Sustainable, Agile Technology Navigation Accessing Virtuality for real-world learning: A SATNAV for social work educators

ABSTRACT

The reality-virtuality continuum offers a breadth of opportunities for technology support which can scaffold authentic learning. In social work education approaches to authentic, real-world learning rely heavily on a placement model the sustainability of which is under pressure. While successfully used in the US, virtual reality is not yet commonly used elsewhere, and barriers include perceptions of usability, usefulness, and costs. Harnessing virtual technology for real-world learning requires agility for innovation, understanding how this technology can fit into existing practices to add value, skills to design and deliver learning using the technology and that resources required are not significantly greater than existing approaches. This project developed a sustainable approach to real-world learning by applying instructional design principles, drawing on accessible assets available at low cost, and the curation and re-purposing of existing virtual artefacts. The SATNAV approach: Sustainable, Agile, Technology Navigation Accessing Virtuality for real-world learning is transferable to a wide range of contexts. Scaffolding agile innovation through the integration of virtual reality technologies with low risk and high authenticity, the approach adds both value to traditional real-world learning approaches and contributes to an evidence informed digital transformation of learning and teaching in social work.

KEYWORDS:

• Virtual reality
• authentic learning
• sustainability
• learning design
• professional practice

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There are no conflicts of interest identified by the author.

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Jeanette Neden

Jeanette Neden is a Senior Lecturer, Curriculum and Learning Design in the Office of the Provost's Learning and Teaching Unit at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.   Her recent research focuses on the use of digital technologies to support sustainable, inclusive and authentic learning in Higher Education courses and programs.  She has professional qualifications in Education, Social Work and Family Therapy, and has extensive direct social work practice and higher education teaching experience in the UK and Australia.