Usefulness of an e-Simulation in improving social work student knowledge of best-practice questions
Author(s)
Casey, Sharon
Powell, Martine B
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Computer-based simulations provide an opportunity for social work students to learn effective communication skills that sit at the core of social work practice. The current study describes a best practice interviewing protocol that promotes the use of open-ended questions (i.e. that elicit elaborate responses without dictating expected content) taught using a computer-generated child avatar. Utilising a mixed method design, quantitative analysis showed social work students (N = 25) who undertook a 3-hour training session showed improvements from baseline to post-training. There was a significant increase in open-ended questions ...
View more >Computer-based simulations provide an opportunity for social work students to learn effective communication skills that sit at the core of social work practice. The current study describes a best practice interviewing protocol that promotes the use of open-ended questions (i.e. that elicit elaborate responses without dictating expected content) taught using a computer-generated child avatar. Utilising a mixed method design, quantitative analysis showed social work students (N = 25) who undertook a 3-hour training session showed improvements from baseline to post-training. There was a significant increase in open-ended questions and a concomitant decrease in poorly structured (closed) questions. Thematic analysis (N = 39) of participant feedback on the training supported students’ understanding that open-ended questions are key to eliciting detailed information. Students were positive about the use of technology and its place in social work education, highlighting its realism and the absence of risk to clients while learning. Evidence of emerging reflective practice and understanding of the self when engaging with technology-based education is discussed.
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View more >Computer-based simulations provide an opportunity for social work students to learn effective communication skills that sit at the core of social work practice. The current study describes a best practice interviewing protocol that promotes the use of open-ended questions (i.e. that elicit elaborate responses without dictating expected content) taught using a computer-generated child avatar. Utilising a mixed method design, quantitative analysis showed social work students (N = 25) who undertook a 3-hour training session showed improvements from baseline to post-training. There was a significant increase in open-ended questions and a concomitant decrease in poorly structured (closed) questions. Thematic analysis (N = 39) of participant feedback on the training supported students’ understanding that open-ended questions are key to eliciting detailed information. Students were positive about the use of technology and its place in social work education, highlighting its realism and the absence of risk to clients while learning. Evidence of emerging reflective practice and understanding of the self when engaging with technology-based education is discussed.
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Journal Title
Social Work Education
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Social work
Sociology
Communication studies
Curriculum and pedagogy
Applied and developmental psychology
Forensic psychology
Social Sciences
Education & Educational Research
Investigative interviewing
avatars
training