Integration Project: Cynthia Faulkner

Project Overview

The goal of this project is to create a new course, Technology Use in Social Work. It is designed for undergraduate social work students to incorporate social work related content into increasing their proficiency in technology use. This is a computer lab-based class that is both instructional and experiential in design. Class content will cover Internet usage, Microsoft Office applications, library online searches, and SPSS data analysis tool. Each visual lecture is followed by the student using social work content to practice technical competency.

Project Details

Course Title: SWK 399-001 - Technology Use in Social Work
Faculty: Cynthia Faulkner, Ph.D.
Course Conducted: Summer II, 2002

RATIONALE

This experimental course was offered due to an expressed need by various social work students to improve and integrate technology within social work practice. The course lectures and assignments were placed on Blackboard and the students completed assignments in the computer lab during classroom hours. The following are the programs covered and the integration of social work in assignments.

CONTENT

Introduction to The Computer System and Windows 98

Assignment 1 (Screen Capture and Drawing)

Email, Internet and Information Retrieval

Assignment 2 (Plan to Attend a Social Work Conference)

Information Retrieval at MSU Library

Assignment 3 (Information Retrieval of Social Work Material)

Word Processing: Word for Windows

Assignment 4 (Resume) & Assignment 5 (Article Summary using APA, 5th edition)

Spreadsheets ? Excel for Windows

Assignment 6 (Excel Spreadsheet for program evaluation)

Assignment 7 (Excel Charts for single subject design)

PowerPoint for Windows

Class Presentation (Social Work paper presentation)

Databases ? Access

Assignment 8 (Labels of Rowan county human service agencies)

Research and Statistical Procedures ? SPSS

Assignment 9 (Codebook of survey on relationships)
Assignment 10 (Survey input - recoding and computing variables)
Assignment 11 (Frequencies output and Pivot tables)
Assignment 12 (Significance tables - T-test and Chi-square)

RESULTS

The following surveys were placed on Blackboard for students to complete:

Pre and post-test technology use survey's verified a more proficient understanding and usage of the Microsoft Office programs and SPSS.
Evaluation of instructor and overall course was extremely favorable in all areas.

SUMMARY

Although this class was technical, having lectures (these included screen captures and direction) posted to Blackboard provided students an opportunity to work at their own pace and saved much time and expense in paper copies. The class time was divided into a lecture and walk-through of the material for that day, followed by the students working on their assignment that demonstrated competency in what was learned. Many times students shared something they learned previously or discovered on their own adding a dynamic piece to the educational process.

Project Info

Name:Cynthia Faulkner

Department:Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology

Funding Option:Stipend

Completion Date:Fall 2002