Using Technological Tools to Enhance Learning in Social Work Diversity Courses

SUMMARY

This study explores the educational benefits of using e-mail and electronic discussion groups as instructional tools in social work diversity classes. The authors look at practical ideas of how these technological tools can be used to aid classroom instruction, increase student awareness of human diversity issues, and enhance cultural competence. Students rated their experience as positive overall, and believe it gave them more opportunity to process the course content and expand their discussions outside the classroom. Students also report that they took more time to think about their responses than they do in traditional classroom discussions.

KEYWORDS:

• Diversity
• electronic mail
• listserv
• social work education
• cultural competence