Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology

Social Work Program Data-based decisions

At the beginning of each academic year, all social work faculty review all results from the previous year’s assessment activities. We carefully read all the focus group comments and other data sources and discuss any perceived themes (e.g. should/could we add/subtract/modify a specific learning component). Are there structural issues (e.g. time/place of a class) that need tweaking? Are there any personnel mismatches (e.g. should a specific class be rotated to another faculty member)? For example, in response to student feedback about the integrative seminar, we have adjusted the balance between face-to-face and on-line class discussions. In response to student and practicum instructor feedback, we have reduced the number of questions used to assess a student’s practicum experience and made the questions easier to answer (e.g. fewer qualitative and more quantitative responses). In response to a low score (61.5%) on the Practice III questions on the GPT 2007 exam, we rotated the faculty member who taught one of those classes (the faculty member was happy with this solution) and the next year’s scores rose to 78.2%. Of course, this does not mean that the solution caused the improved outcome but, since it also made the faculty member happy, it was worth trying. On the APT exam for this past year, 2009, the scores for the questions that evaluate the intro class were a bit lower than they have been and in the upcoming Fall program meeting we will take a close look at the exam questions and listen to what the faculty member who typically teaches the class thinks and try to reach consensus on a potential solution.

Conclusions

The analyses of all sources of Social Work outcome data indicate that, overall, our program objectives are successfully met. Most Social Work faculty uniformly receive above average evaluations as teachers. Several faculty have received teaching awards and other recognition for their contributions to the field. Our students do go on to professional careers in social work or graduate education. Our practicum instructors rate our students highly, especially when compared to interns from other fields. There is steady demand for the Social Work program to establish new practicum sites so that more agencies might benefit from the services that our well-trained and well-supervised students provide.

When tested, our students demonstrate mastery of the content derived from our program objectives. At the same time, students have suggested some ways in which we might improve our course offerings and our program. For example, over the past few years some students have requested a volunteer experience prior to the practicum internship and we have responded with a Volunteer Center (Getting Involved Volunteer Experience, GIVE) designed by a faculty-student group, that will provide more volunteer opportunities for those students who desire one. In response to requests for more electives and more often, we are fine-tuning our advising process to suggest specific elective course work in areas where an individual student’s knowledge and skills might need strengthening to be more successful in a specific practicum placement and to remind students when those elective opportunities are available. In response to comments about the need for more structure in some field settings, we are working with our field instructors to provide more effective orientations for students at the beginning of their field practica.

In summary, the social work faculty are committed to making the most effective use of our assessment instruments and in implementing suggestions and new approaches for teaching that will enhance student knowledge, values, and skills.