THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK SOCIAL WORK PEDAGOGY IN ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS SW 676 (online) 3 credit hours Fall 2017 Instructor: Denise R. Black, PhD LCSW Phone: 678-481-3849 Office Hours: Hours by appointment Email: dblack16@vols.utk.edu Required Zoom meetings: Mondays 3:35-4:25 pm Ph.D. Program Mission The purpose of social work education at the doctoral level is to develop an understanding and appreciation of the scientific method so that graduates can improve and extend the knowledge base of social work practice, and inform social policy, through empirical research. Graduates of doctoral programs assume leadership roles in social work education, research, and practice. The Ph.D. program in social work provides training in social and behavioral science research methods and the opportunity for students to apply these methods to social problems and social work practice areas. Doctoral research is directed toward developing knowledge that can be used by social work educators, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers. Graduates of the Ph.D. program are prepared to contribute to the improvement of the design and implementation of social services and to develop and disseminate social work knowledge through research and teaching. Ph.D. Program Competencies Upon completion of the UT CSW Ph.D. program, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate expert knowledge in a focused substantive area relevant to social work. 2. Conduct independent and original scientific research that advances knowledge in a substantive area. 3. Communicate scientific findings in an effective way to a range of audiences (from lay persons to other scientists). 4. Secure funding for a substantive research agenda. 5. Teach students the knowledge, skills, and values they need to be proficient social workers in a substantive area. Code of Conduct It is the student's responsibility to have read the College of Social Work Ethical Academic and Professional Conduct Code that is in the College of Social Work Ph.D. Student Handbook (www.csw.utk.edu). The Honor Statement An essential feature of The University of Tennessee is a commitment to maintaining an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and academic honesty. As a student of the University, I pledge that I will neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance in academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment to honor and integrity. (Hilltopics).
University Civility Statement Civility is genuine respect and regard for others: politeness, consideration, tact, good manners, graciousness, cordiality, affability, amiability and courteousness. Civility enhances academic freedom and integrity, and is a prerequisite to the free exchange of ideas and knowledge in the learning community. Our community consists of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and campus visitors. Community members affect each other s well-being and have a shared interest in creating and sustaining an environment where all community members and their points of view are valued and respected. Affirming the value of each member of the university community, the campus asks that all its members adhere to the principles of civility and community adopted by the campus: http://civility.utk.edu/ Disability If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact The University of Tennessee Office of Disability Services at 100 Dunford Hall (865) 974-6087. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services. Dimensions of Diversity The College of Social Work and the University of Tennessee welcome and honor all people. In accordance with the U.S. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the U.S. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE 2015 Educational Policy Statement), the dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors including age, class, color, culture, mental or physical disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, immigration status, marital status, national origin, political ideology, race, regionality, religion and spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. The College values intellectual curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, and academic freedom and integrity. A person s diverse life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege, power, and acclaim (CSWE 2015 Educational Policy Statement). The College of Social Work promotes social justice and social change, and strives to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. Course Description Best practices for online teaching. Unique characteristics of online teaching and empiricallysupported strategies for developing online courses and managing online classroom environments. Course Competencies By the completion of this course, the students are expected to be able to demonstrate (through course activities, assignments, and/or exams): Identify methods (e.g., synchronous, asynchronous) and empirically-supported best practices for online teaching Distinguish online teaching from face-to-face teaching as it pertains to classroom organization, course development, student needs, and learning styles. Design an online social work course including identifying important content, choosing readings/ textbooks, designing in-class and out-of-class learning activities, developing means of assessing learning, and writing a syllabus Understand and effectively manage an online classroom environment
Required Readings Articles and other readings will be posted to the course s Canvas site for you to download and read. More information about readings will be discussed in class. Canvas and Announcements This course uses Canvas for announcements, readings and grade recording. Any changes to the course (e.g., course schedule, assignments, due dates, etc.) will be announced at the Canvas site and emailed to students. Students are responsible for checking Canvas and their email regularly. Class Attendance and Participation Students are expected to attend all class meetings. If you must miss a class for a legitimate reason (i.e., illness, family or personal emergency, religious holiday), you should contact Professor Black as soon as possible to discuss your absence and any required make-up assignments. Students are expected to be prepared for all class meetings, which will be held via Zoom, and to read all assigned materials prior to class. Respectful and lively class discussion is expected and encouraged. Active participation and enthusiastic discussion are critical for this class to be successful and to maximize learning opportunities. Assignments The course grade will be based on the following: Observation of Online Course (40%) October 9th Students will observe two online classes (chosen by Kate Chaffin) as a guest and then discuss the following in paper format to be uploaded to Canvas: Papers should be organized as follows and separated into class A and class B. What is your overall impression of this course as is? How does this course reflect your teaching philosophy? What do you see as strengths for this course What do you see as limitations of this course? Using the literature from 676 as well as any outside sources that you find helpful, please critically evaluate the best practices utilized in this course. Lastly, what would you do differently in this course based on the literature and what would you do similarly? Discuss your rational for this decision. Course Module Development (60%) Part One (40%) Each student will develop one learning module in Canvas based on his or her area of interest. Students will utilize what they believe to be the best practices for this content area. If a live lecture is not best for this module, what will you do to ensure that knowledge is gained, that skill acquisition is accomplished, and also that students are engaged? Students will be assigned a week at the end of the semester to present their module to the instructors and their cohort via Zoom.
Part Two (20%) Each student will be expected to thoughtfully and rationally critique each learning module in discussion format. Discussion Board posts will start with the presenter opening a thread and answering the following: What was the rationale for the organization and structure of the learning module? How did you decide upon an assignment? How were learning styles addressed? How will you assess that competencies were met? Were mixed methods of delivering content utilized? How was the experience of designing your own module? Students will respond to the main thread with a thoughtful, helpful, and considerate critique. Grading Scale The following grading scale has been adopted by the faculty to promote grading consistency throughout the college. This grading scale, which will be used for final course grade in this course, is as follows: A (95-100%) Outstanding/Superior Exceptional performance. Consistently exceeds expectations B+ (90-94%) Very Good Student consistently meets and occasionally exceeds normal expectations for the course. B (85-89%) Good Student consistently meets normal expectations for course C+ (80-84%) Average There is unevenness in grasping course content. Student is inconsistent in meeting the normal expectations for course. C+ (80-84%) Average There is unevenness in grasping course content. Student is inconsistent in meeting the normal expectations for course. C (70-79%) Poor There is a lack of understanding of course content. Student does not meet course expectations. F (69%-Below) Very Poor There is a lack of attendance or incomplete assignments. Course expectations are not met. Points Distribution Assignment Points Meets Competency Dimension of Measurement Observation of online course 40 1, 2 Knowledge, Cognitive and Affective Processes Module Development Part 1 40 1, 2, 3, & 4 Knowledge, Skill Module Development Part 2 20 1, 2 Cognitive and affective processes Total points 100
Course Schedule Aug28th: Sept 4th: Introductions, overview, and discussion (Face to Face) No class- Labor Day Review Module 2 Materials Sept. 11th: Zoom session with OIT on Canvas. Review Module 3 Materials Sept. 18th: Zoom class session: Course planning and development (making a syllabus, writing competencies, selecting readings, creating assignments). The Online Student: characteristics, learning styles and theories in the online learning environment Review Module 4 Materials Sept. 25th: environment Zoom class session: Effective teaching methods and skills for the online Review Module 5 Materials Oct 2nd: Zoom class session: Online Teaching Methods: We are just at the tip of the iceberg and we are all learning as we go Review Module 6 Materials Oct 9th: Oct 16th: No Class: Observation of Online Course Due Zoom class session: Assessment of Student Learning Review Module 7 Materials Oct 23rd: No Class: CSWE October 30 th : Zoom class session: Classroom management, Online Etiquette for communication, Faculty and student misbehavior Review Module 8 Materials Nov. 6th: Zoom class session: Module Presentation (1) Nov. 13th: Zoom class session: Module Presentation (2) Nov. 20th: Zoom class session: Module Presentations (1) Nov. 27th: Zoom class session: Module Presentation (1)