Junior Field Experience and Seminar – SOWK 370

Course Description

Junior field experience provides students with the opportunity to develop competency and perform in the role of a social work practitioner under the supervision of an experienced social worker. Students will participate in this experience one 8 hour day per week (or two half-days) over the course of the entire semester in a setting which employs social workers. Students will also meet for two hours weekly in a synchronous seminar to receive support and mentoring from peers and professor and to integrate the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom with the practical experiences in field placement.

Rationale

Field education is a central component of the instruction and training that the student receives to prepare him or her for a professional career in social work. While receiving supervised practice experience in an agency setting, the student will participate in weekly web seminars that offer the opportunity to process their field experiences and engage in further learning. The integration of classroom and field activities provides the student with a unique and comprehensive learning experience to support their development as a professional social worker.

Course Assignment

Assigned Readings and Presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Supervision Plan Commitment Assignment

The Supervision Plan Commitment is an acknowledgement by the student and Field Instructor of agreement to ascribe to weekly hour of supervision and to cover provided all supervision prompts by the end of the semester forms the commitment document.

Journal Assignments (14)

The purpose of the Journal Assignments is for the student to reflect on the field activities he or she participated in and how core competencies were observed and applied. The student will engage in self-assessment and self-correction. Each provided template must be answered in 5-6 sentences in CORE. 

Hours Tracking Assignments (14)

The purpose of the Hours Tracking Assignment is to document the hours the student completed during his or her field experience in CORE.

Learning Contract: Draft Assignment

The student will complete the Learning Contract: Draft Assignment that details key learning goals and objectives to achieve during the field experience.

Learning Contract: Final Assignment

The student will update the Learning Contract: Draft Assignment that details key learning goals and objectives to achieve during the field experience.

Agency Orientation Checklist Assignment

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

Evaluation: Mid-Semester Assignment

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

Evaluation: Self-Assessment Assignment

The Evaluation: Self-Assessment Assignment will provide the student with an opportunity for self-reflection, critical thinking, and personal/professional development.

Evaluation: Final Field Experience Assignment

The Evaluation: Final Field Experience Assignment will serve as a highly valuable exercise in the student’s education. It will provide critical feedback to the student to assist in his or her development as a professional.

Supervision Plan Verification Assignment

Verification by student and Field Instructor that Supervision Plan has been completed with hours of supervision required met and all supervision prompts. Hours of supervision must be documented within Hours Tracking under Field Instructor Supervision weekly and will be verified by Field Faculty Liaison.

Case Presentation Assignment

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

Quiz: Field Experience Confirmation

This quiz will confirm that there have not been any changes to the student's field experience. It is important to alert the Faculty Field Liaison if any changes have occurred since the first submission.

Quiz: Field Experience Feedback Survey

The Field Experience Feedback Survey will be made available to students via CORE. This survey is an opportunity for students to provide feedback on their Field Experience and agency placement. Once this survey has been completed, this quiz will verify the student completion.

Quiz: Field Orientation Training

As the student begins Field Seminar, it is important that all individuals understand the many different components of this course. Completing this training will provide an in-depth overview and understanding of the requirements needed for this course.

Expectations are that the student and supervisor will attend the live or view the recorded BSSW Field Orientation.

Quiz: Seminar Participation (13)

For the web seminar sessions, the student will meet online weekly with his or her instructor 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 seminar web sessions with audio and video both engaged, 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 or her field experience and how he or she is applying what was learned in the classroom in his or 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 (both are available in Canvas). Culturally diverse perspectives are welcome. After seminar, the student is required to complete the quizzes that will assess:

1. Was the student on time and present for the entire length of the seminar class?
2. Did the student have video and audio on during the entire seminar time, while observing appropriate web etiquette and minimal distractions?
3. Was the student attentive and interactive during the entire seminar time, demonstrating good active listening and participation when prompted?
4. The extent of the student's seminar participation (active, inactive, level of contribution to the discussion, etc.).
5. One "takeaway" from the seminar discussion (i.e. an insight or practical skill that will be helpful to the student in his or her future social work practice).

Measures Competencies #1-9 (dimensions of knowledge, skills, values, cognitive & affective processes)

The purpose of this assignment is to confirm that the student completed required hours for his or her field experience and reflected on what he or she will take into his or her Senior field experience.

Quiz: Professionalism: Self-Reflection