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Using Technology for the Instruction of Values & Ethics

Presenters:

Steve Marson, UNC-PembrokeDiane Falk, The Richard Stockton College of NJ

Lisa Gebo, Thomson Brooks/Cole

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Using Technology for the Using Technology for the Instruction of Social Work Instruction of Social Work

Values and EthicsValues and EthicsHelping Students to See Linkages Helping Students to See Linkages among Human Rights, Social Work among Human Rights, Social Work

Ethics, and Practice Ethics, and Practice

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Overview of Today’s Presentation

• Introduction• Ethics Journal • Sample Online Syllabus• Human Rights, Ethics & Technology• Resources From Publishers

44http://www.socialworker.com/jswve/

55http://www.uncp.edu/home/marson/Personal/Syllabi/450_online.htm

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PrefacePreface

1. Why teach social workers about global human rights?

2. Why do students need to see the connections between global human rights and social work ethics?

3. Why infuse this teaching throughout the curriculum?

4. Why use technology?

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Question 1Question 1

• Why teach social workers about global human rights?– Students need:

• Ability to identify human rights issues and violations

• Perspective on their profession• Understanding of origin of human rights principles• Appreciation of the degree to which human rights

principles permeate social institutions• Tools for advocacy

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Question 2Question 2

• Why do students need to see the connections between global human rights and social work ethics?– Students need to understand social work

ethics in context

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Question 3Question 3

• Why infuse this teaching throughout the curriculum?

– A commitment to upholding and advancing human rights and social work ethics can be the foundation for all professional thought and action

• Providing guidance for students’ relationships with clients• Promoting critical thinking about agency policies and

procedures• Reinforcing the understanding that students are joining a

profession, not just training to be workers in an agency

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Question 4Question 4

• Why use technology?– Considerable resource material is available on the

Internet– Students can discover that human rights issues are

present in every society—what the issues are, and human rights workers are doing to advance human rights

– Students can share discoveries, express feelings, and learn from each other in online conferencing

– Students can participate in online advocacy– Why not?

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Study QuestionsStudy Questions• Would students see relationships between

the intent of UN instruments and agency policy and practice?

• Would students find that their practicum agencies have an awareness of human rights issues?

• What would students recommend be changed in agencies to advance human rights?

• Would students make connections between human rights and social work ethics, and which ethics concepts would they identify?

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Human Rights Practice AwarenessHuman Rights Practice AwarenessAssignmentAssignment

• Given in practice class to seniors who were beginning their 400-hour field experience

• Students were told: “This assignment will assist you in understanding the mission, services, and approaches that guide your field placement agency. Please post your response to this assignment in our Web Caucus Conference.”

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Assignment ObjectivesAssignment Objectives• To familiarize students with the modern

human rights movement and its origins and the United Nations human rights instruments,

• To help students understand the relevance of a human rights perspective for social work practice

• To help students develop the ability to critically examine the mission, policies, and services of their field agency

• To help students develop the ability to conceptualize social work ethics in the context of the global human rights movement

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Technology Teaching Technology Teaching Resources UsedResources Used

• Websites for – A “Human Rights Timeline”

• Human Rights in Global Perspective course website (my own)

– The U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other U.N. human rights instruments • (United Nations website)

– Web Caucus• Where students posted their response to the

assignment

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The Assignment, Part IThe Assignment, Part I

• Review the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

– http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html • Review Human Rights Timeline:

– http://www.stockton.edu/~falkd/hr-site.htm– http://www.stockton.edu/~falkd/timeline.htm

  

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The Assignment, Part IIThe Assignment, Part II

• Review other UN declarations, conventions, and covenants. Select one that is related to the work of the agency or organization in which you are doing your internship.

• These other UN Instruments for Protecting Human Rights can be found at:

– http://www.unhchr.ch/html/intlinst.htm

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The Assignment, Part IIIThe Assignment, Part III• Write about your agency, summarizing the

following: – The agency’s mission statement about its purpose

and services, including the people served by the agency (one paragraph).

• Which UN document(s) is/are most relevant to the work of the agency?

• Describe how the agency’s work implements or does not implement the relevant UN document(s).

– You may wish to discuss agency mission, policy, range of services provided, approaches used by social workers, other professionals, paraprofessionals, and other workers who interact with clients (e.g., clerical staff, maintenance staff, etc.).

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• To what degree does the agency have a human rights consciousness? – What observations support your conclusion about

this?• What else, if anything, could the agency or

organization do to protect and advance human rights?

• Review the NASW Code of Ethics, especially the Ethical Standards. – http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

• How does the Code of Ethics provide guidance for social workers in promoting human rights?

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Examples of relationships Examples of relationships between agency policy & practice between agency policy & practice

and UN instrumentsand UN instruments• From a family service agency setting: Article 25

(Right to a standard of living and to social security; motherhood and childhood)…

• From an adoption/foster care agency: Article 5 (No torture, inhumane treatment or punishment)…

• From a crisis shelter for youth: The Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Levels of agency awareness of Levels of agency awareness of human rights—student perceptions…human rights—student perceptions…

Yes, agency has human rights awareness:– “There is daily discussion of rights of clients.”– “Agency is constantly working on holding

members of government accountable for their actions.”

– “Workers do excellent job of advocating and empowering clients.”

– “Agency has Human Rights Board.”– “Child’s safety and well-being are number 1

priority of agency.”– “Agency helps clients fight housing discrimination.”

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Levels of agency awareness of human Levels of agency awareness of human rights—student perceptions, continuedrights—student perceptions, continued

Yes, agency has human rights awareness:– “Agency sends out pamphlets to families, informing

them of client rights.”– “Agency empowers clients, links clients with

Community Law project, uses advance directives to assure that clients’ wishes carried out.”

– “Agency has zero tolerance for discrimination.”– “Children’s rights are main concern of agency.”– “Agency’s main activities protect human rights.”

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Levels of agency awareness of human Levels of agency awareness of human rights—student perceptions, continuedrights—student perceptions, continued

No, agency does not have (or does not have sufficient) human rights awareness

– “Agency aware of HR of clients but not of staff.” (Agency exploits workers.)

– “Agency is not conscious enough. Supervisors are aware, but many workers do not respect HR of clients. Office conversations often degrade clients. Many workers are judgmental and not empathetic to plight of clients.”

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Students’ suggestions for change…Students’ suggestions for change…

– Agency should hire and train personnel who are empathic and understand clients’ needs

– Agency should hire employees with human service background (not people with “degrees in business or marketing”)

– Agency should give annual updates for employees and volunteers re: client rights

– Agency should inform community on what is happening to its children (to involve community in improving social conditions )

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Students’ suggestions for change, contStudents’ suggestions for change, cont..

– Agency should educate community about sub-standard housing conditions

– Advocacy organization should track city council members’ and state legislators’ initiatives and voting records to hold them accountable

– Agency should implement specific practice of informing child clients of their rights and also legal guardians and foster parents of their rights

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Did students make connections Did students make connections between human rights and between human rights and

ethics?ethics?– Which ethics concepts did students identify as

relating to the instruments they worked from?– What did students have to say about whether

social work is a “human rights profession”?

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The Connections…The Connections…

• The ethical standard of “commitment to clients” is realized in the agency’s work to ensure children’s well-being by giving them the right to express their desires and goals, “giving an unheard voice a word.”

• The ethical concept of “conflict of interest” pertains to the inherent conflict in adoption/foster care agency staff workers’ responsibility to work with both biological and foster parents as they advocate for the child.

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Connections, continuedConnections, continued

• In multi-ethnic society, codes of ethics’ nondiscrimination principles and standards implement Article 7 of the U.N. UD. Social workers must be culturally competent and respect diversity “knowing that each client they help is an individual (who) behaves differently and has different beliefs, culture, and ethnicity.”

• “NASW’s Code of Ethics and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights work hand in hand with one another”

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Personalized Online Learning System: EthicsNow

Classroom Response/Polling: ‘Clickers’

Helping Professions Learning Center: Password Protected Learning Site for Students

NEW Resources from NEW Resources from Brooks/ColeBrooks/Cole

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EthicsNowEthicsNow

• Pre-Tests/Diagnostics• Individualized Text-Specific Learning Plans • Post-Tests• Instructor Gradebook for Tracking

Student Outcomes

http://demo.ilrn-support.com/bca/user/home/

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What are Personal Response What are Personal Response Systems?Systems? A.K.A. - Clickers

Turning Point Software*+ Receiver + Response Cards

Student Participation! Check Content Mastery! Complete Interactive Experience! *Exclusive to Thomson; uses Microsoft PowerPoint

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Why Personal Response Systems?Why Personal Response Systems?

Instructors– Increases interaction, participation and

attendance– Measures student comprehension– Engages students – peaks interest– Allows for “just in time” teaching– Improves class retention and student grades– Provides reports for analysis in Excel– Compatible with multiple gradebooks

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Why Personal Response Systems?Why Personal Response Systems?

Students– Students have a voice and an investment

in the course– Students become active not passive

learners– Students participate more, are more

engaged, and more motivated– Students come to class better prepared– Student grades improve

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What is your Political Party What is your Political Party affiliation?affiliation?

Dem

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Rep

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Oth

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3

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1. Democratic Party2. Republican Party3. Other

1 2 3 4 5

Demographics

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Imagine this scenario:Imagine this scenario:

A single father is caring for his two children, ages 2 and 4. After the daycare center raises their rates, he is faced with the reality that the cost of daycare is more than his take-home pay from his full-time job.

From: Carla Sofka, Sienna

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If you were this person, which solution would you If you were this person, which solution would you choose to solve this problem?choose to solve this problem?

A B C D

0% 0%0%0%

A. I would become “Mr. Mom” and apply for welfare to cover the bills until the children go to school.

B. I would go back to school with the hopes of getting a higher paying job in the future.

C. He should keep working and figure out a way to “get by” until the children go to school and aftercare costs will get lower.

D. Other – I have a better idea!

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21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

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If I put you in a room with someone who has been If I put you in a room with someone who has been diagnosed with a life-changing, possibly terminal diagnosed with a life-changing, possibly terminal illness, how comfortable would you be speaking illness, how comfortable would you be speaking with him/her?with him/her?

A B C D

0% 0%0%0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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1. Totally comfortable2. Somewhat comfortable

and somewhat uncomfortable

3. Totally uncomfortable4. Not sure

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Do you believe that a person has the right to Do you believe that a person has the right to request helping in dying (assisted suicide)?request helping in dying (assisted suicide)?

A B C D E

0% 0% 0%0%0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

1. Yes, under any circumstances.2. Yes, but only under very

specific circumstances3. Unsure4. No, definitely not.5. Other:

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How much should children be told if a parent or How much should children be told if a parent or close family member has been diagnosed with a close family member has been diagnosed with a

life-changing, life-threatening, or terminal illness?life-changing, life-threatening, or terminal illness?

A B C D

0% 0%0%0%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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1. Children have a right to know everything.

2. Children have a right to some information but should not be told everything.

3. Children should not be told.4. Unsure

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Coming Spring 2006:Coming Spring 2006: Helping Professions Learning Helping Professions Learning Center (HPLC)Center (HPLC)

5 SECTIONS:– 1. Video Activities*– 2. Case Studies*– 3. Flashcards– 4. Professional Development Center– 5. Research and Writing Center

* Supported through critical thinking activities and assignments

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Questions?Questions?