virclass the virtual classroom for social work in europe summary of the work 2002-2005 and future...

VIRCLASS

The Virtual Classroom for social work in Europe

Summary of the work 2002-2005and future plans

HIB-AHS- Anne Karin Larsen 2

The idea startet

• In the first annual meeting in EUSW-TN in Parma in

november 2002• Then the idea about

e-learning courses in addition to the summer school in Parma started


Several meetings have been held

• In Kaunas – May 2003• In Dornbirn – annual meeting

EUSW - June 2003• In Madrid - November 2003• In Parma – February 2004• In Hungary, annual meeting

EUSW – MAy 2004 • In Bergen October 2004• In Jønkøping February 2005• In Amsterdam Sept. 2005


A lot of travels, and always hard work


OBJECTIVES for VIRCLASS• To develop eLearning courses in Social Work in

a comparative perspective for an international group of students with an

• International group of teachers• A common curriculum plan and readings• To be integrated in studieplans in BA and MA

programmes at the Universities• An be interesting for professional social workers

who wish an international perspective on social work


The elements in the project

• Curriculum co operation

• Administration, organisation and coordination

• Development of a virtual campus for social work in Europe

• Dissemination of results


The VirClass project

• The Partnerships in the Virclass project was established by the first Minerva application in 2003.

– This application was not approved

• The second application to SOFF/NUV resulted in financial support for 2004-2005

:400.000 NOK• HIB supported the project with the same amount of

money each year.• Up till autumn 2004 the EUSW-TN programme made the

group meetings possible by support for travel costs and accomodation.


What we have managed to do so far:• A common curriculum

plan with 20ECTS• 3 modules –

– 2-elearning, – 1 selfstudy and summer

school

• Administration of and running the studyprogramme

• Dissemination of results• New applications


Let’s start with the educational programme

• CURRICULUM PLANAnd the overall objectives……..


Gain knowledge and understanding about:

• Commonalities and differences in social work as subject and profession in Europe

• Anti-oppressive practice in social work• Social situation by comparing and analyse

situations in different countries• Welfare systems and social policies in different

countries and the implication this may have for social work

• Social work education and methodical and theoretical input to professional practice


Social Work in EuropeCommonalities and Differences

• Module 1 gives an introduction to European social work

• This Module is based on the first book production of EUSW-TN

• Students can do this as self-study or as an e-learning student.

• 5 ECTS

MODULE 1

S ocial W ork in Europe

Com m onalities and D ifferences

ORS elf- study E- learning


If you can’t go abroad..

2.1: Anti-oppressive social work. Ethics, theories, methods and working principles

2.2: The Welfare Systems in Europe

2.3: Social Work Education. Skill training and professional competence

MODULE 2

Com parative S ocial W ork:

A European perspective on Core

issues of S ocial W ork

E- learning


Module 2.1 include 3 possible options

2.1: Anti-oppressive social work. Ethics, theories, methods and working principles

A.Discrimination and oppression as phenomenon in Europe

B.Poverty as phenomenon in Europe

C.Ethnic Diversity as phenomenon in Europe


ECTS

• 5 ects = 7 weeks part time study• 10 ects =14 weeks part time study

• 1 ects = 1 week full time study (40 hours)• As par time student 1ects=1,4 week


Applications from students

• The study programme was adverticed by posters sent to all Universities

• And by advertising on web-sites

• Deadline for application 1.November 2004


The target groups are

• Professional social workers

• Social work students undertaking bachelor’s programmes or

• post-graduate programmes/MA/PhD


Running the study programme

• Handling 120 applications from students from all over Europe


Who were the students in the Virclass project:

• Nationalities: • Finland• Germany • Greece• Iceland• Italy• Lithuania • Norway

• Nationalities: • Romania• Sweden• Turkey• Macedonia• Spain• Estonia• Poland• Austria

• Age:19-50 – majority under 25 year of age


EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Module BA/DIPL. MA/PhD Social Workers

No. of Students

M1

eLearning53% 40% 15%* 32(100%

M2

eLearning32% 52% 20%* 25(100%

M3 67% 17% 16%* 34(100%

• *The total percentage amount to more than 100%. This is because some of the MA andPhD students also were working as professional social workers in addition to their studies


120 applications from students

Module 1selfstudy

Module 1 eLearning

Module 2

eLearning

Module 3

Summer school

applications 73 47 76 102

Participating

students64 44 31 34

Students who did the final assignment

32 30 24 28


Reasons for reductions

• Students were:– Not well enough informed about the curriculum plan

and the time schedule, the demand about exam/final assignments

– Did not have time to do the course in addition to other educational programme, family life and job

– Wanted to join the summer school, without doing the work before

– Some students who did not need the credits skiped the final assignment

– Some students started with module 1 selfstudy at the same time as module 2 started resulted in too much work at the same time


Reasons for reductions

• Students were not fully aware of the demand and extend of co operation needed due to the taskoriented method in the courses

• Some student had too limited access to computeres and internet

• Some technical problems in the begining of the courses


Teachers experience

• Most of the teachers did eLearning courses for the first time

• Difficulties with planning the progress and amount of work every week and during the courses.

• eLearning pedagogy demands some new skills in teaching

• Takes some time to learn how to work on the It:s Learning platform


Dissemination of results• NUV-conferences in Oslo –

2004 (The Norwegian Opening University)

• NSHK – Nordic Socialwork education committee, 21.st conference in Copenhagen, August 2005

• Home-page: http://home.hib.no/ahs/virclass

• EUSW-TN annual meetings

http://home.hib.no/ahs/virclass


Partners in the project period2003-2005

9 partners have been involved in the Virclass project:– Kjell Henriksbø – Bergen University College– Anne Karin Larsen – Bergen University College (coordinator)– Bob Sanders – University of Wales, Swansea– Klas-Göran Olsson – School of health and Social Sciences,

Jønkøping, Sweden– Julija Eidukeviciute – University of Kaunas, Lithuania– Annamaria Campanini – University of Parma, Italy– Andres Arias Astray – University of Complutense, Madrid, Spain– Commune di Parma, Parma, Italy– Magne Ervik - City of Bergen, Bergen, Norway – Joni Kylmälä - Polytechnic Helsinki, Finland


Participants in developing the educational programme and running the courses

• Eduardo de Marques – Instituto Superior Miquel Torga, Coimbra, Portugal (new partner)

• University of Warminsko-Mazurski W, Olztyn, Poland (new partner)• Answin Weissenborn - Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria (new

partner)• Morten Fahlvik - Mediacentre – HIB (new partner)• Carsten Otte, Mannheim, Germany

• NEW PARTNERS from 2006:• Remmelt Veenkamp, INHOLLAND, Haarlem (new partner)• Frank Weber – Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria (new partner)• Lisbeth Thomassen – Mediacentre Bergen • Grete Oline Hole - HIB• Olav Hauken - HIB


The future financial situation ?• We hope that the eLearning

application/EU will be approved (result in October/November)

• We hope that we will be funded once more from NUV

• We know there will be some support from HIB for the next year.


Main objectives for the next project period

• A model for didactical approach to eLearning courses in Social Work education

• Creation of a Virtual Book

• A model for administration and finance for international eLearning courses in Social Work in Europe


Plans for future

• Adjustments of curriculumplan and modules - ects

• Develop a new administrative and financial modell

• Development of a didactical model and

a Virtual Book about social work in Europe• Increase the flexibility in the study programme• Make the study available for use in other LMS

programmes


It:s learning – a LMS system• This Learning Management System consists

of:• Bulletin Board• Tutorials• Links• Organising the material in folders and files• Discussion area

– Syncronic – Non syncronic

• Possibilities to – Upload files– Pictures– Video

• To administrate exam– To upload tasks and use the portfolio method

• Includes a register for participants in courses

– Internal/external messages– Statistics of progress

• Calender function

virclass the virtual classroom for social work in europe summary of the work 2002-2005 and future...

Documents

social work hibahs

anne karin larsensocial

anne karin larsenlets

anne karin larsenobjectives

anne karin larsenmodule

anne karin larsenif

anne karin larsenwhat

antioppressive social