Technology: Using Digital Media in Social Work Education

This article is very close to my heart. Since I made the shift to being an educator I've found ways to incorporate media, social media and technology into curriculum. Its an exciting and innovative time for learning technologies. 

I've also found, today's students, particularly the younger ones who have never known a world without the internet, really benefit from engaging in multi-media learning materials and content. In the classroom it has its pluses and minuses, but overall, I believe the profession of social work needs to expand our use of media and technology in a variety of ways, keeping in mind ethical practices. 

How can we use digital media in social work courses?
Social media can be an invaluable tool for learning, but student participation cannot be taken for granted
Megele, C. (2014). The Guardian Professional. 

Digital services are playing an increasingly important role in social care, whether it is video training that can be viewed on a mobile, or remote tools for carers. So given the rise in e-services, how can the social work profession ensure that all staff are able and confident when it comes to using digital tools?

An important starting point is for students to be introduced to the professional use and applications of social media during courses. We are seeing a move towards this; indeed, my passion for the use of technology in social care was why I started @SWSCmedia and @MHChat, two online practice communities. I then created Enable, the Enquiry and Networked Action Based Learning Environment, and used it as the model for incorporating social media in the MSc Step up to Social Work programme, for teaching and assessment. This was followed by a Higher Education Academy (HEA) workshop on using social media in academic curriculums.

These experiences, and the ideas discussed at the HEA event have taught me that it is important to establish clear objectives for what you would like social media to add to the course: assuming student participation with social media may be incorrect. It is essential to explicitly communicate your expectations, as students need to feel that the use of social media in the course is relevant and aids their learning. Furthermore, given the vast array of software and platforms, it is important to choose which social media will be used and their role.

A systematic approach and clear delivery are essential for successful use of social media in teaching and learning. The model I came up with, called Enable, encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. The model uses networks and communities of practice to encourage interaction, connections and social learning.

Using social media may involve learning how to use the technology, and this can require training. However, technology should not be the driver. The most important thing is how these tools can help people develop their potential. People value what they help to build and social media offer a collaborative platform for sharing and co-developing projects and ideas. Therefore, it is important to go beyond meeting students' learning needs, and use social media as an opportunity for enhancing learners' social and collaborative competencies.

Learning requires motivation, and maintaining this drive is closely related to its social elements. Therefore, it is important to create a supportive, interactive and open learning environment that recognises learners' previous experiences and builds on their capabilities.

Rather than thinking of social media as a teaching tool, it can be used to create a culture of continuous improvement. Social media offers opportunities to model diverse practices, develop personal learning networks, and to establish a rich and inclusive learning process. However, to be effective, it needs to be focused on students' experiences.

Claudia Megele (@ClaudiaMegele) is a senior lecturer and CPD/PQ programme leader at Middlesex University and head of practice learning at Enfield council.