SWDE 2024 Virtual Conference
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Bridging the Distance: Pedagogy • Practice • Policy

Call for Proposals closes October 1, 2023

The concerted efforts of social work researchers, educators, practitioners, and advocates allow for a more comprehensive approach to social problems. These efforts generate valuable insights into how social work empowers vulnerable populations through working collaboratively to create systemic change. The SWDE 2024 conference will focus on how social workers with expertise in these domains can use an online environment to collaboratively build bridges between research, teaching, practice, and policy, to promote anti-oppressive practice and services for individuals, families, and communities.

The field of social work is diverse and multifaceted, encompassing a wide range of research approaches, pedagogical frameworks, practice methods, and policy initiatives. The blending of these elements is essential for the advancement of the social work profession in equipping new practitioners with necessary skills and knowledge, creating more effective intervention strategies, and preparing practitioners to advocate for policy change. As the social work profession increasingly incorporates technology into education, service provision, and policy action, it is imperative that social work distance education provides the opportunity for students to gain a deeper awareness of how to connect to their own environment and the world around them.

The SWDE 2024 conference invites social work researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy advocates worldwide to share their approaches, best practices, and collective insights in blending these diverse areas of expertise in distance social work education.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

  1. Proposals submitted should be related to the conference theme "Bridging the Distance: Pedagogy-Practice-Policy".
  2. Proposals should relate to social work distance education. This may include schools and programs offering “completely online” distance degree programs, or programs that are “hybrid/blended” that include both online and live interaction.
  3. No more than two (2) proposals can be submitted from the same primary author to ensure a diverse range of presenters.
  4. Proposal should have a max of four (4) presenters (one primary plus up to three (3) co-presenters).
  5. Accepted proposals may require additional information and materials prior to presentation.
  6. Bilingual (English/Spanish) presentation proposals accepted.
  7. All proposals will be assessed using anonymous peer review.
  8. To foster an interactive and robust conference experience, all proposals accepted will be presented live through a virtual platform. A pre-recorded presentation option will not be offered.
  9. All sessions providing continuing education credits will be recorded and made available for viewing by conference attendees within 30 days following the conference closing.
  10. Proposal character limits: Title (max. 100), Abstract (max. 500), Learning Objectives (no limit – minimum of 3 required), Text (max 3500), References (max 2500)
 

PROPOSAL FORMATS

There are three (3) Core Component areas, six (6) Track Focus categories and four (4) Session Format options available. The Planning Committee will make every effort to honor preferred selections, however, may request adaptions when necessary to ensure the most streamlined conference program.

Core Component Areas

Three (3) core component areas are available. Proposals must choose only one core component category. Emphasis on anti-oppressive pedagogy, practice, and policy is highly encouraged.

1. PEDAGOGY

  • Development and implementation of innovative social work distance education curriculum, research, and literature that enhance the blending of social work education with practice/service delivery and/or policy implementation.
  • Presentations focusing on distance education teaching techniques that integrate knowledge and skills, demonstrating how students are able to practice the tools they are learning and apply their learning in research, practice, and/or advocacy settings.
  • Content that focuses on the strategies and approaches researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy advocates use to prepare social work students for field education on a distance education platform.

2. PRACTICE

  • Online practice or field education opportunities that provide experiential learning opportunities in distance service provision or policy implementation.
  • Examples of successful practice interventions and/or approaches that incorporate distance service provision.
  • Exploration of evidence-based field education models, pedagogical frameworks, and/or innovative approaches used for policy advocacy in field education.

3. POLICY

  • Explore policy implications and identify teaching considerations that impact social work distance education, research, and practice.
  • Policy development that supports integration of human rights and social, economic, environmental, and cultural justice perspectives in research, publication, social work distance education, and social work practice that incorporates virtual or technological aspects.
  • Focus on how social work research, practice, and learning/participating in advocacy activities inform policy decisions. The focus could include examples of how policy development is informed by evidence-based research, practice outcomes, and advocacy work.

Track Focus Categories

Six (6) possible track focus categories are available. Proposals must choose only one track category.

1. FIELD EDUCATION / DISTANCE FIELD PLACEMENT

Topics may include but are not limited to: Innovative pedagogical approaches to deliver field curriculum, the role of field instructors/faculty liaisons in curriculum development, effective pedagogical use of technology for placement development, assessment, supervision, and orientation. Content regarding use of performance tracking software and online services is also encouraged.

2. CURRICULUM

Topics may include, but are not limited to: Innovative curriculum development, Learning Management Systems (LMS) and supportive tools, best pedagogical practices, interdisciplinary and collaborative pedagogical approaches, innovative assignments/exercises, and community building while delivering BSW, MSW, or PhD/DSW curriculum.

3. ADMINISTRATION / LEADERSHIP

Online program administration presents a unique set of challenges. Needs and support systems vary from program to program, and we’d like proposals submitted that introduce us to and expand upon these different challenges to include: faculty recruitment and retention, how reliant a program is upon adjuncts, tenure track faculty members, enrollment, accreditation, marketing and promoting, partnering with educational service companies, complications of licensure in different jurisdictions/countries, and long term support for program and university needs.

4. RESEARCH

Topics should include an element that relates to social work distance education or virtual social work service delivery. Submissions should focus on what changes may have resulted due to the research that was conducted. These changes may be due to the research process itself or the dissemination and implementation of the research. Submissions should describe how the research has contributed to changes in curriculum or service to individuals, organizations, communities, and policies. The challenge is to describe what current or potential change is impacted by the results of the research.

5. PRACTICE

Topics may include, but are not limited to, incorporation of distance education or service delivery in: clinical social work, case management, residential and community-based care, private practice, school social work, medical social work, family systems, diagnosis/assessment, new approaches to treatment, community organizing, assets-based community development and community-oriented interventions, advocacy, international social work, group social work, complications of licensure working in different jurisdictions/countries, etc.

6. DOCTORAL STUDENT TRACK

This track is a designated space for doctoral students to share their research projects in progress, or examples of bridging their practice experiences with research, policy and/or teaching, and sharing insights and ideas that support professional developmental and goal attainment relating to one of the three conference Core Component Areas.

Examples of potential topics include: examining the role of field instructors in virtual settings, exploring effective methods of assessing student learning in distance social work education, utilizing technology to promote policy advocacy in virtual environments, investigating evidence-based approaches in virtual service delivery, exploring ethical considerations in using technology to deliver social work interventions in virtual practice settings, assessing strategies or technologies to ensure inclusivity in online social work education.

Session Format Options

Four (4) possible session formats are available. Proposals must choose only one session format.

1. ORAL PRESENTATION (45 minutes - CE available - up to 4 presenters) Traditional-style 35-minute virtual presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A period.

2. PANEL PRESENTATION (45 minutes - CE available - up to 4 presenters) Panel-style virtual presentation on a particular subject. The primary presenter is responsible for organizing and coordinating the panel presenters and presentation, submitting the proposal, introducing the topic and panel members, ensuring that members stick to the topic and timetable, and guiding discussion. Format is a 35-minute panel presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A period.

3. INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP (90 minutes - CE available - up to 4 presenters) Hands-on learning or interactive experience that emphasizes a dynamic virtual instructor-participant dialogue in achieving the session's learning objectives. This may include interactive participant polls, discussion breakout rooms, and other online interactive options.

4. VIRTUAL NETWORKING SESSION (45 minutes – up to 4 facilitators. NOTE: not a continuing education session) The goal of this session is to promote discussion and brainstorming rather than a structured presentation. Facilitators will identify a topic of interest that will promote connection, interaction, and engagement. The topic chosen should relate to one of the core component areas and track focus categories.