ERIC Number: EJ1471066
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1814-0556
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Digital Transformative Practice: Considerations for Preparing Jamaican Social Work Practitioners for Effective Technology Use
Sarah Bailey-Belafonte; Cerita Buchanan-Grayer
International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, v21 n1 p174-186 2025
The social work profession has steadily integrated information and communication technologies (ICT) into aspects of its practice and training curriculum. The COVID-19 pandemic increased social workers' use of ICT and intensified discussions about its applicability within the discipline, especially concerning client care services. In Jamaica, social workers primarily work with their clients face-to-face, complemented with technologies such as email and instant messaging. However, the social work curriculum within local tertiary education, and private organisations does not adequately develop social work-related technology competencies. This paper will briefly explore the benefits and challenges that a sample of Jamaican social work practitioners experienced with the increased use ICT in their client care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also discuss how incorporating digital literacy, ethics training focused on ICT, and digital professionalism can be meaningful additions to the social work curriculum. Recommendations for changes at the faculty and organisational levels to further integrate ICT into social work education and practice are also provided. It is important that Jamaican social workers have adequate competencies in digital practice. This will increase the tools that the practitioners will have to address the needs of their client systems.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Caseworkers, Social Work, Technology Integration, Technological Literacy, Higher Education, COVID-19, Pandemics, Ethics, Professionalism, Information Technology, Barriers, Multiple Literacies
International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology. University of the West Indies Open Campus, Cavehill, Bridgetown, Barbados, BB11000, West Indies. e-mail: chiefeditor-ijedict@open.uwi.edu; Web site: http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Jamaica
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A