SOWK 675 Advanced Field Experience and Seminar A (Comprehensive Focus)

Field education is a principal component of the instruction and training students receive to prepare them for a professional career in social work. While receiving supervised practice experience in an agency setting, students will attend a seminar class that offers the opportunity to process their field experiences and engage in further learning. The integration of classroom and field activities provides students with a unique and comprehensive learning experience to support their development as professional social workers.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

(CLO: A-I, Competencies: 1-9: Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

(CLO: A, Competency 1 Dimensions: Knowledge)

Hours Tracking Assignments (16)

The student will document the hours completed during his/her field experience by completing the Hours Tracking Assignment in CORE each week. The student must document all activities including the required one hour of supervision each week.

The Hours Tracking will document all activities that the student completes in the Field each module. For each day, describe the activities accomplished, place them in the category they best fit with, and include the hour(s) for that specific category. The ATS will be prompted to approve the hours in CORE each week as they are submitted.

If there are questions, please reference the SOWK Field Community in the MSW Field area.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Supervisory Agenda Assignments (16)

The student will prepare a minimum of three agenda items prior to the scheduled supervisory meeting with his/her Field Instructor. Items that can be included can relate to ethical decision-making, problem-solving, interactions with clients, policy, practice, learning objectives from the previous supervision, and/or specific questions/topics about field experience that require additional discussion.

The student will submit the points of discussion and the outcomes of the supervisory session in their CORE account. The weekly submission will be reviewed by the Field Faculty for grading and feedback.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Agency Orientation Checklist Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that you are provided a thorough orientation to the agency where you will be completing your field experience.

Please review and submit the Agency Orientation Checklist within CORE. Please ensure that you and your Agency Task Supervisor review all items. Follow instructions within CORE that allows you and your ATS to complete the document fully. For further instructions, visit the SOWK Field Community via the link in the Student Resources Module in Canvas to review the MSW CORE Resources.

(CLO: A; Competency 1; Dimensions: Knowledge)

Learning Contract Assignment

The student will complete the Learning Contract Assignment in an effort to detail key learning goals and objectives to achieve during his/her field experience.

Using the Learning Contract Template, the student will complete the Learning Contract Assignment with support from his/her Field Instructor and Agency Task Supervisor. The Learning Contract will serve as a guide for what the student should accomplish during his/her field experience.

Once the Learning Contract Template has been filled out, please schedule a Learning Contract Meeting with the Field Instructor, Agency Task Supervisor, and Faculty Field Liaison to review and ensure that the student will be able to meet the requirements of the Learning Contract.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Journal Assignments (3)

The purpose of the Journal Assignments is to reflect on the field activities the student participated in and how he/she observed and applied the core competencies. The student will engage in self-assessment and self-correction.

The student will complete Journal Assignments while completing his/her field internship hours. Each provided Journal Template prompt must be answered in 2-3 paragraphs reflecting on what the student learned in his/her field experience, feelings experienced, something he/she would do differently, and the application of core competencies. Please consult previous textbooks and scholarly articles to support efforts to integrate theory into practice. You must support your assertions with course materials and at least one scholarly or biblical citation. Textbooks and any other sources used must be documented and properly cited in APA format.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Process Recording Assignment

The student will complete a process recording, review the assignment with his/her Field Instructor in supervision, and then present it to his/her peers in seminar.

Process recording provides the student with the opportunity to examine his/her work on multiple levels, and gives field instructors a means with which to actively guide the student and assess his/her work. It is a detailed account and analysis of a social work contact, allowing access to an exchange between the student and the client or client system. Process recording also provides an excellent opportunity to examine a student’s skills and technique, capacity for self-awareness, and ability to put the theories being learned in the classroom into practice.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Agency Presentation Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to provide the student an opportunity to integrate theory into practice, develop an agency presentation specific to the agency/client system that he/she is working in, and facilitate a discussion to identify strengths, areas of growth, interventions, and discussion questions to elicit feedback from classmates.

Using the Agency Presentation Template as a guide, the student will develop a 9-10 slide PowerPoint Presentation (10-11 slides if the student is in an employment site placement) to identify the agency that he/she is working in, discussing its mission, services, and client population. The agency overview should take approximately 10-15 minutes and the discussion questions should take about 10-15 minutes. Any references used should be properly cited in APA format.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Mid-Placement Evaluation Assignment

The Mid-Placement Evaluation Assignment will assess student performance, learning experiences, and the role of supervision and instruction during placement. This meeting will allow for an in-depth discussion on areas of strength and growth.

First, the student will take the lead in contacting his/her Faculty Field Liaison, Field Instructor, and Agency Task Supervisor to schedule the Mid-Placement Evaluation Meeting at a time that is agreeable to all parties. For agencies in the Central Virginia Area, the meeting can take place on-site or via a video chat platform. For agencies Outside of the Central Virginia Area, the meeting will take place via a video chat platform.

Next, the student will meet with his/her Agency Task Supervisor and Field Instructor prior to the scheduled Mid-Placement Evaluation to fill out the Mid-Placement Evaluation Template. This is a time for the student and his/her supervisors to reflect on what the student has learned and accomplished, as well as any areas of growth.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Quizzes: Seminar Participation (14)

The student will meet weekly (online or in person) with his or her instructor (Faculty Field Liaison) and peers. (Please note attendance policy, as penalties for missing this class may apply.) The student will share his or her field experiences during the seminar and discuss how these experiences relate to the theories and practices learned in social work courses. The student is expected to be on time, attend the entire session, and actively participate in order to earn full points. An active participant is one who attends the synchronous seminar sessions, actively listens, reacts to information shared, asks pertinent questions, shows signs of understanding, shares relevant insights, and contributes to the general learning of the class. The student should come to class prepared to share his/her field experience and how he/she is applying what he/she learned in the classroom in his/her field placement. To help facilitate the discussion, the student should have the NASW Code of Ethics Document and the LU Social Work Competencies and Practice Behaviors Document available during the seminar. Culturally diverse perspectives are welcome.

These quizzes will contain 3 multiple-choice and short answer questions. The student will have unlimited time and unlimited attempts to complete the quizzes.

(CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J Competencies 1-9 Dimensions: Knowledge, Values, Skills, Cognitive & Affective Processes)

Quiz: Learning Contract

This Quiz is to confirm that the student has reviewed the Learning Contract Template with his/her Agency Task Supervisor and Field Instructor, and has scheduled a meeting with these two individuals and his/her Faculty Field Liaison. The quiz contains 1 true/false question and has unlimited time and attempts.

(CLO: A; Competency 1; Dimensions: Knowledge)

Quiz: Field Orientation Training

The student will complete the Quiz: Field Orientation Training after the student, his/her Agency Task Supervisor, and Field Instructor have attended the Field Orientation Trainings at the beginning of the course or have watched the accompanying Field Orientation Training videos. The quiz contains 1 true/false question and has unlimited time and attempts.

(CLO: A; Competency 1; Dimensions: Knowledge)