Program: Social Work (BSW)
Degree: Bachelor's
Date: Wed Oct 10, 2012 - 4:33:27 pm
1) Below are your program's student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.
Since our last report, the student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the BSW Program remain the same. SLOs specify seven key abilities (i.e., values/ethics, diversity, communication, application of theory to practice, critical thinking, professional use of self) which are core to students’ preparation for effective professional social work practice. Currently, all the SLOs (aka seven abilities or core competences) are addressed across the BSW curriculum and explicitly stated in master syllabi, as well as syllabi for all courses. This provides a strong internal cohesiveness to the curriculum and is consistent with guidelines from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) for Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS 2008). All courses must be horizontally and vertically sequenced so that courses build upon each other across semesters and mutually inform each other within a given semester.
Beginning in Academic Year 2013 the Seven Abilities will be replaced by the Ten (10) Core Competencies as outlined in CSWE EPAS. These competencies are:
- Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.
- Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
- Apply critical thinking to inform & communicate professional judgments.
- Engage diversity and difference in practice.
- Advance human rights and social and economic justice.
- Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.
- Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
- Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.
- Respond to contexts that shape practice.
- Engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
Department Website URL: www.hawaii.edu/sswork
Student Handbook. URL, if available online: Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: http://www.hawaii.edu/sswork/bulletin.html UHM Catalog. Page Number: Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: NA Other: Other: 3) Select one option:
- File (03/16/2020)
4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.
0% 1-50% 51-80% 81-99%
100%5) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2011 and September 30, 2012? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning the curriculum to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys or tests, etc.)
Yes No (skip to question 14)6) For the period June 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.
We have engaged in discussions over the last 18 months to both create and answer critical assessment questions, such as:
How can the current EPAS (Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards) core competencies be tailored to fit the BSW program, while also attending to the unique nature of the program? For example, it is critical that the Program maintains its “Hawaiian Place of Learning” focus while also meeting the accreditation standards.
Goals:
1. To revise the SLOs for each class so that each reflects the most recent 2008 EPAS core competencies.
2. To infuse identified strategic priorities of the current school strategic planning process into any and all relevant classes.
3. To create and implement a review process by which to assess each of the newly revised SLOs by the end of the 201 academic year. (There are currently 10 EPAS standards that must be met. One possible strategy is to select 2 or 3 standards for in-depth review each academic year).
4. To create a curriculum map reflecting the horizontal and vertical sequencing/integration of the BSW curriculum.
7) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #6.
a) Minutes from BSW Curriculum Committee meetings
b) Syllabi and practicum requirements
c) Sequence chair review
8) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
7-12 faculty members met regularly for the BSW Curriculum Committee meetings.
All BSW faculty members submitted syllabi and/or practicum requirements which included SLOs.
9) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)
Course instructor(s) Faculty committee Ad hoc faculty group Department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Faculty advisor Advisors (in student support services) Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean/Director Other: Sequence Chair10) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)
Used a rubric or scoring guide Scored exams/tests/quizzes Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used) Compiled survey results Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam) Other: 11) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #6:
Summarize the actual results.
1. To revise the SLOs for each class so that each reflects the most recent 2008 EPAS core competencies.
The MBTSSW BSW program committee has revised the SLOs to reflect the accreditation standards (i.e., 2008 EPAS 10 core competencies by CSWE).
2. To infuse identified strategic priorities of the current school strategic planning process into any and all relevant classes.
We recently finalized school’s missions, strategic priorities and initiatives; and now are in the process of planning/implementing specific activities to infuse identified strategic priorities into school’s curriculum.
3. To create and implement a review process by which to assess each of the newly revised SLOs by the end of the 201 academic year. (There are currently 10 EPAS standards that must be met. One possible strategy is to select 2 or 3 standards for in-depth review each academic year).
BSW program committee has decided to implement and assess the newly revised SLOs starting from the 2013 academic year, having continued work on revisiting and refining new SLOs during this academic year. Because the program has to respond to both the school faculty and our accrediting body, it was critical that we be intentional in our reevaluation of the SLO’s.
4. To create a curricular map reflecting the horizontal and vertical sequencing/integration of the BSW curriculum.
A curriculum map was created to reflect the integration of the BSW curriculum, and it will be revised and refined based on faculty comments and feedback. The map, like the competencies and SLO’s it charts-out are under constant revision based on changing needs of the program, the communities we serve and the bodies we respond to; it is a living document.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
All of the SLO’s for every class have been completed and our next step is to use the completed curricular map to insure both horizontal and vertical sequencing congruent with CSWE standards and meeting the stated requirements of the school’s strategic planning process.
13) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.
Social Work faculty re-affirmed the benefits of assessment as a tool for discussing the curriculum and improving the students’ educational experience. BSW Faculty also agreed to amend and/or change the current Seven Abilities to the Ten Core Competencies as outlined by CSWE EPAS. Finally, because the sequence chairs met with all instructors teaching within their particular sequence, they were able to assure congruence between what was expected for a certain course and what was actually taught. This is a form of quality assurance that would not necessarily have happened were in not for this assessment process. This collegial process engaged faculty in dialogue regarding both the content and the process of the explicit curriculum.