Enablers, markers, and aspects of quality innovative placements across distance: insights from a co-operative inquiry

ABSTRACT

Internationally, COVID-19 has forced educational reform and disrupted already strained social work field education systems. This inquiry began pre-pandemic, responding to placement scarcity, which was only exacerbated by the pandemic as agencies migrated to online service delivery and universities responded to sudden placement cancellations. Educators found themselves navigating two interlinked global trends: 1) workplace learning that was changing radically; and 2) the immediate need to identify and develop placement opportunities. This article presents themes from a co-operative inquiry that interrogated four innovative international placement scenarios from Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, highlighting enablers, markers, and aspects of quality learning. The four exemplars evidence the pedagogical challenges and opportunities presented by placement innovation and online learning. These placements reveal how tensions regarding placement scarcity, rapid placement innovation, and the concurrent need to mitigate risk while preserving placement quality were managed. The authors propose that creativity and innovation guided by well-articulated educational principles, learning outcomes, and pedagogical practices, promote the construction of quality placements that transcend potential risks. The challenge moving forward is upholding contemporary approaches to placement teaching and learning that ensure social work students’ acquisition of professional knowledge, values and skills that are necessary for practice.

KEYWORDS:

• International
• workplace learning
• organisations
• collaboration
• field education
• co-operative inquiry
• narrative approaches
• research
• qualitative methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Monica Short

Monica Short is a senior lecturer and social science researcher in Social Work at Charles Sturt University. She facilitates the International Network of Co-operative Inquirers.

Carmel Halton

Carmel Halton is a senior lecturer and researcher who is currently working part-time in the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork.

Brenda Morris

Brenda Morris is a faculty teaching instructor and former MSW field education coordinator at the School of Social Work, Carleton University, Canada.

Joanne Rose

Joanne Rose is placement co-ordinator for the BSW/PGDSW/MSW programmes at the School of Applied Social Studies, University College, Cork.

Louise Whitaker

Louise Whitaker is a senior lecturer at the Southern Cross University who teaches and in mental health social work.

Erica Russ

Erica Russ is a senior lecturer and director of field education in Social Work and Community Welfare at Southern Cross University.

Robyn Fitzroy

Robyn Fitzroy is Director of Multidisciplinary Health, University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney and Board Director of North Coast Allied Health Association (Company LImited by guarantee).

Cherie Appleton

Cherie Appleton is the Director of Field Education and teaches into the Master of Social Work Professional and Bachelor of Social Work programmes in the University of Auckland.

Carole Adamson

Carole Adamson is a part-time Senior Lecturer with The University of Auckland, has involvement with social work education at a national quality and standards level in Aotearoa New Zealand, and has a supervision practice with social service and health practitioners.

Mark Woolven

Mark Woolven is the Client Services Manager for Unisson Disability.

Emma Rush

Emma Rush is a philosophy lecturer in the School of Social Work and Arts at Charles Sturt University. She teaches and researches in the area of social work ethics.

Nicola Ivory

Nicola Ivory is a lecturer in the school of Psychology at Charles Sturt University.

Lynn Berger

Lynn Berger is a qualified Social Worker and is the Field Education Manager with Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia.

Natalie Morton

Natalie Morton is a part-time lecturer and tutor with the Australian Catholic University in Australia and is currently completing a Doctorate in Philosophy. Her area of interest is the experience of parents after permanent removal of their children. Natalie has worked extensively in social work practise using a narrative therapy approach.

Rohena Duncombe

Rohena Duncombe is a social work academic with Charles Sturt University, Australia and a co-convenor of the international Social Work in Health Inequalities Network (SWHIN).

Bill Boyd

Bill Boyd is an Emeritus Professor at Southern Cross University. He is a multi-disciplinary scholar, and formerly the Chair of his university’s Human Research Ethics Committee.