Shaping resilient social workers with active and authentic media
What we made, and who we collaborated with.
Subject expert: Senior Lecturer Dr Jennifer Davidson and her team from the Department of Social Work.
Video production: Lead by Senior Video Producer Luis Gaitan with the Video and Media team.
Learning design: Senior Learning Designer Annabel Orchard and Learning Designer Kate Witham from Learning Design and Assessment.
How to prepare students before they go out in the 'real world'
Social work students on professional placements often experience difficult and confronting clients, which can be distressing, harmful and off-putting.
Senior Lecturer Dr Jennifer Davidson and her colleagues teamed up with media producers and learning designers from Teaching and Learning Innovation to solve the problem of how to safely prepare students to navigate some of these challenges before going on their placements.
Drawing from the raw, lived experiences of social workers, they created first-person videos that transport learners from the academic realm into the gritty, real-world scenarios they'll encounter in the workplace. Subsequent role plays depict social workers acting out alternative ways to respond to a difficult client, demonstrating that there are grey areas with no perfect responses.
The videos are embedded within a learning design that encourages students to think critically about their emotional responses, which they can do at their own pace and in the safety of their own environment before engaging in facilitated group discussions with their peers.
Students reported that they found these pre-tutorial activities challenging and provocative, and tutors say that their students are more prepared for difficult conversations, leading to increased participation and richer conversations in class.
Pooling their expertise, this team of experts developed a powerful learning experience that cultivates essential skills in emotional intelligence and professional conduct, ultimately contributing to a more compassionate and effective social work practice.
Interested in developing impactful role plays for your students?
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