Tech-based Assignments for Remote Teaching & Learning in Social Work

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Mar 24, 2020

In social work education, we are all trying to figure out how to transition our students, instructors, field supervisors, and courses to remote learning (AKA online course delivery).  This is no small feat given that COVID-19 has affected all of us personally as well as professionally.  Myself, I have been working to create remote volunteering options for over 100 BSW students in three service learning courses (more on that later). 

Over the past few years, I have written about different types of technology-based assignments on this blog, and have asked several other social work educators to share their technology-based learning activities and experiences.  In this post, I am pulling together a list of technology-based assignments that you can use and adapt for your own needs during these strange times.

Being a Social Work Student in the times of COVID-19: One way to share, document & support

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Mar 20, 2020

The COVID-19 public emergency is unprecedented and affects our personal and professional lives.  From trying to find diapers and toilet paper to figuring out how to learn remotely as a social work, few of us were prepared for the speed with which this emergency changed our daily lives.  And we have yet to know and understand what things will look like in the next few weeks or months. 

Thus, we are trying to capture this moment in history by harnessing the power of technology for social good. Through short videos posted on Flipgrid (a social learning platform designed for video discussion forums), we are hoping to create community while also collecting stories from social work students.  We hope these stories can help us support and learn from each other during a time of social distancing as well as provide a source of information for future ways to prepare students and educators for these types of crises (i.e. what are the best ways to learn remotely as a social work student or how do I stay connected with my friends and peers from school).  We anticipate that these videos will provide a wealth of information for blogs posts or other scholarship that will inform how social work needs to adapt to complex social problems. This might include qualitative thematic analysis or quotes from posts. Any peer-reviewed content will be anonymized, but please remember that these posts are a form of public social media.

Social Work in the Times of COVID-19: One way to share, document & support

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Mar 20, 2020

The COVID-19 public emergency is unprecedented and affects our personal and professional lives.  From trying to find diapers and toilet paper to figuring out how to work remotely with students and colleagues, few of us were prepared for the speed of which this emergency changed our daily lives.  And we have yet to know and understand what things will look like in the next few weeks or months.  

Thus, we are trying to capture this moment in history by harnessing the power of technology for social good.  Through short videos posted on Flipgrid (a social learning platform designed for video discussion forums), we are hoping to create community while also collecting our stories as social workers (practitioners and educators).  We hope these stories can help us support and learn from each other during a time of social distancing as well as provide a source of information for future directions for the profession (i.e. what are the best ways to work remotely as a social worker or what are best practices for transitioning learning to online environments).  We anticipate that these videos will provide a wealth of information for blogs posts or other scholarship that will inform how social work needs to adapt to complex social problems. This might include qualitative thematic analysis or quotes from posts. Any peer-reviewed content will be anonymized, but please remember that these posts are a form of public social media.

The Power of Lighting in a Virtual Classroom: Tips on Improving Webcam Lighting for Online Educators

Posted By Laurel Hitchcock on Mar 16, 2020

Editor’s Note: Agata Dera, MSW, is an Associate and Live Support Specialist with the Columbia School of Social Work’s (CSSW) Online Campus, where she works with social work faculty and students in online courses to optimize the digital learning environment. In this post, she provides insight on how online educators can put their best foot forward during live sessions through lighting.  I first met Agata when I participated in CSSW’s Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses last summer. You can read more about my experiences with the Institute in this post.  In full disclosure, Agata did review and assess my ability to use lighting in a virtual classroom.  All I can say is that I passed.

My primary responsibility is to provide technical support to the Columbia School of Social Work’s (CSSW) online community. My goal is to ensure that technology is considered as a tool rather than a barrier in online education. Also, as an alumni of this program, I am so proud to be a part of a virtual campus that is so committed to the quality of online learning by utilizing technological advancements. 

One of the ways in which we ensure that our program is at the highest quality is by educating our community about the importance of great lighting when presenting on a webcam. Good lighting is one of the core elements of a successful on-camera performance for any online educator. It is part of our ongoing effort to create engaging, enlightening and innovative online courses in the most effective way possible.