Improving undergraduate competence in multicultural gerontology practice with fresh pedagogies: A digital storytelling case example

ABSTRACT

Building on a student-led digital storytelling project, the author suggests that expanding definitions of two core constructs of social work education and practice, experiential learning and cultural competence, can improve outcomes for diverse older clients by increasing competence in multicultural gerontology practice. Using a variety of media, digital storytelling focuses on stories that are not often heard, like those of diverse older adults. Student-led projects provide opportunities for students to engage with experiential learning, a high-impact pedagogy. Beyond describing a one-semester digital storytelling project that occurred in an undergraduate gerontology practice course, the article shares findings from the project’s evaluation. The evaluation yielded recommendations, such as encouraging social work faculty to provide opportunities for experiential learning across the curriculum, and improving competence in multicultural gerontology practice through creative pedagogies. Ultimately, the author suggests that fresh pedagogical approaches that expand core social work constructs can improve outcomes for diverse older adults by promoting multicultural gerontology practice competence.

KEYWORDS:

• Multicultural competence
• social work
• gerontology
• digital storytelling