Don’t Silence “the Dinosaurs”: Keeping Caution Alive With Regard to Social Work Distance Education

Abstract

Distance education (DE) in social work programs and studies on its comparable effectiveness with face-to-face education continue to increase. Yet not all faculty are convinced of the results, and this study explores why. Three case studies indicate that reservations center on valuing the process of learning and nonverbal communication. Issues regarding duty of care to families to be served by future social workers primarily educated in a virtual classroom also matter significantly. The trend toward DE may be inevitable, but this does not mean that educators should not voice their concerns; their skepticism has merit, and they have a responsibility to be vocal.

KEYWORDS:

• case studies
• distance education
• face-to-face education
• pedagogy
• qualitative research
• social work

Notes

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