This study compared the educational outcomes of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work's online and traditional MSW programs ("N" = 345). Knowledge, skill, and satisfaction outcomes were compared for online and traditional students in 3 tracks: full-time, part-time, and advanced standing (AS). There were no significant…

Social work educators concur that writing and critical thinking are basic components of effective practice, yet students are often deficient in these skills. Although there is agreement among educators about the need to enhance students' writing skills, there is little understanding of the nature of students' problems--a necessary step…

The "h"-index for all social work and psychology tenured or tenure-track faculty in the top 25 social work programs and psychology departments as ranked by "U.S. News and World Report" in 2012 and 2013, respectively, were obtained, permitting comparison of the scholarly influence between members (N = 1,939) of the two fields.…

Sixteen MSW distance programs provided insight into how the implicit curriculum currently exists within their programs. Overall, distance programs carried out the activities necessary for student development; the student population made for a more diverse learning community; and faculty were receiving training. There was still a heavy reliance on…

An anonymous Web-based survey was used to gather the perceptions and experiences from 114 faculty members teaching in 16 social work programs in the California State University system about the effect of severe budget cuts on their educational activities. Most respondents reported they worked on their furlough days and maintained the same or…

This study reports results from a national Internet-based survey administered anonymously to a cross-section of social work faculty in the United States. Drawn from a sampling frame of 700 accredited or in candidacy schools, data were collected between November 2010 and March 2011. We investigate the role of sex, sexual orientation, race,…

Throughout U.S. higher education, non-tenure track faculty (NTTF) are experiencing tremendous growth. Traditionally part-time instructors, increasing numbers of NTTF are full-time faculty but have lower salaries, fewer benefits, and less integration into their schools than tenure-track peers. Although this general trend is reflected in schools of…

In 2008 the Council on Social Work Education identified field education as the signature pedagogy of social work. In doing so, it designated field education as the synthetic, integrative curricular area in which students are socialized to the profession. This article examines challenges and opportunities this designation presents. How field…

The Internet is increasingly used to disseminate health information about diseases and prevention and to help in obtaining health services. Although technology can empower African Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles, the gap in usage between African Americans and Whites undermines the potential power of health Internet technology (IT) to…

This article identifies the importance of educating social work students and enlisting social work faculty to embrace the university-community engagement arena as a critical subfield of community practice. Through the lens of social work knowledge, values, and skills, the authors present three case studies of social workers who are working in the…

The article summarizes a longitudinal case study of the very first Israeli program in social work targeted to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) population (1997-1999). The program's success played an important role in the last decade's dramatic change of attitude in the Israeli Council for Higher Education toward social work education…

An 11-month long analysis of social work faculty position advertisements examined differences in job descriptions between past and present findings, rural- and urban-located social work programs, doctorate and nondoctorate conferring institutions, and public and private institutions. Additionally, this investigation addressed 2008 Educational…

The literature on team-based learning (TBL) as a pedagogical methodology in social work education is limited; however, TBL, which was developed as a model for business, has been successfully used as a teaching methodology in nursing, business, engineering, medical school, and many other disciplines in academia. This project examines the use of TBL…

Social work educators are uniquely tasked with balancing content while helping students evaluate personal biases and develop ethical conduct necessary for social work professionalism. Social work education may benefit from technology like Student Response Systems (SRS) that allow educators to pose questions on sensitive topics in real time while…

In uncertain economic times, universities have taken steps to address financial problems by including the use of business models. In 2009, the California State University (CSU) system implemented furloughs of a 10% pay reduction and 18 days removed from the academic calendar. Faculty in 16 CSU schools of social work participated in a Web-based…