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Can online learning be used as a tool to shape the teaching and learning experience of student social workers?. Theme- Shaping the Teaching and Learning experience Alison Domakin. The starting point.
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Can online learning be used as a tool to shape the teaching and learning experience of student social workers? Theme- Shaping the Teaching and Learning experience Alison Domakin
The starting point • “One of the great untested assumptions of current educational practice is that students learn through discussion.” (Laurillard 2002:158)
Aims of the research • 1. To analyse student perceptions of learning achieved from using online discussions as part of a Communication unit in the first year of social work degree course • 2. To consider how online discussions can be used most effectively to promote understanding about interpersonal communication skills for social work practice.
Questionnaire results • A high number of students posted and/or read messages on the discussion board. • Students who were actively involved in posting or reading rated this as worthwhile • For other students who had used discussions less, there was ambivalence as to whether this had contributed to their learning or had been enjoyable. • Some students expressed the views that using the discussion board was not a legitimate academic activity
Learning from others • A strong feature of the feedback throughout the questionnaire was that learning had arisen from reading and reflecting on the postings of other students who already had significant practice experience in social care.
Community of Learners • “It was a comforting station, sometimes some of the stuff we learnt was difficult to understand, reading the feedback of others I would feel I was not struggling alone” • “It gave me the opportunity to have someone other than the tutor explain something to me”.
Triggers for learning • “It is pertinent to develop self awareness of ourselves to enable us to understand how we work with people and how we deal with issues that may arise. Gaining understanding and insight to other people’s difficulties and issues, and identifying our own prejudices, thoughts and feelings will support us as professionals when working with vulnerable service users. Also these key skills are invaluable in every day life”
The cloud and the silver lining • “It created debate and forced us to think about our values”
The emotional underbelly of online discussions – Fear! • Fear of expressing a personal opinion and causing conflict, • Fear of not making the grade or writing something ridiculous • Fear of being misinterpreted because of the limitations of the written word
The trigger posting • “I truly believe that we still live in a society that still strive on racism. I truly can’t understand how people can immediately feel threatened by black or other strong person… It truly get me mad to know that people still act and behave in such a manner to people who have helped in making their country in the way that it is.”
What followed - • “It is the narrow minded people who have turned this into a “race hate” and that’s not what was intended” • “It is very hard not to say anything due to how politically correct our country has become” • “Wow, this has all caused a problem hasn’t it. So why are the accusations being thrown around that us whites are eating all the curries and prawn crackers?”
The conflict- negative • “I would be worried to express my true feelings because of the way people would react.” • “Over a computer comments can be misinterpreted.”
The conflict positive • “By realising everyone is different and they may know things you haven’t even thought about.” • “Because some people had very strong views which were controversial. It is better to address issues now than in practice.”
Findings - • Using online discussions is an emotional experience for students. • Students prefer to avoid disagreement and conflict. • Trigger postings generated debate and useful postings. • The patterns of discussions did not seem to fit with proposed models of knowledge construction.
Central Finding- Process and content • Students did not practice what they preached. They talked about how to actively listen and value each other and then did not do this • If examined this material could have been an important vehicle for learning • Process and content experiences and knowledge need to be integrated
CONTENT PROCESS 1. Sharing information 1. Sharing information Learning questions – triggering event 2. Discussion Concepts, ideas, social work practice, self disclosure 2. Discussion Group dynamics, experience, emotion, disagreement, challenge,communication, self disclosure, social presence,learning community 3. Construction of Knowledge Meaning making, development of professional identity, value base, understanding communication skills 3. Construction of Knowledge Feedback self disclosure group interaction 3. Construction of Knowledge Analysis of group process, Group and individual experience of the practice of communicationon line Adapted from Gunawardena et all 1998
Expectations about knowledge • “Most of it was opinion not fact. You can’t learn from opinion.” “I read people’s views and thoughts. However I never used their ideas in assignments.”
