Using Technology in Human Services Education

Make the most of what today's technology has to offer in human services education!Distance education presents special challenges to social work education. Using Technology in Human Services Education: Going the Distance provides case studies and practical research on making the best use of this powerful new tool for teaching. Designed for both practitioners and educators, this fascinating book examines the use of technology in education and practice in the field of social work and other human services. Because setting up distance-learning programs can be expensive, Using Technology in Human Services Education suggests ways to reduce the impact on the budget, including setting up a consortium to merge resources with other schools. It also shows how to integrate traditional instructional approaches with the new technologies, how to make use of email and electronic discussion groups, and how to use the Internet to hone practice-related skills. In addition, it covers the current status of the technology itself.Using Technology in Human Services Education: Going the Distance explores ways to maximize the potential of distance education, such as: - a framework for designing distance education courses that fully utilize the unique environments these courses offer - a discussion of the impact of technological tools in teaching specific course content - ways that SACs (Site Advisory Committees) can increase students' socialization into their new professions - ways that students need to be supported in order to feel a connection to a distance-learning program - the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to help meet and identify the information needs of a field placement agencyUsing Technology in Human Services Education offers creative approaches and practical advice for making the best use of the technology. Whatever your level of computer skill, from novice to hacker, this book will give you ideas you can use. No individual or institution interested in maintaining top quality in human services education should be without this book!

Goutham Menon, Nancy K. Brown

Contents - Going the Distance: Use of Technology in Human Services Education - The Utilization of Technology in Graduate Schools of Social Work - The Impact of Distance Education Technology on Blending Two Cultures - Successful Distance Learning Graduate Education in Human Services - Using Technological Tools to Enhance Learning in Social Work Diversity Courses - Enhancing Critical Thinking and Professionalism Through Use of the Discussion Forum in Social Work Practice Courses - Distance Education: The Role of the Site Advisory Committee - Evaluating ITV-Based MSW Programs: A Comparison of ITV and Traditional Graduates' Perceptions of MSW Program Qualities - Creating a TeleLearning Community for Training Social Work Practitioners Working with Troubled Youth and Their Families - e-Tools and Organization Transformation Techniques for Collaborative Case Management - Using Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology to Integrate Research into the Field Practicum - Information Technology and Oppressed Populations: Integration or Isolation? - Index - Reference Notes Included