Stine Bylin Bundgaard & Diana Stentoft
ABSTRACT
This article explores how case-PBL was transformed and brought into education of Social Workers in a university college. The article presents the process of adaptation and the initial collaboration between Centre for Health Science Education, Aalborg University (AAU) and Social Work, University College of Northern Jutland (UCN). The aim of this collaboration was to develop a structural and didactical framework for case-PBL related to the field of Social Workers based on the case-case-PBL as used in medical education. At present the first phase of the process is completed focusing on the first-year students in Social Work. The theoretical underpinnings and conception of case is in this article studied as a frame in which the students collaboratively and self-directed can develop analytical skills to grasp real-life contexts within their field of study. Case is seen as a fundament based on which the students can discuss and reflect upon real-life problems in an educational setting, and as a room where the student can reflect and combine theory with practise.
KEYWORDS: Case-PBL, Experiential learning, Case didactic, Reflective practise-based learning TYPE OF CONTRIBUTION: Extended scientific abstract
PRESENTATION FORMAT: Interactive poster presentation
INTRODUCTION
The close connection between theory and practise is one of the main principles of the learning approach at UCN labelled Reflective Practise-based learning (RPL), and central to the education of Social Workers.
Throughout the first year of the education, students are introduced to the complexity of the field, including academic strategies such as analytical and reflective skills to apply theoretical perspectives real-life scenarios of the Social Worker.
One way of creating reflective learning spaces is through work with cases and PBL inspired by the approach found in many medical educations. Following research in into case-PBL, we initiated a collaboration with Centre for Health Science Education and PBL at Aalborg University, to draw their experience with case-PBL and experiential learning (Stentoft, 2019). The aim of the collaboration was to uncover experience from the health sciences and to inspire educators in Social Work to develop a systematic case approach suitable in Social Work education. The point of departure was a need for an educational approach which would support
students’ ability to analyse, reflect and engage in “real-life” challenges and to understand theory with practise.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The learning approach is based on experiential learning theory leaning on Kolb’s definition, that learning is
“the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience.” (Kolb 1984, p. 41). Experience is essential in this position, as is how experience transforms into knowledge by reflection (Dewey 1933). The learning process is here seen as responsive to the situation and reflection on the experience is seen as a strategy enabling the interplay between theory and practise in order to qualify thinking and acting.
In the following we will unfold case-PBL and how the approach was inspired by case-PBL in medicine.
CASE-DIDACTICS AS A PRACTISE-ORIENTED AND PROBLEM-BASED STRATEGY
In our efforts to adapt Case-PBL to Social Work education we see cases as accounts of real-life problems that can be studied through a strategy in research or education, and thereby – in the educational context - creating a learning space in which to develop methodological and analytical capabilities (Stake 2005). A case can be anything from a short, focused example that emphasizes an important point from real-life to a longer narrative that highlights the complexity and dilemmas that e.g. characterize social workers’ or physicians’
everyday practices.
Thus, our understanding of case is as a framework that allows students to study the complexity and particularity of real-life circumstances (Stake 1995; Simmons 2009; Thomas 2016). In addition to this, cases give an opportunity to systematize practice and bring it into an educational context as an object for research.
On this basis, we initially approached case-PBL as a problem-based way of working with cases originating within medical education (Schmidt, 1983). Case-PBL is a systematic approach to working with cases where the case provides the framework for learning usually lasting up to a week and where the case is designed by the teacher (Stentoft 2019). Through their step-by-step interaction with cases, the students enter into a professional analytical and reflective dialogue with a facilitator and co-students about the needs for learning and the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to comprehensively address the case (Wood, 2003).
CASE-PBL FROM A REFLECTIVE PERSPECTIVE WITHIN SOCIAL WORK
Throughout the collaboration it has been important to develop a case-didactic related to the field of social work, that can support the formation of practitioners who can navigate within a complex relation based practice. The work with case-PBL on the first semester offers a way of scaffolding experiential learning and developing and practising analytical skills, that allows the students at a later stage in the education to
construct their own cases in their own work with professional dilemmas. Thus, the ambition is to create a steppingstone for developing sustainable reflective practitioners (Schön 1983).
Discussions on how to use Case-PBL in a University College-setting revealed the importance of the cases being constructed on present and relevant professional dilemmas, that can open a discussion with specific theoretical perspectives. This should support the student-centred learning process by motivate and activate the students to analyse practise from a specific point of view and in a systematic manner. In this activity, exploration of the case leads the student to initiate own learning and to collaborate with co-students on analysing and discussing possible action, that can contribute addressing the case.
Based on this and the experiences of case-PBL in medical education, the following principles for where developed for case-didactics in Social Work education:
• Professional nearness
• Motivation and student activity
• The students initiate their own learning and contributes to the collaborative learning process
• Guided by teachers and facilitators and through specific structures for learning
• Encourage critical reflection and action
The last point highlights the need for learning how to reflect critically on a case, and here it is found necessary to scaffold critical reflection by using analytical models. Our focus was here drawn to Tønnesvang, Hedegaard
& Nygaard’s Quadrant model, which assists the students to focus on a specific phenomenon – or in Social Work – a specific person (Tønnesvang, Hedegaard & Nygaard 2015). To support the critical thinking, the model is followed by reflective questions built on the SOLO taxonomy and the ability of reflecting on a complex level.
• Goal: Identify and explain a subject relevant challenge of the case.
• Which challenges are described in the case? Which one do you find interesting to work on?
• Goal: Analyse and asses the challenge with relevant research, theory and data.
• Which preunderstandings do you have on the challenge? Which relevant knowledge can contribute to greater understanding of the challenge? How can this knowledge contribute to analyse and discuss different understandings of the challenge?
• Goal: Develop relevant, pedagogical actions that relates to the learning goal of the course.
• Which actions does your analysis call of? Which do you prefer?
The questions support, qualifies and guides the student’s reflection on the case, and prepare them for the case-based examine. These questions might seem too controlling and steering the reflection, but at the first semester of Social Work, the students presumption for critical reflection differs, and leaves a need of scaffolding how to open up the case and relate it to a complex theoretic field where argumentation are to be thought.
The collaboration between the educations has not ended, and this paper highlight the most essential parts of the great work translating experience of working with case-PBL as a base for combining theory and practise and training critical reflection.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Stine Bylin Bundgaard, sib@ucn.dk, Denmark, UCN (corresponding author)
Diana Stentoft, stentoft@hst.aau.dk, Denmark, Aalborg University (corresponding author)