Web-Based Social Work Courses: Guidelines for Developing and Implementing an Online Environment

Abstract

Although web-based courses in schools of social work have proliferated over the past decade, the literature contains few guidelines on steps that schools can take to develop such courses. Using Knowles’s framework, which delineates tasks and themes involved in implementing e-learning in social work education, this article describes the cultivation of an online environment at one school of social work. We outline the steps and procedures used, as well as issues addressed in developing online and blended courses. Recommended strategies for creating a supportive environment for delivering social work content online are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• ethics
• distance learning
• BSW students

Notes

¹ Moodle is an open-source software learning management system used for blending learning and distance education.