learning to be a social worker in the 21st century

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Learning to be a social

worker in the 21st

century

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The 21st century workplace

Recognition that learning occurs in every workplace

Government policy acknowledges value of workplace learning

Changing patterns of technology and competitiveness in global economy demand immediate work skills and

workplace knowledge

Job specific skills: to an organization and industry.

Workers require ability to continuously learn and reconstruct practice in the light of these challenges

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The 21st century workplace

 Greater emphasis on ‘learning organizations’ and their continual evolution of practice

throughout the workplace.

 The importance of learning with others to

ensure competition and innovation in a global world.

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The 21st century workplace

Human service organizations: also respond to competition for funds and other resources and demands for efficacious services eg foundations.

Doing much more with much less.

Structure of agencies changing with less hierarchy, flatter

structures, devolution of decision making, increasing number of work teams, collaborative workplaces and cross functional

decision making

A more diverse workforce; less toleration for workers not adding value (IR legislation)

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Paradigm for social work practice education

 The profession, university and students value learning in the workplace.

 Focus is on instruction, teaching and supervision

 Roles are supervisor, instructor, practice teacher and student

 A one-to-one learning relationship with the instructor only being a social worker

 Development of professional identity

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Paradigm: theory to practice

The transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the placement, the acquisition of an

application of skills and the development of a professional identity are considered to be the essential learning processes in practice

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Paradigm continued

 Approaches to practice learning grounded in psychotherapeutic practice often irrespective of the setting.

 Theoretical frameworks based adult education frameworks including Kolb, Knowles and more recently Schon

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Work based learning

 Definition of work based learning:

 Acquisition of knowledge and skills by learners as they learn authentic practice

whilst being supported by skilled peers and experts (Billett 1994)

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Situated learning and community of practice

 Situated learning: Dewey, Vygotsky, Bateson, Lave and Wenger and social construction of ideas and knowledge.

 The focus is on how learning occurs and the way knowledge is constructed It is a dynamic process, that includes talking, responding, interacting,

reflecting and thinking about what is happening.

 It happens in workplaces with novices, peers and a range of experts Knowledge construction in an

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Concepts underpinning situated learning

 Learning involves the whole person in a complex

system of social interaction with others

 We learn from others in a process of guidance,

scaffolding and immersion in activities

 We learn through our interactions with others in a

culture whether that is a team, office, project group or professional collective

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Research on work based learning

 Affordances and engagement in a process of co-participation.

 Unintended and intended learning.

 A process of guided learning (coaching, scaffolding, cognitive apprenticeship).

 The workplace curriculum: a socially organised

stock of knowledge in use in the work place as

experienced by participants especially newcomers

(Billett 2001)

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Analysis based on changing workplaces and situated

learning

Learning in workplaces is valued.

Move from teaching, instruction and supervision to learning.

Move from transmission and expertise to learners and learning and co-construction of knowledge

The learner to be at the centre not the supervisor, practice teacher or instructor.

Review our theories of social work practice education to include situated learning and communities of

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Analysis based on changing workplaces and situated

learning

Students do learn from every person in the workplace: other students, work groups, other professionals, peers and those with greater expertise There are multiple learning relationships.

Identity comes from work place culture and from SW’s, the field of practice, the occupational area, other professionals and the community of practice.

Rethink concept of curriculum: it comprises core

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Analysis based on changing workplaces and situated learning Revalue the constructed knowledge from practice. Revisit the separatist nature of theory and practice.

 Revisit placement process by acknowledging concepts of affordances, engagement and

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Where to from here?

Review our mental schemas on social work practice education and re-conceptualize.

A collective change process for social work educators, profession, industry, and government.

Higher education has to review its separatist views on learning and respond to the changing workplace.