is well articulated in the literature. Some efforts have been undertaken toward achieving this desire. However, it is evident that despite the numerous discussions and publications, it appears that efforts at indigenising, localising, or making social work culturally relevant have not made much progress. While what must be achieved is somewhat clear; how to achieve it and by what process remain a conundrum. The article, therefore, revisits the issue of making social work culturally relevant in Africa and its associated challenges. Despite the indictment of current social work education and practice in Africa, it appears that many academics and professionals have accepted that what is Western is global, fashionable, and functional, if not perfect. Given this, perhaps, “we should not worry our heads” about changing it. Instead, social work educators and practitioners in Africa should go back to the drawing board to determine how current social work education and practice can be blended with a traditional African knowledge base, approaches and models to reflect and align with the critical principles and ideals within the African context. This is with the hope of making the profession more relevant to the needs of the people of Africa.

The Key to Learning: Engaging Undergraduate Students in Authentic Social Work Research

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 47-62
Author(s):  
Carol Hostetter ◽  
Sabrina Williamson Sullenberger ◽  
Leila Wood
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Millennial Students ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Student Grades

Social work educators highlight the value of research skills, and students often resist. Millennial students seek social connection and relevance in their educational experiences. The results of a study designed to investigate whether engaging students in authentic research increases their research knowledge and skills are reported. Forty-eight undergraduate social work students in a research method class conducted a study of adolescents’ views on poverty. In addition, students worked in teams to conduct quantitative surveys on a poverty-related topic of their choice. Three types of data were collected to evaluate the research question: student grades, a midterm evaluation of the team aspect, and an end-of-course reflection. Students’ grades were high, their perceptions of the course at midterm were predominantly positive, and their final reflection showed that the large majority (86%) thought the course design helped them improve their research knowledge and skills.

scholarly journals Applying anti-oppressive approach to social work practice in Africa: reflections of Nigerian BSW students

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon Amadasun ◽  
Tracy Beauty Evbayiro Omorogiuwa
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose As the next generation of social workers in a continent bedecked by oppressive customs, it is cardinal that the voices of social work students be heard. This study aims to share the reflections of Nigerian BSW students about anti-oppressive approach to professional practice. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted among fourth-year social work students at one of the elite universities in the southern region of Nigeria. Findings Results reveal that, although willing to challenge oppressive practices, social work students are ill-equipped to apply anti-oppressive approach to social work practice in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications This study makes an important contribution to the field and to the existing literature because the findings have broader implications for social work education in Nigeria. Practical implications In enforcing the suggestions of this study, it is expected that social work education will become able to produce competently trained students who are only knowledgeable about anti-oppressive social work but are equally prepared to address Nigeria’s myriad oppressive practices that have long undermined the nation’s quest for social development. Social implications The application of the anti-oppressive approach to social work practice is integral to ridding society of all forms of overt social injustice and other forms of latent oppressive policies. Originality/value Suggestions are offered to Nigerian social work educators toward ensuring that students are not only well equipped in the understanding of anti-oppressive social work but also ready to apply this model to professional social work practice following their graduation.

People First: A Case Study in Partnering with the Community

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Bordelon
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
People First

This case study demonstrates the process by which a class composed of senior social work students learns macro practice values and skills by partnering with a community organization. The products of this collaboration emerge from the real-life problem scenario in which students, community partners, and the social work educator collaborate to develop the skills necessary to resolve problems. Through community partnership, social work educators are in the position to expand the opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities to practice community organization within the classroom setting.

scholarly journals Enhancing Self-Awareness: A Practical Strategy to Train Culturally Responsive Social Work Students

10.18060/482 ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nalini J. Negi ◽  
Kimberly A. Bender ◽  
Rich Furman ◽  
Dawnovise N. Fowler ◽  
Julia Clark Prickett
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Culturally Responsive Practice ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Competence Training ◽  
Self Discovery

A primary goal of social justice educators is to engage students in a process of self-discovery, with the goal of helping them recognize their own biases, develop empathy, and become better prepared for culturally responsive practice. While social work educators are mandated with the important task of training future social workers in culturally responsive practice with diverse populations, practical strategies on how to do so are scant. This article introduces a teaching exercise, the Ethnic Roots Assignment, which has been shown qualitatively to aid students in developing self-awareness, a key component of culturally competent social work practice. Practical suggestions for classroom utilization, common challenges, and past student responses to participating in the exercise are provided. The dissemination of such a teaching exercise can increase the field’s resources for addressing the important goal of cultural competence training.

scholarly journals Professional Socialization and Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Collaboration Among Graduate Social Work and Health Professions Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison West ◽  
Shari Miller ◽  
Judith Leitch
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Professional Socialization ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Implicit Curriculum

Although there is an aggressive push towards interprofessional collaboration in higher education as well as in practice, the traditional culture and organization of higher education, as well as the need for and history of disciplinary distinction, may impede these efforts. Using an online survey, this study explored the relationship between professional socialization of 157 graduate students in four disciplines and their perceptions and attitudes about interprofessional collaboration. Results indicate that first year students had more positive perceptions and attitudes about interprofessional collaboration than more advanced students. Furthermore, social work students perceived themselves as having lower prestige than graduate-level nursing, pharmacy, and medical students. These findings suggest that, unless managed strategically, professional socialization may diminish positive perceptions and attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration. Thus, social work educators should pay careful attention to the role of professional socialization and how it is manifest in both the explicit and implicit curriculum.

scholarly journals Cultivating reflexivity in social work students

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-74
Author(s):  
Grace S.M. Leung ◽  
Debbie O.B. Lam ◽  
Amy Y.M. Chow ◽  
Daniel F.K. Wong ◽  
Catherine L.P. Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Over Time

Social work educators are concerned about how best to equip social work students with the ability to self-reflect, because this is a core professional competence. The present study employed both quantitative and qualitative means to evaluate a course which set out to foster reflexivity among social work undergraduates. A quasi-experimental design was employed to examine the effectiveness of the course. Data were collected at pre-course, post-course, and 6 months after completion. We found that, over time, students in the experimental group gained more insight. The students disclosed in focus group interviews that the course had enhanced their understanding toward self, family, and society. The implications for social work education are discussed.

scholarly journals “Theory’s Cool, But Theory With No Practice Ain’t Shit…”

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 672-689
Author(s):  
Dale Dagar Maglalang ◽  
Smitha Rao
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Cultural Wealth ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Critical Theories ◽  
Education Needs ◽  
Work Education

As it stands today, social work education falls short in providing critical theories and frameworks that reflect the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Such insufficiencies maintain racism and other forms of oppression that plague both social work pedagogy and praxis. To challenge and dismantle hegemonic curricula, social work education needs to do more to provide the knowledge and tools necessary for anti-racist social work. The purpose of this article is to present five critical theories and frameworks written by Indigenous and People of Color scholars that social work educators, researchers, and practitioners can integrate into their teaching and practice to raise the critical consciousness of social work students. These five postulations are Compa Love, Racial Triangulation Theory, Breath of Life Theory, kapwa, and cultural wealth. The article will also discuss implications for social work education and practice. Centering the voices of under-represented scholars whose epistemologies are rooted in the lived experiences and communities that the field of social work traverses provides a pathway for social work education and practice to be tailored towards self-determination for all.

The Culturagram: An Educational Tool to Enhance Practice Competence With Diverse Populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63
Author(s):  
Jayshree Jani ◽  
Joshua Okundaye
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Immigrant Family ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Educational Tool ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Social Work Educators

For more than 25 years social work educators and practitioners have attempted to develop tools that would assist them in their efforts to work more effectively with people from different backgrounds. This issue is particularly important for students entering the profession. However, there has been little discussion in the literature about the developmental process of students and beginning practitioners and the effect of such tools on their attainment of practice competencies. This article discusses how the use of a culturagram influenced baccalaureate social work students’ ability to understand, assess, and plan an intervention with an immigrant family in a case scenario. We found that the culturagram augmented students’ learning and demonstrated the potential to move students and practitioners beyond cultural awareness to an ability to engage with difference.

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