Using data from a large full-time social work program, we examine variation within and across three measures of MSW student competency: field instructor ratings, classroom instructor ratings, and student self-assessments through foundation and advanced years. The use of multiple student-level measures with identical wording and parallel response…

This article documents an examination of the role and alignment of social work field education within workintegrated learning (WIL) pedagogy. Both social work education and work-integrated learning share a long history of helping students connect with authentic work-related learning opportunities in the context of engagement and partnership with…

Social work education fully endorses experiential learning through its field placement component, while experiential teaching methods are only somewhat used in the classroom. This article outlines the utility of action-based mutual aid processes in teaching social work. Three experiential sociometric group tools are presented with their…

In 2008 the Council on Social Work Education identified field education as the signature pedagogy of social work. In doing so, it designated field education as the synthetic, integrative curricular area in which students are socialized to the profession. This article examines challenges and opportunities this designation presents. How field…

There is a universal demand for well-prepared professionals in all disciplines, and society has entrusted professional schools with the task of preparing such individuals (Ralph, Walker, and Wimmer, 2008). Within this context, field or clinical instructors and university faculty have an academic and professional responsibility to teach, supervise,…

This article examines how to prepare professional social workers for real-world nonprofit leadership roles. A pilot course assignment that incorporates a quasi-organization fieldwork simulation developed by the author is described. Development and application of critical thinking skills are reviewed, the course objective is explained, and methods…

This article proposes the use of a structured process recording format for policy practice students, field instructors, and social work faculty as a learning, teaching, and assessment tool. Traditionally, casework and group work have used process recording to facilitate students learning in the field practicum to assess both the process and…

The field practicum is viewed by many social work educators and students as a cornerstone of social work education. Therefore, the accurate assessment of student readiness for, and performance in, field placement is critical. This article presents a comprehensive, biopsychosocial approach for effective gatekeeping and assessment of students in…

Examined the reliability and validity of a measure to evaluate social work students' field performance. Results demonstrated a consistent factor structure with excellent internal consistency; however, there was inadequate consistency between ratings of individual students in their first and second field education experiences. Scores wee…

Problems arising from the attempt to integrate theory and practice are discussed. A method of integration and assessment with implications for curriculum design and the planning of practical experience is outlined, and suggestions are offered for developing guidelines for supervisory discussion and standardized evaluation criteria. (Author/LBH)

Sixty-four master's of social work (MSW) students reported on observational-participatory and conceptual linkage learning activities used in their first- and second-year field placements. Greater use of some activities was associated with student satisfaction and perception of quality but not with field instructors' ratings of student performance.…

Presents a goal-directed paradigm for supervision of social work students in a field placement within a Veterans Administration Drug Abuse Program. Included is a rational breakdown of five phases in placement: screening, minimum orientation, Goal Work Sheet, body of placement, and evaluation and closure. (Editor/JT)

This article describes a sequential criterion-referenced assessment tool that can be used by social work students in field work and field instructors in evaluating student progress over a semester, a process benefiting both groups. The system provides students with periodic self-administered, self-scored tests. Development and sustained use of the…

Based on a review of literature on social work field learning and analysis of current data on student performance criteria, eight learning objectives for field study were identified. The objectives reflect traditional concepts and contemporary demands on the profession. A student field performance evaluation method using the objectives is…

A study compared performance on the Area Concentration Achievement Test in Social Work (ACAT) of 32 undergraduates who had nearly completed a field practicum and 38 who had not begun it. Results showed no difference in the groups' knowledge of social work professional foundation overall or in individual content areas. Other variables that could…