Collaborative Learning - Information Communication Technologies for Human Services Education and Delivery - page 48

controversial issues basis. During the course, one student was unable to

access WebCT because of a computer virus which
meant an absence of many days from the class.
The failure of one member to participate in group
activities had a big impact on group functioning
particularly given the allocation of roles. Here the
member holding the wild card could step in and
take over the missing member's role to ensure
maintenance of cohesion.
The most important role was that of coordina-
tor. The importance of this role in maintaining
group functioning was initially underestimated by
both students and the lecturer. All students took
a turn in this role. Throughout the functioning of
the group, the skills of the coordinator improved
with active learning from the prior experiences
of students who proceeded them in this role. In
the initial session, the student with the role of
facilitator was reminded to take the initiative.
Checking the web and being on time became an
important student learning task.
Although there was no formal evaluation, the
lecturer was pleased with the learning experience.
There was a high degree of trust between the
students within the online environment and it is
assumed that this developed in the intensive that
preceded the online work. Students were provided
with an opportunity to make the transition from
the safety and security of the face to face environ-
ment to online work by having the first session
in a computer laboratory. Anxieties were eased
allowing students to focus on their tasks.
The students participated in a collaborative
learning group and demonstrated the features of
positive interdependence, individual accountabil-
ity, shared leadership, and responsibility for each
other. Throughout the group supervision, students
stayed on task and learnt the importance of social
skills. If this course was to be repeated, the lecturer
would have fewer vignettes with discussion taking
place over several weeks. This would allow for
more thoughtful conceptualization of roles, greater
reflection on the process and the elaboration of
practice theory for group supervision.

The aim of this course was to introduce students
to the ethics and values underpinning profes-
sional practice and to enable students to reflect
on the way in which their personal beliefs and
values constrain and influence practice decisions.
Collaborative learning was achieved through
an online assessment where students discussed
controversial ethical issues. These controversial
issues were written as “ought statements” that
indicated how social workers should behave in
their professional practice. In reflecting on these
debates, students were expected to take account
of their responsibility to clients, their employing
agency, self and profession.
Students in groups of six to ten were allocated a
controversial issue on social work ethics for discus-
sion. They were required to research their allocated
topic using on-line electronic library resources
and in 500 words post a commentary to the bul-
letin board. The first bulletin board had particular
requirements. Students were required to:

• Justify the controversial issue as stated

(even if they disagreed with the statement
- many so doing)
Examine practice implications of the con- •

troversial issue
Identify a claimant (or stakeholder) and •

then determine what the person would
want you, as a professional, to do about
that issue and
Specify the social worker's professional •

obligations to that person.

The discussion topics included whether:

1. Clients who express racist attitudes about

other people in counseling sessions should
be challenged by social workers.

2. Social workers should report all ethical

infringements by colleagues to their profes-
sional ethics committee.