Tarleton State University
Social Work Program
Fall, 2012
 Module 1:
 Describe the need for field instructor training
 Define the mission and principles of the TSU Social
Work Program and purpose of field education in the
practice application of the curriculum
 Demonstrate understanding of the importance of the
field instructor in the professional development of
students
 Articulate the requirements of practicum regarding field
instructor verification of credits and hours, supervision,
and documentation
 Module 2
 Describe the importance of the agency orientation
 Define the elements of a successful agency orientation
 Identify strategies for incorporating these elements into
instruction and supervision
 Module 3
 Describe the impact of learning styles on the
supervisory relationship
 Define the characteristics of different learning styles
 Identify strategies for adapting participants’ learning
styles to meet the needs of students
 Module 4
 Articulate the purpose and rationale behind the Learning
Contract
 Describe ways to assess students for learning activities that
meet practicum objectives
 Define and apply the elements of writing behaviorally specific
learning goals in the contract
 Identify strategies for utilizing the learning contract in
ongoing supervision and evaluation
 Purpose of Field Instructor Training (Module 1)
 Mission of Field Education (Module 1)
 Conducting an Agency Orientation (Module 2)
 Integrating Adult Learning Styles (Module 3)
 Developing an Effective Learning Contract (Module 4)
Purpose of Field Instructor
Training/Understanding the
Mission of Field Education
 Designed to provide agency-based field instructors with




up-to-date and specialized knowledge and skills necessary
for effective field education and supervision.
Training is required for any social work practitioner
providing supervision to social work students.
Field education is ‘the signature pedagogy of social work’ as
deemed by the accrediting body, the Council on Social
Work Education.
Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards guidelines
mandate that social work programs provide orientation
and field instruction training to agency-based field
instructors.
Field supervision requires advanced training due to a
teaching element.
 Being proficient with social work skills does not
indicate expertise in teaching that skill.
 Many studies have been conducted to identify the
knowledge and skills necessary for effective field
supervision.
 Training models are being developed to reinforce field
instructors’ focus on the development of student
educational competencies in the practicum.
 Field Education is the capstone of social work




education
Students learn by doing, under the supervision of an
experienced practitioner trained to instruct
Students apply social work knowledge and skills
obtained in classroom
Goal of field practicum is for students to successfully
integrate theory into practice
Field practicum prepares students to begin social work
practice within an agency setting
 The role of the field instructor is that of social work
educator (hence, educator in the field)
 The supervisory style and characteristics of the field
instructor have a significant impact on students’
evaluations of the instructor and the placement
experience
 The quality of the field instructor is the most
significant factor affecting students’ satisfaction with
the field placement
 to significantly influence the education and training of
a future social worker;
 to influence all of the student’s future interactions
with clients;
 to play a role in shaping the future of social work
practice and our profession
 create learning opportunities for students to integrate theory





and practice
teach students how to practice social work, NOT how to do a
particular job in a particular agency
help students learn how to use social work skills effectively
teach how to use social work knowledge and values to inform
their actions
demonstrate understanding of how to use knowledge, values,
and skills for effective practice,
help students see how to apply these abilities to any practice
setting:





how to engage a client,
how to build rapport,
how to set goals,
how to develop tasks to reach those goals,
effective and ethical practice
 first task: to create a vision of the qualities and
characteristics the student should attain by the end of
the placement
 immediate vision: helping the student apply all of
his or her knowledge to a practice setting
 larger vision: instructor’s role in the life and
professional development of the student, and their
client’s well-being
 Instructors must understand and incorporate the
mission and principles of the TSU Social Work
Program and its course curriculum
 Review TSU Social Work Program mission and
curriculum
 Identify ways into the agency mission relates to Social
Work Program curriculum
 Students should give instructors a copy of each course
syllabus to aid understanding
 Student activities should match practicum learning
objectives, which are developed from TSU Social Work
Program curriculum objectives
 Instructors legally obligated for work of student; need
to insure adequate instruction and supervision of
practice
 Instructors are expected to support and reinforce the Social Work
Program’s program goals:
 Engage in evidence-based entry level social work practice with individuals,




families, groups, communities, and organizations within a multicultural society
Practice according to the principles, values, and ethics that guide the social
work profession
Influence social policies with the goal of alleviating poverty, oppression, and
social injustice as well as advocating for human rights
Identify and affect the biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural
functioning of people
Practice from a culturally-sensitive perspective which recognizes and
appreciates diverse cultures, particularly those that differ from one’s own
 Help students incorporate these in practice by:
 Assessing agency’s integration of these goals
 Asking the student to compare agency and social work program missions and
the status in meeting both missions
 Encouraging dialogue about challenges and differences between the idea and
the read; ways to influence change
 Student activities = practicum learning objectives=
Social Work Program curriculum objectives
 Instructors legally responsible for work of student;
insure adequate instruction and supervision of
practice, documentation
 BSW: Undergraduate major
 Generalist practice with micro, mezzo, macro level
assessments, interventions, evaluation
 Practicum Credit Hours
 450 total hours (225 per semester; 16 hours per week)
 Practicum Credit Requirements
To be completed with Practicum Instructor:




Individualized Learning Contract: tasks designed to build competencies
Weekly instruction and supervision: to monitor progress, provide time for reflection & feedback
First Semester Mid-Term & Final Evaluation & Second Semester Final Evaluation: to describe and
rate progress towards competencies, development
Evaluation cover sheet: signatures, hours, & recommendation submitted to field faculty
 New CSWE standards to better categorize necessary
social work skills and practice behaviors
 Ten competencies are incorporated into new Learning
Contracts and Evaluations, each with detailed practice
expectations
 Foundation focus: generalist practice at
micro/mezzo/macro levels; professional roles,
behavior, ethics
 Practicum education requires a three-way partnership:
student, placement agency/field instructor, field faculty
 Roles and Expectations focus on need for
communication, coordination, understanding of
Practicum as a class in which all have responsibilities and
involvement
 Expectations of Agencies focus on need for agency to
support Field Instructor and provide a positive learning
environment
Conducting an Effective
Agency Orientation
 A student’s first few days in a social work agency
can set the tone for many months to come.
(Some) Research Findings:
1. Research indicates that students benefit from
agency orientation activities.
2. Students who participate early in the placement in
activities designed to orient them to the agency,
report that these activities enhance their field
experience (Knight, 2001);
3.
Students who find the agency orientation helpful
are more likely to believe their field instructor is
helpful (Knight, 2001);
4.
The majority of students who are given reading
materials about their agency in the beginning of
the placement report that these materials
enhance their learning experience (Knight, 2001).
5. Students who have positive initial impressions of
their field agencies have higher levels of overall
satisfaction upon completion of the field
placement (Fortune, 2001).
Before Your Student Arrives
 Prepare the physical location of where the student will be
placed.
 a desk, phone, office supplies, etc.;
 at a minimum, access to a quiet workspace and all equipment needed to
do professional work.
 Communicate to other staff members the role and purpose of
your student.
 other staff members should understand that the student is not in the
agency to make copies, run errands, etc.
 Research on student satisfaction with field placements indicates
that students want to feel like a part of the agency and want to be
treated like a professional (Fortune & Abramson, 1993).
Conduct a Tour of the Agency
 Help students become familiar with the physical layout and
departments of the agency.
 Introduce students to important staff members as part of
the tour.




administrative support,
other social workers,
the director of the social service aspect of the agency,
key personnel in other units having contact with social work.
 An effective agency orientation should include information
addressing each of the following areas, and can be included
in an information packet or given verbally:
1) Important Policies and Procedures
 Agency dress code
 Parking
 Hours of work, overtime expectations, and flexibility of
hours
 Times and dates of staff meetings
 Policies regarding transportation of clients
 Reimbursement procedures for expenses
 Emergency contact information
 Policies and procedures related to social work activities
2. Agency Description:
Written materials that can be provided to and
reviewed with the student:
 Clientele the agency serves
 Eligibility requirements
 Types of services provided
 Services that are not provided
 The role of the social worker in the agency
 Organizational structure of the agency
 Sources of funding and revenue for the agency
 Accreditation standards or other regulatory
requirements
3. Identification
 How students will identify themselves to clients and on
written documents;
 Undergraduate students should not identify themselves as
social workers. Graduate students with undergraduate
social work degrees can identify themselves as social
workers in graduate training.
 Develop a title with your student that accurately reflects
the student’s role.
 In all cases, it should be clear that the student is not an
employee of the agency. Clients should understand that the
student is practicing under supervision of a social worker.
4. Confidentiality
 Provide specific information for your student about
confidentiality and potential disclosures of confidential
information.
 If in a clinical setting, HIPPA regulations should be described.
 Most students understand general guidelines about
confidentiality, but many will still have questions about
specific situations.
 Confidentiality (cont)
 Do not assume that a student knows how to manage
conflicts about confidentiality
 especially when pressed by authorities to divulge information.
 Be sure the student knows to ask you about any concerns or
questions regarding confidentiality as they arise.
 Provide specific examples of situations that could involve
confidentiality issues and guidelines for managing these
events.
5. Safety
 Talk to your student about any safety precautions
applicable to your agency or the surrounding area.
 Many students beginning their placements have concerns
about conducting home visits.
 This is a good opportunity for student to learn about specific safety
policies and practices.
 If your agency has a security officer, arrange for the student
to meet with him or her to learn about agency protocol,
warning signs, prevention, and other questions.
6. Agency Terminology
 Provide your student with a glossary of agency
abbreviations or terminology, particularly as they
start to read agency files and reports.
 Clarify exact definitions and use of critical terms
like ‘stat’ and ‘Code Red’, as well as how to respond
to priority communications.
7. Making Referrals
 Provide your student with information on how to
locate and make referrals to community partners
and resources.
 Students can be given an orientation assignment
of developing a resource packet to assist them and
future students throughout the placement
8. The Supervisory Relationship
Ask the student about:
 Their style of learning and communications
 Previous supervision experiences, pro and con;
 What they expect and need from supervision;
 Cultural differences as possible factors in
communications
 The Supervisory Relationship (cont)
 Tell the student about your expectations for the
supervisory relationship, including:








Your style of supervision
Roles and responsibilities for you and the student
Your vision of the working relationship
Your availability for scheduled and unscheduled supervision
Whom the student should contact when you are not available
Guidelines regarding assignments and submission deadlines
A tentative overview of how you see the placement progressing
Coordination and communication with any additional practicum
instructors or task supervisors (others involved in student learning
but without BSW or MSW degrees).
If you share instructional responsibilities with another
BSW or MSW field instructor or an agency task
supervisor (an agency staff member involved in student
learning but without a BSW or MSW degree):
 Insure that you and the other supervisor or field instructor
have met or talked about
 joint planning,
 expectations,
 monitoring of progress, and
 ways to share feedback with the student.
 Develop clear lines of responsibility, authority, and
reporting requirements for each of your roles;
 Check frequently with the student and colleague to
monitor effectiveness.
 Insure the student to be open about any conflict
arising with different perspectives or management
styles;
 Help student focus on positive aspects of learning
from others.
 Students are provided with two copies of the syllabus
for both SWK 422 Field I and SWK 423 Field II along
with assignment sheets and descriptions; one copy
they keep and the other they are asked to provide to
you.
 These assignments are designed to coordinate with
field experiences to enable them to apply classroom
learning in their practice.
 Please review these assignments. You must sign them
before they are turned in. You have the authority to
ask the student to modify the information they have
included to complete the assignment.
Adult Learning
 Learning style differences have an influence on both
students’ and field instructor’s perceptions of the field
placement
 Adults have specific learning needs that differ from the
learning needs of children
 The relationship between field instructors and students
can be enhanced by recognizing and responding to
learning style differences early in the placement.
 Adults have a need to be self-directed
 Adults prefer to learn through experience rather
than passively
 Adult learners are motivated to learn what they
perceive to have real value and applicability in
their lives
 Adult learners must have immediate opportunities
to practice
 Each student will have a different orientation to
learning: a learning style
 Learning styles refer to different ways individuals
receive & process information
 Learning styles differ among individuals and among
cultures
 Several models follow to illustrate different ways of
thinking about learning
 VARK:
-visual, auditory, reading, kinesthetic
 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator / Paragon
 introversion or extroversion
 intuition or sensation
 thinking or feeling
 judging or perceiving
 Kolb’s Learning Theory:
 Abstractness or Concreteness
 Reflection or Activity
 Abstract Conceptualization (AC) - learning by thinking
 Active Experimentation (AE) - learning by doing
 Concrete Experience (CE) - learning by feeling
 Reflective Observation (RO) - learning by reflection,
watching, and listening
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
 Linguistic Intelligence
 Musical Intelligence
 Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
 Interpersonal Intelligence
 Spatial Intelligence
 Intrapersonal Intelligence
 Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
 Learn best from information they can see or read
 Prefer written instructions; remember information
they read
 Prefer visual aids to accompany verbal instructions
 Learn how something is done through the
observation of others
 Enjoy information that is presented visually
 Need to hear information to retain it
 Prefer verbal instructions over written materials
 Remember information through verbal repetition
 Prefer to discuss ideas aloud in order to further process
information
 Enjoy group discussions and activities
 Prefer to learn through experience
 Obtain the greatest benefit by participation in an
activity
 Remember information that they experience directly
 Enjoy acting out or recreating situations, such as role
playing
 Enjoy hands-on activities that involve active, practical
participation
 What kind of learner and teacher are you?
 Incorporate characteristics of different learning styles in
your teaching;
 recognize and respond to the learning needs of each
individual student,
 particularly when your student has a different learning
style than your own.
 Variety of visual materials to facilitate learning process.
 reading materials about the agency, client population, and
interventions
 Demonstrate how something is done, rather than telling;
 Visual learners prefer to learn by observation before
performing the task independently.
 Allow students many opportunities to observe others.
 Provide written instructions and encourage students to
take notes during supervision sessions.
 Visual learners are easily distracted by noise.
 find a quiet place for students to work; keep the environment quiet
 Rephrase important points to increase understanding.
 Ask students to discuss in their own words their
understanding of the information being addressed.
 Processing information and instructions aloud increases
understanding and retention of the information.
 Encourage discussion and invite questions.
 Students may not initially indicate that they do not understand
 Provide students with opportunities to talk to others about
their job functions and responsibilities.
 Students need to be involved in agency activities quickly.
 Provide early opportunities for students to have client contact or
meaningful projects.
 Kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing.
 Use role plays to act out potential client or project scenarios.
 Kinesthetic learners may become frustrated with
continued observation and want to begin practicing.
 assess student readiness for practice and provide adequate
supervision.
 Develop assignments that will be interactive.
 to learn agency policies and procedures, have the student develop a
presentation to be given during a staff meeting.
 Determine your teaching style by using the Grascha-
Riechmann teaching styles survey (paste link into
browser)
http://www.longleaf.net/teachingstyle.html
 Determine if you use a predominant style
 Expert or formal authority
 Demonstrator or Personal Model
 Facilitator
 Delegator
 Consider how to adapt your style to different learners
Developing the Learning Contract
 Approved Contract is required for credit
 Documents three-way agreement between student,
agency and University
 Defines how the student will learn to apply social work
theories through practice
 Documents understanding that practicum activities
must relate to Practicum Learning Objectives
 Clarifies the professional competencies to be achieved
under each learning objective
 Stimulates discussion of student strengths, goals, and
learning styles
 Defines individualized, behaviorally specific activities
to build competencies
 Supervision days and times
 Contact info for student, field instructor
 Placement schedule
 Submit early in semester to Faculty Liaison for review
and comment
 areas of social work in which they feel strong, relevant
experience, and personal characteristics that will work
to their advantage in the agency setting;
 ways they learn best (see Module 3), and
 specific goals for the practicum which can be met
through agency activities.
 Conducting an assessment with individual student can
outline areas for discussion to help individualize
practicum. Assessment items should include:






Student life experiences and responsibilities
Professional development skills
Communication style
Personal attributes and cultural background
Student learning styles and patterns
Interest in different agency opportunities
 Review contract and develop tasks and activities for
each TSU objective, create agency objectives, and seek
input from student for his or her development of
personal objectives related to self-care while in
placement
 Learning objectives tied to curriculum objectives at
TSU Social Work Program and to coursework
 Each objective must be addressed through activities
and development of specific skills
 Each student’s needs and development is different and
requires individualization
 Evidence-based generalist practice
 Micro-mezzo-macro levels of practice
 Professional history and identity
 Orientation to strengths-based and empowerment
practice, cultural competency, person-in-environment,
social justice and social change
 Ethical practice according to NASW Code
 Fit and niche of social work as a career
 Learning Progression Theory:
 Cognitive, affective, and psychomotor awareness and
skills are developed in sequence over time and with
practice.
 Focus on concrete tasks evolves to more abstract
understanding of situations and patterns, and ability to
reflect and evaluate.
 Increasingly able to manage complexity about clients,
social conditions, organizations, and professional
interventions.
 Bloom’s Taxonomy (1984)
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
 Classification system of learning development:
1) Knowledge
2) Comprehension
3) Application
4) Analysis
5) Synthesis
6) Evaluation
1) Remembering: Retrieving relevant knowledge from memory
2) Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, messages
3) Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure through implementing
4) Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how
the parts relate to one another
5) Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards
6) Creating: Putting elements together to form a coherent whole
7) Metacognition: Awareness of own thinking patterns and ability to
resolve difficulties and problems in thinking
 Field instructors should assess student baseline
thinking about different learning objectives
 Students may have different levels of understanding
and ability in each learning objective
 Learning classifications help field instructors use verbs
that more precisely acknowledge student’s current
abilities and define expectations
The A.B.C.D. method :
 Audience – tailor to student ability and University
program expectations
 Behavior –What you expect students to do – must be
observable, measurable
 Condition – How and in what circumstances or
context will learning occur?
 Degree –How much and to what level?
 Audience: “Student will…
 Behavior: …teach parenting skills…
 Condition: …using Parent Effectiveness Training
model…
 Degree: …in two evening weekly groups of five couples
for ten sessions each”
 Sometimes difficult to precisely specify the degree of
mastery required;
 Affective objectives are difficult for many instructors to
write; emotions are not easily quantified and must be
behaviorally expressed
 Key verbs are needed to express the desired behavior
 Too vast/complex:
 may need to be broken down
 No behavior to evaluate
 avoid terms like ‘understand’ or ‘learn’; find ways to
demonstrate learning
 Only topics are listed; conditions not
described
 Insure students understand how to perform an activity
 Set parameters for ways to approach a task
 Vague assignment outcomes
 Expectations need to be made clear
Contracts should document ways that you plan to
assess progress towards competency, e.g.:
 Discussion to assess comprehension & growth
 Observation of tasks and interactions
 Role plays and simulations during supervision
 Documentation review
 Team and/or client/constituent feedback
 Assignment and review of written reports, etc.
In Supervision:
 Ensure student activities are following the learning
plan;
 Review how student is using the activities to apply
and practice classroom learning;
 Check whether activities assigned to the student
are challenging and helpful
 Insure learning activities are helping the student
develop and achieve required competencies
 Assess your methods of measuring progress and
revise for more direct involvement if needed
In Feedback and Evaluation:
 Discuss student accomplishments and any barriers to
task completion
 Review how activities have improved the student’s
skills and competency
 Determine further instruction needed for success in
activities
 Provide specific feedback regarding student
performance and areas for growth
 Tarleton State University Social Work Program,
Student Handbook 2011-2012
 Tarleton State University Social Work Program,
Field Instructor Manual 2011-2012
 Field Instructor Training, University of Washington
School of Social Work
http://depts.washington.edu/sswweb/practicum/FITP
/modules.html