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Teaching social justice online with a service learning componentDr. Carmen Mónico, Elon UniversityDalia El-Khoury, PhD Student, VCU

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Content1. Why teaching online2. Online learning and learners3. Teaching social justice4. The challenge: The online social justice, summer

course 5. A tour of the course BB page6. Examples of service learning activities7. Course assessments8. Questions for discussion9. Resources10. References

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Teaching online1. Online education research highlight building

communities online and enabling social presence2. Online learning enhances student’s subject

knowledge, critical thinking, and other learning outcomes

3. Online technologies in higher education are learner-focused and self-directed learning (heutagogy); enable constructivist pedagogy

4. Knowledge and meaning is constantly created through interaction, feedback, collaboration, group activities, and other learning tools

5. Instructors become facilitators of the learning process

Palloff & Pratt, 2003, 2007

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LearnersNational Center for Education Statistics (2002) on enrollment on online courses (Dec 31, 1999):- 65% of 18 y.o. or

less- 57% of 19-23 y.o.- 56% of 24-29 y.o.- 63% of 30 y.o. and

above

Current Social Work Distance Education (DE) Program enrollment: 51 Demographics from this class:Total Enrollment: 16Age 23-30: 58%Age 30-45: 42%Male: 12.5%Female: 87.5%Race/Ethnicity – White: 69%African-American: 19%Latino: 12.5% Geographic Regions: Charlottesville, Fairfax, VA beach, Portsmouth, Mechanicsville, Chesapeake

Palloff & Pratt, 2003

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Teaching social justice Social justice is integral to the identity of social

work as a profession, and to social workers Diverse definitions:

Afford to less fortunate, minorities, persecuted, ostracized, and disadvantaged the same rights, opportunities, and access to resources (Beverley & McSweeney, 1987; King, 1995; Swensen, 1998; Morris, 2002)

Wakefield (1998): distributive justice (fair minimum) is the key organizing value

Morris (2002): capabilities perspective as a vehicle to undergird oppression

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Course description and goals Social work's historical and current commitment to

social justice as related to oppressed groups in a multicultural society

Understanding of appreciation for diversity in self and others

Encourages discussion of ethical dilemmas when promoting empowerment and advocacy roles

Analyze oppression resulting from persistent social, educational, political, religious, economic, and legal inequalities

Study of strengths, needs, and responses of oppressed groups in the U.S. and abroad

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The challenge Instructor’s prior experience teaching online and

in teaching social justice & CTE training (Dr. Mónico)

Same course description and goals but an adapted curriculum for online instruction

Selected readings and video clippings developed from prior course & Dr. Liz Cramer syllabus

Test a newly designed course in only 8 weeks Half of the class wrote 3 short papers as in

classroom course, half elected service learning option

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Blackboard Course Tour1. Syllabus and course organization

(announcements, units, groups)2. Course documents and videos3. Weekly discussion board4. Introduction, Q& A, and assessment

blogs5. Assignment tasks6. Additional resources

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Service learning component Service learning: Immediate use of knowledge

acquired (90% retention in learning pyramid) Examples:

1. Production of a video with stories about the experience of transgender communities in Washington DC

2. Support for transition from a Dialogue on Race in a Human Rights Commission in Charlottesville

3. Preparation of an instructional manual for relative placement as an alternative to foster care in Alexandria

4. Development of a multicultural training curriculum for volunteers of the Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates Program

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Assessments (mid & end point)When assessing your learning at mid-point or at the end of the course, please address the following questions:

What have you learned in this course (so far)? How that knowledge and skills have been "operationalized"

(put into work) or enhanced in your assignments, service learning projects, at work or at home?

How that knowledge and skills acquired are grounded in the social work values?

How do you hope to use them in the future?

Please provide examples, short stories to share with others in the class!

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Lessons learned1. No prior online teaching experience

required!2. Get support from the CTE and

colleagues with prior knowledge3. Required: passion for innovation in

pedagogy, “learning by doing,” no fear to make mistakes!

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Questions for discussion1. Having no prior online teaching

experience, where does one starts? 2. What are the resources available to do so?3. What are some challenges you face when

teaching online? 4. What are some useful strategies and

effective tools you use in teaching online?5. What is the value added of integrating a

service learning component into online education?

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ResourcesOnline Teaching and Learning Resource Guide (through VCU CTE)

http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/index.htmlhttp://www.designingforlearning.info/services/writing/ecoach/tenbest.htmlhttp://www.educause.edu/ero/article/implementing-best-practices-online-learninghttp://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/00_02_WhitePaper.html

Service-learning at VCU:http://www.servicelearning.vcu.edu/

Others?

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BibliographyBeverly, D.P. and McSweeney, E.A. (1987). Social Welfare and Social

Justice. Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ.Morris, P.M. (2002). The capabilities perspective: A framework for

social justice. Families in Society, 83(4), 365-373.Palloff, R. N. & Pratt, K (2003). The Virtual Student – A profile and

guide to working with online learners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: San Francisco, C.A.

Palloff, R. N. & Pratt, K (2007). Building online learning communities – Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: San Francisco, C.A.

Swenson, C. R. (1998). Clinical social work’s contribution to a social justice perspective. Social Work, 43, 527-537.

Wakefield, J. C. (1988). Psychotherapy, distributive justice, and social work. Social Service Review, 62(2), 187-210.