Language Games:An Innovative, Engaging Way

to Teach Theory Use CompetenciesProfessor James A. Forte

(jamesforte@mac.com; http://jamesaforte.com)

(The Changing World and

the Face of Social Work

2014 BPD Annual Conference

March 23, 2014 Louisville, KY)

Competencies & Theorizing Skills

• 2.1.3 Critical thinking – theorizing skills including critique (science, social work, practical standards), contextualize, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning

• 2.1.7 Apply knowledge – core theorizing skills, advanced theorizing

• 2.1.10 Planned change processes – differential and situation appropriate use of core theorizing skills and advanced theorizing skills

Ludwig Wittgenstein

• Lived 1889 to 1951

• Considered one of greatest philosophers of last century

• A major interest – language, its uses and language learning

• Classic work – Philosophical Investigations

W ’s Game Metaphor, Expanded• Professional activity – interaction in varied “theory use”

language games

• Student – game contestant learning to play and win games

• Educator – coach preparing contestants and game show host facilitating play

• Professional development – progress in knowledge (theory content) and ability (theorizing competencies) necessary to make moves (talk-fluency & literacy and deed) showing effective game playing as judged by “community of practitioners”

Need for Theory Language Games

Social Workers need to learn many languages – research, ethics and values, social work practice (EBP), and

theory (explanatory, practice, folk theories) (Bloom, 1991)

BUT

The profession is not teaching theoretical languages or mastery of SW language games.

Games – Language Games

Game of Risk SW Assessment Game

• Goal-To conquer world To understand PIE

• Moves–locate forces Question, Summarize

• Context-Home Agency, Client Life Space

• Rules-battles, troop Rules-privacy, focal topics,

movements, etc. assembly of information, etc.

Theory Language Games in SW

• Game of Interpreting PIE Problems (Assessment)

• Game of Solving PIE Problems

• Game of Reporting on Case

• Game of Team Conferences

• Game of Translating Assessment/Intervention Plan for Others

Teaching Language Games (Principles)

• Teach with priority on “theoretical language learning”• Teach that theory meanings emerge during interaction in

situations embedded in social-physical environments

• Teach rules and moves (word use) necessary for effective “theorizing” game play (coordinated action)

• Teach with emphasis on theoretical languages as tools

• Teach that theory languages shape our perception of reality

• Teach in ways simulating actual context for theory talk

• Teach appreciation for multiple theory languages & games

Teaching with Theory Language Games (Benefits)

• Motivate students to work to learn theoretical content and theorizing skills by fun, enjoyable learning activities

 

• Elicit student reflections on theoretical concepts, the uses of theoretical concepts, and the social work contexts for theory / theory concept use

 

• Make learning active via practice, rehearsal of language use and relating classroom language learning to social work in field settings

• Help students increase their vocabulary of theoretical concepts and their ability to use this vocabulary in theory-related talk and action

Theory Language Games: Steps• 1. Pick language game suitable to class members and relevant to purpose of

class session; relate game design to specific helping contexts 

• 2. Introduce the game and the rules to the class. If necessary, provide a brief demonstration of how the game works. 

• 3. Play the game - create teams, begin play, facilitate / host, manage noise, use classroom space appropriately, balance competition and fun, note students' learning problems related to game play 

• 4. Give out prizes and debrief game with class regarding theory knowledge and theorizing process decisions, lessons, new understandings 

• 5. Revise game or prepare new games to help students master learning challenges that became apparent 

Tailoring Games to PIE, Setting, Inquiry & Action Plans

 Feeling – Psychodynamic Theory / Crisis Services, Mental Health Clinics

Uncover intrapsychic conflicts & attachment problems / Plan to deepen insights and improve attachments

 

Sensing - Evolutionary Biology /Adoption Agencies, Hospitals, Senior Centers,

Reproductive Services 

Diagnose symptoms and overall health / Plan for disease remedies or health promotion

 

Thinking – Cognitive Science/ Schools, Centers for Developmental Challenges

Appraise thinking and cognitive development / Plan to challenge distorted thinking and enhance cognitive abilities 

Gaining Familiarity with Theories

Theory Bingo

• Students mingle and attempt to find someone in the class who has done the activity in a bingo skeet box. The student asks the other student to initial the bottom of the box. (No more than three initials from any one person. The first three persons to complete a row or column win prizes.)

Theory Charades

• Each student player selects a theory name from a list of explanatory or practice theory and following the rules of charades, acts out the name for his or her team. The performance it timed and the team with the shortest time wins the round.

Thinking about Theory as Language

Theory Telephone

• Teams are created. The first team leaves the room. One student reads a theoretical quote and attempts to pass it on to the next student as accurately as possible and so on. Each team’s final version is compared to the original version; the team with the closed final “telephone message” wins.

Using Theories: SW Theory-Informed Assessment Game

Theory What's My Line (20 Questions)

• One student volunteers to be the mystery guest and familiarizes self with the case scenario. The rest of class asks closed ended questions in order to pinpoint the problem and the relevant explanatory theory. When a student receives a “yes” answer, he or she continues. A “no” answer ends the turn.

What Would the Theorist Ask

One student volunteers to be the mystery guest (a famous theorist related to an applied /practice theory) and familiarizes self with the case scenario. The rest of class asks open-ended questions in order to learn about the details of the problem and the relevant explanatory theory. Each student gets one turn and can guess at the end of the turn. The teacher might either show a photo of a theorist to guide the question formulation or show photos of a variety of theorists and encourage students to determine which theorist is most relevant.

Using Theories: SW Theory-Informed Intervention Games

Theory American Idol

• Students watch and judge two or more presentations (student team presentations, You Tube clips by applied theory experts) on a particular theoretical approach used in practice to guide intervention, summarize each in their own words, and judge which presentation would best guide their own intervention planning and implementation.

Theory: What Would the Theorist Do

• One student volunteers to be the mystery guest (a famous theorist related to an applied /practice theory) and familiarizes self with the case scenario. The rest of class asks open-ended questions in order to learn about the theorist's ideas for resolving the problem and several interventions associations with the theorist. Each student gets one turn and can guess at the end of the turn. The teacher might either show a photo of a theorist to guide the question formulation or show photos of a variety of theorists and encourage students to determine which theorist is most relevant.

Building Theory Vocabularies: SW Case Conference Game

Theory Match Game• Class is divided into two teams. Each team is presented a

simple image (or question; the set of questions represents concepts from multiple theories - one theory's concepts at a time or concepts from different theories mixed together); team members write down their answers. If 2/3 of team writes correct answer, team earns 10 points. If all team members write correct answer, team earns 20 points. The

first team to earn 100 points wins.

Theory Harvest

• List 20 theoretical concepts on an image of a large paper tree - 4 from each of 5 theories. Create images of 5 buckets - each with the name of one of the theories on it. Students compete against a time limit to place the concepts correctly in the theory buckets. Or a the team that first fills a bucket wins points and play continues.

Theory Password• Two teams compete. The theoretical term to be conveyed (the

"password") is given to one player on each team and was shown to the rest of the class (also they get to hear it). Game play alternated between the two teams with theoretical terms selected from multiple theories. On each team, the player who was given the password gives a one-word clue from which their partner attempts to guess the password. If the partner fails to guess the password within the allotted five-second time limit, or if an illegal clue was given (two or more words, a hyphenated word, or any part or form of the password), play passed to the opposing team. The game continues until one of the players guessed the password correctly or until ten clues had been given.

•  

Magic Letters: Fill in the Blank with Theory Answer

• For tests, students are expected to fill in the blank part of a sentence describing some theoretical knowledge. Sentences are related to varied relevant theories. Students receive a magic letter, the first or last letter of the correct answer as a clue.

Theory Balderdash (Definitions/Shmefinitions)

• Each team has a guesser and a set of definition finders. A theoretical concept is presented. The finders look up the definition in the textbook, and he or she writes it down. The guesser writes down his or her notion of the definition. The team earns points if the definitions match. Game continues with concepts presented from multiple theories.

 Which Theoretical Concept

Doesn't Belong

• For tests, construct an item with 4 concepts from one theory and a fifth concept from a different theory. The student must pick the concept that doesn't belong to the first theory.

Theory Language Games: Uses

• Review of theoretical frameworks especially concepts before tests

• Energizers to refocus student attention and increase class level of vitality

• Part of formal class agendas to teach theories and their uses

• Other ________________________

Jim Forte, HimselfJim Forte, Himself

Brief Biography: James A. Forte

• Forte is professor at Salisbury University, author of four books and 40 articles, and an enthusiastic workshop presenter at international, national, regional, and local conferences Forte has been teaching human behavior classes for more than 15 years, and has recently completed books focused on Skills for Theory Use and Using 14 Theories for Practice.

An Introduction to Using Theory in An Introduction to Using Theory in Social Work PracticeSocial Work Practice

• Routledge 2014 – 264 pages Routledge 2014 – 264 pages 

PaperbackPaperback: : $51.95$51.95978-0-415-72671-9978-0-415-72671-9

• James A. Forte is Professor of Social Work at Salisbury University, Maryland, USA. (jamesforte@mac.com; http://jamesaforte.com)

• http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415726719/

An Introduction to Using Theory in Social Work Practice equips the reader to use fourteen key social work theories to guide each phase of the planned change process, from engagement through to evaluation. Suitable for a generalist approach, this book illustrates the value of applying theory to practice in a variety of social work roles, across diverse fields and facing assorted challenges.

The first section provides a practical foundation for beginning to use theory in your social work practice.

Section two looks at how you can translate and integrate fourteen theories commonly found in social work across each phase of the planned change process. The theories discussed are: behavioural, interpretive anthropology, psychodynamic, evolutionary biology, cognitive, symbolic interactionism, strengths, social constructionism exchange economics, role, ecological, critical, feminist, and systems theory.

The final section addresses some key issues for real life social work practice, including common barriers to using theory in practice, the potential for multi-professional communication and theory-sharing, and developing an integrative theoretical model for your own personal practice.

Linking to core competencies identified by the Council of Social Work Education, this text supports social work students and practitioners in developing vital skills, including critical thinking, applying theory and the effective use of the planned change process.

Skills for Using Theory in Skills for Using Theory in Social Work32 Lessons for Evidence-Informed Practice

PaperbackPaperback: : $51.95$51.95978-0-415-72684-9978-0-415-72684-9

James A. Forte is Professor of Social Work at Salisbury University, Maryland,

USA. (jamesforte@mac.com; http://jamesaforte.com)

http://www.routledge.com/books/details/http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415726849/9780415726849/

Using theory, research evidence and experiential knowledge is a critical component of good social work. This unique text is designed to help social work students and practitioners to integrate theorizing into practice, demonstrating how to search for, select and translate academic knowledge for practical use in helping people improve their lives and environments. Presenting 32 core skills, Skills for Using Theory in Social Work provides a conceptual foundation, a vocabulary, and a set of skills to aid competent social work theorizing. Each chapter outlines the knowledge and action components of the skill and its relationship to core practice behaviours, along with learning and reflection activities. The lessons are divided into four parts:

• Section one discusses foundational material, including self-identification as a theorist-practitioner, the deliberate use of the term theory, and a social work approach to the selection of knowledge.• Section two focuses on the adept use of theorizing skills. It covers identifying assumptions, using concepts, formulating propositions, organizing theory elements inductively or deductively, summarizing and displaying the elements of a theory, gathering and organizing assessment information and communicating with clients and colleagues about tentative theories.• Section three includes lessons preparing social workers for the construction of useful middle-range theories including causal theories and interpretive theories and for testing and sharing these practical theories.• Section four presents skills to develop critical thinking about theoretical knowledge. These include avoiding the misuse of theory, judging a theory using scientific standards, judging a theory by professional standards, critiquing theory in its cultural and historical context and making judgments about the likely long-term impact of a theory.