International Conference Journal of Practice Teaching

Socrates Curriculum Project Six European Universities: Designing a

Curriculum for Practice Learning

Janet Williams and Peter NelsonSheffield Hallam University – July 2005

Curriculum Development Projectfunded by E. U.

'Socrates'

Programme

* Introductions* Exercise – placement for a Norwegian student * What we have learnt from sending students to

European placements*The SWIPE Project

* Exercise - placement for an Estonian student * The value of international placements?

Exercise 1

• Bente is arriving from Oslo, Norway for a 3 month placement:– In preparation, what would you do first?– what are your aims for the placement?– what could she contribute to your work

setting?– what difficulties do you foresee and how

would you tackle them?– how should the college have prepared her?

What we have learnt

Students say:– roles in relation to tutors and practice

supervisors/teachers– observation v. case load v. research– practicalities, money, accommodation– language– courses - theory based or competence based– taking the initiative– experience from previous placement

Our experience

• UK placements and bureaucracy, not as bad for students coming to the UK

• What social workers do in their country :– management of cases or therapy based e.g.

social pedagogy– community activity and preventative work– being policy makers and shapers

Assumptions

...or not making assumptions about– words, same words can have different

meanings– role of the State in people's lives – relationship between State, service user,

profession– Values and AOP - conformity and

nonconformity

Communication

OPPORTUNITY !

• false friends

• skills in verbal and non-verbal

• clear, concise and to the point

• how to be polite?

P and P development

• On the basis that being a professional social worker requires: – creativity and imagination – rigorous analytical thinking– interpersonal skills / communication– resilience– active learning

• all are promoted when practising in another culture

The Project

The Project participants:

• Six European UniversitiesLUND UNIVERSITY – SWEDEN

OSLO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE – NORWAY

SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY – UK

TARTU UNIVERSITY – ESTONIA

UTRECHT UNIVERSITY – NETHERLANDS

VILNIUS UNIVERSITY - LITHUANIA

Aims:

• Prepare social professional students (social workers, pedagogues etc.) for international placements – And to work with other cultures at home

• To meet the social agenda of the European Union

History

• Germ of an idea ‘practice learning’

• Finding the funding for European project

• European Union (E U) promotes work force mobility, through education, training and technology.

• Convergence of educational systems ‘Bologna Agreement’ – modules and courses can be used across Europe.

The Project - SWIPE

• Module

• Curriculum to prepare students for practice abroad– incorporating international perspectives into

teaching about social work– Greater knowledge about problems

associated with globalisation that cross national boundaries

Internationalising social work

• UK – Academic Benchmark statements include reference to policy, practice and research from outside the UK – beyond the USA?

• E U agenda:– Worker and student mobility promoted through

exchanges, learning from each other– Life long learning – Social cohesion/inclusion, addressing cross-boundary

social problems migrating people, trafficked persons, sexism, racism etc.

Practice Teaching in Europe

• Literature about practice learning in other countries – only descriptive

• Cross-national practice theory not developed

Organising our work

• Local networks to undertake the work- tutors, practice teachers, students and service users.

• International meetings (4)

• Lots of communication by phone and email

Products

• Web site – http://extra.shu.ac.uk/swipe• Audit-database• Commentary/study based on audit• Shared learning outcomes• Teaching materials – university/practice• Module used by all the participating

universities• Networks

'Products'

• Learning Outcomes:

1 Able to make sensitive cross national comparisons;

2 Demonstrating understanding of the relationship between practice and policy in a different country within a particular setting or service user group;

3 Able to appreciate how power operates within a specified service and its impact upon different professionals, service users and in particular excluded groups;

Learning outcomes cont.

4 Able to work effectively and empoweringly within a setting with different values and procedures for working with diversity, racial, ethnic, disability, gender and excluded groups such as asylum seekers or trafficked women;

5 Able to communicate within a different language and cultural context.

Teaching exercises

• Approached very differently

• Starting point theory/practice skills/job/..

• Committed to their standpoint – power– values– gender

• Module, Sheffield Hallam University version accepted (?)

Why the audit?

• Differences : definitions of practice learning, terminology, arrangements for practice

• Consensus : values, ethics, knowledge and skills

• Database/reference tool ...

Exercise 2

• Using the audit pagesHow is her previous experience of practice

learning different?What are the implications of this for you providing

her with a placement?Would it be different if she came from Utrecht?Is there anything else that you need to find out?

Bente is arriving from Tartu, Estonia for a 3 month placement:

International placementPros and cons

• Different sort of learning when they return

• Provides new perspective on home policy and practice

• Skill development, communication etc.

• Resilience

• Less UK focussed practice experience

• One part of the greater whole...