Supervised fieldwork is a key component to student learning for many programs. As the momentum for online education builds, many Universities view the fieldwork component as an impediment to bringing certain programs online. In this session, we will discuss effective strategies for managing fieldwork for online programs.
Supervised fieldwork is a key component to student learning for many programs. As the momentum for online education builds, many Universities view the fieldwork component as an impediment to bringing certain programs online. In this session, we will discuss effective strategies for managing fieldwork for online programs.
Noodle Partners will leverage deep experience creating and managing online programs with feildwork requirements as a foundation for this discussion. We're also delighted to include Karin Roback, PT, DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy who has recently explored this topic in her study: IMPLEMENTING FIELD-BASED ONLINE GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS: A PROMISING PRACTICE STUDY
Below is a breif exerpt of this study:
Background of the Issues: Related Literature
Many higher education institutions have incorporated increased flexibility for students by actively facilitating the use of technology in educational programs (Allen & Seaman, 2014; Chaney, et al., 2009; Hill, et al., 2012; Jones, 2014; McClintock & Benoit, 2013). Traditionally, educational content delivered through means other than in-person was referred to as distance education and was described in a commissioned report by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in 1998 as being a process where the “learners are at a distance from the originator of the teaching material” (p. 5).
Distance delivery vehicles involve a variety of methods including state of the art video interaction, high production media, and computer software that “can be offered anytime and anyplace” (CHEA, 1998, p. 5). However, more recent technological advances have significantly expanded the use of the internet from just an educational tool used within established classroom settings (brick and mortar institutions) into its current use of delivering entire educational degrees in an online manner (Christensen, Horn, Caldera & Soares, 2011; Jones, 2014).
Indeed, the number of higher education institutions in the U.S. incorporating online instruction has grown drastically since 2000, with an 18.2% average annual growth rate in online course enrollments from 2002 to 2010 (Conchar, Meric & Wright, 2015), and by 2012, 33.5% of college students were taking at least one course online (Allen & Seaman, 2014). Online delivery of educational material has even taken a firm hold in the pedagogy of disciplines requiring fieldwork, with 24% of Social Work education programs offering courses completely online by 2009 (Vernon, et al., 2009), and online education being designated by Social Work Today as one of the top 10 field-transforming trends (Cummings, Chaffin & Cockerham, 2015).
Despite the rapid growth of institutions offering completely online degrees, many professional programs that require clinical fieldwork have been hesitant to embrace this delivery method. Some professions have doubts about their ability to provide a quality fieldwork experience within this context (Brown, Williams & Lynch, 2013; Cummings, Chaffin & Cockerham, 2015; Flynn, Maiden, Smith & Wiley, 2013; Jones, 2014; Moore, 2004). Specifically, faculty in social work programs have expressed skepticism about the ability of the online medium to provide students with the development of sufficient personal interaction and collaboration skills, which are considered essential interpersonal skills for the profession (Cummings, Chaffin & Cockerham, 2015). A similar challenge noted by Siebert & Spaulding-Givens (2006) when describing implementation of the first CSWE-accredited online MSW program at Florida State University was that “social work’s focus on the human connection and hands-on practice skills can seem antithetical to technology-mediated education” (p.79). Similarly, Flynn, et al. (2013) noted that online education for social work has been typically regarded as “inherently substandard and useful only in extremis as a secondary mechanism where all traditional means are not feasible,” (p.340).
The widespread concerns about the ability of online programs to provide effective fieldwork components have some validity and are also echoed in the unique challenges these programs face in meeting specific accreditation and licensure standards (Cordeiro & Muraoka, 2015, CHEA, 2002). Programs may also have difficulty securing the upfront funding necessary to explore new online program options as well as provide for transitioning or hiring faculty and other support services. However, institutions must also consider the decreasing student base, newer flexibility expectations of students, and the program’s ability to remain competitive in the marketplace (Cummings, Chaffin & Cockerham, 2015; Dymond, et al., 2008; Flynn, et al., 2013). By the implementation of an effective fieldwork component, an institution can demonstrate a positive effect on overall program credibility and reputation as well as increase the employability of its graduates.
Importance of this Study
Identifying the factors that facilitate or inhibit the successful implementation of an online graduate degree program with an effective fieldwork component is important for a variety of reasons. First, many professional higher education programs are actively seeking ways to diversify their student base due to decreasing population trends, geographical barriers between students and brick and mortar schools, and financial considerations of working students. Institutions are subsequently searching for ways to improve their ability to be competitive in today’s educational marketplace by meeting student preference for more flexibility in the manner in which their education is delivered. Online education program fit the bill in these areas of need. Second, programs with a field-based component must be able to demonstrate the added criteria of effective student learning by demonstration of clinical competence and skills within their professional area (CHEA, 2002; December; Ott, Baca, Cisneros & Bates, 2014). This need has caused hesitancy in many institutions in joining the online progression, but several institutions are breaking new ground in their professional fields by now offering degrees in areas of study not previously seen as compatible with an online delivery approach (Flynn, Maiden, Smith, Wiley & Wood, 2013; Siebert & Spaulding-Givens, 2006). By exploring these innovative programs that are demonstrating a promising practice, we can identify the factors leading to their successful implementation of new online fieldwork programs and subsequently assist other programs with following in their footsteps.