Instructor: Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD

This course integrates theories of adult education and social work education, with a supervised teaching experience.

Historically, social work professors and instructors have come from backgrounds of clinical practice, community organization, management, policy and research. Few have had specific training in education, and particularly education in social work. With the growth of social work education research and literature, a significant body of knowledge has developed. A course in social work education will provide students with an opportunity to enhance their teaching abilities by using this knowledge to inform their educational activities.

This course will enhance the teaching abilities of students, in terms of the following objectives:

Students will be familiar with various theories of adult education;

Students will be able to translate theories of adult education into specific, creative activities for social work education, at community college, bachelors and masters levels;

Students will understand of preferred styles of teaching and preferred styles of learning, including their own;

Students will obtain a framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating courses which they are responsible for teaching;

Students will be able to utilize a range of resources for course and curriculum development;

Students will be able to critically analyze social work education literature and research.

Students will take an active role in their learning, including presentations, group exercises and discussions. The instructor will act as a source of support, resources, coaching, ideas, and encouragement.

The instructor and each student will negotiate a teaching esperience that will form part of the course expectations (e.g., students will be involved in teaching activities with the Faculty of Social Work, Mount Royal College, or another social work-related program).

The course will take students through various education phases and activities, including course development, lectures, assignments, small group activities, examinations, grading, integration of knowledge and practice, field practica, and course/instructor evaluations. This will help students prepare for their teaching experience, linking the theory and practice of social work education. The instructor and other colleagues will attend certain classes led by the students, to provide individualized feedback.

The following topics can be included in the course, with specific areas of focus to be agreed upon by members of the class

Theories and Philosophies of Teaching and Learning

Social Work Curriculum Development

Course Development

Assignments, Examinations, and Evaluation

Teaching Small Groups

Teaching Large Groups

Social Work Practica – Integrating teaching and learning; Field

Specific course topics: e.g., Interviewing, Aging, Diversity/Multicultural Practice, Health Policy, Research

Distance education

Ethical issues in the classroom

Continuous Learning / Ongoing Professional Development Courses

Technology-mediated learning (web-based, videoconferencing, CD ROM)

Major Project – Graded according to usual University Scale.

Teaching Experience – Pass / Fail

The Major Project will be negotiated with the professor during the first three weeks of class. The project must be related to social work education, but could include a theoretical exploration of a certain aspect of social work education, a field research project, development of educational materials (e.g., a Web-based course), or an article that could be submitted to one of the primary journals on social work education. Be creative. Consider your own learning goals for this course and what type of project will facilitate learning in these areas. Students are encouraged to submit outlines, samples, or segments of their projects throughout the term for feedback. Using a peer learning model, both the instructor and colleagues in the class will provide feedback.

Beebe, L. (1999). Professional writing for the human services. Washington, DC: NASW Press. [web site: www.naswpress.org]

Bowser, B., Auletta, G., Jones, T. (1993). Confronting diversity issues on campus. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Clinical Supervisor

Dinerman, M. (1999). Preparing practitioners for the professoriate. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 18, 23-32.

Douglas, J. M. (1998). Conflict resolution in the academy. In S. A. Holton (Ed.). Mending the cracks in the ivory tower: Strategies for conflict management in higher education. Boston: Anker.

Fenwick, T., & Parsons, J. (1999). The art of evaluation: A handbook for educators and trainers. Toronto: Irwin.

Gedalof, A. J. (1998). Teaching large classes. Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Holloway, E., & Carroll, M. (1999). Training counseling supervisors: Strategies, methods, and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Journal of Social Work Education

Journal of Teaching in Social Work

Knight, C., & Lagana, M. (1999). The use of teaching practicum for doctoral students in social work. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 18, 13-22.

Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (1998). The adult learner: The definitive classic on adult education and training. Houston, TX: Gulf.

Munson, C. (2000). Clinical social work supervision (3^rd ed.). Binghamton, NY: Haworth. http://www.haworthpressinc.com

Roberts, H., Gonzales, J. C., Harris, O. D., Huff, D. J., Johns, A. M., Lou, R., & Scott, O. L. (1994). Teaching from a multicultural perspective. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Roche, S. E., Dewees, M., Trailweaver, R., Alexander, S., Cuddy, C., & Handy, M. (1999). Contesting boundaries in social work education. Alexandria, VA: Counsel on Social Work Education.

Selman, G., Cooke, M., Selman, M. & Dampier, P. (1998). Foundations of adult education in Canada. Toronto: Thompson Educational / Irwin.

Shulman, L. (1992). Interactional supervision. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (1999). The successful internship: Transformation and empowerment. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Vogel, S. A., & Reder, S. (1998). Learning disabilities, literacy, and adult education. Toronto: Brooks / Irwin.

Whicker, M. L., Kronenfeld, J. J. (1994). Dealing with ethical dilemmas on campus. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) (accreditation for social work schools in USA):

http://www.cswe.org

Journal of Social Work Education on-line (click for JSWE abstracts):

http://www.cswe.org

Social Work Resources on the Net provides comprehensive links to related topics. The site is divided into categories: top sites, teaching tools, foundations, licensing, and social work links to name a few.

http://www.chas.uchicago.edu/about.html

SWAN - Social Work Access Network is dedicated to furthering professional connectivity and the overall effectiveness of social work through the advantages provided by computer networking.

http://www.sc.edu/swan

Books on Adult Education available from Irwin Publishing

www.irwin-pub.com

Tips from winners of University of Calgary Teaching Excellence Awards

www.ucalgary.ca/commons/GreatTeachers

Web site on teaching generally: http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html