Utilizing Technology in Social Work Education: Development of the Technology Effectiveness and Social Connectedness Scale

ABSTRACT

The Council on Social Work Education understands the growing influence of technology on social work practice and education, including the need for students to develop the knowledge and skills to use modern technologies, including Twitter, both professionally and ethically. With the inclusion of technology in social work education, the efficacy of these methods must be assessed. This study aims to conduct the initial phase of scale development, an exploratory factor analysis. Using a purposive sample of over 200 BSW and MSW students in one university, this study presents results of the exploratory phase of the Technology Effectiveness and Social Connectedness Scale, which can be used to assess the effectiveness of incorporating Twitter into social work courses.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer R. Jewell

Jennifer R. Jewell, PhD, LCSW, serves as the Interim Director and Professor in the School of Social Work at Salisbury University.  Her research areas center on the use of social media in education and macro practice teaching methods, while she remains active in her community around mass incarceration.

Becky Anthony

Becky Anthony, PhD, LCSW, MEd, CST, is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Salisbury University. Her interest in the fusion of social work and technology has grown from her work with diverse populations; specifically, she is dedicated to leveraging technology in social work education and practice to increase access to services for those most in need.

April Murphy

April Murphy, PhD, CSW, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at Western Kentucky University.  She is also an Associate of the Center for Child Welfare Education and Research at Western Kentucky University’s College of Health and Human Services.