janet williams, peter nelson, sheffield hallam university swipe : cross-national curriculum...

Janet Williams, Peter Nelson, Sheffield Hallam University

SWIPE : Cross-national curriculum development for

globalised praxis.

Sheffield Hallam University IASSW Chile - 2006

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This presentation will cover:

1. The SWIPE project in Socrates Erasmus: possibilities and challenges

2. SWIPE Who we are and what we did Aims and Outcomes

3. Globalisation and internationalising the Social Work Curriculum

4. Evaluation5. Questions and learning from our

European collaboration.


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1. Socrates - Erasmus

Higher Education Institutions are supported, through the Socrates-Erasmus Action, to meet European Union social and economic objectives: Social cohesion (Maastricht Treaty 1992) Prepare citizens to be competitive in

a globalised economy (Lisbon Strategy).


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Socrates

‘The Socrates-Erasmus Action encourages co-operation between universities across Europe and supports mobility of students and staff in higher education, the development of joint programmes, courses and the development of thematic networks.’

Funding is available


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European collaboration

Convergence of educational systems ‘Bologna Agreement’ and European Credit Transfer (ECTs) – modules and courses can be used across Europe.


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2. SWIPE Six European universities


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OUTPUTS 2 year curriculum development

project.

Audit of practice learning in each country A Common Module – framework for

delivering learning and teaching Curriculum and menu of learning teaching

assessment materials - college and 'on site'

Bibliography Dissemination – locally, nationally and

internationally Web site http://extra.shu.ac.uk/swipe Conference.


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Funded Activities include:

Staff time; each partner- tutor and practice educator (administrator, technicians)

Regular local network meetings Four meetings of all partners Briefing Visits (2) to Brussels Conference (19 September)

Translation costs


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Tartu 3rd meeting Vilnius 2nd

meeting


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Module Focus: Globalisation Reasons for movement of people,

capital and ideas and their social and economic impact: implications for social work practice. Policy context, international, national

and regional Social work responses, policy and

practice (what works elsewhere and why?)

Recognise and celebrate difference.


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The module is based on: Learning outcomes - at the end of the

module successful students will be able to: Reflect upon and understand personal,

professional and cultural values Identify cross-national social problems Make cross national comparisons (learning

from others) Identify processes of cross national and

cultural communication Engage in empowering practice with

marginalised groups.


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SWIPE: Working together and mirroring the process of dealing with difference Language, terminology,

communication whose English and false friends? whose ‘take’ on social problems where to start and what questions to ask?

Organisational arrangements – doing similar things in different ways?

Fun for progress – time together, group work skills.


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Is this enough? I


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Is social work an international activity?

Do we have a role as social workers in international affairs?

Is there a community of ‘social work’ that can speak with one voice in international affairs?

Do our differences and commonalities divide or unite us?


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Why Internationalise the curriculum? EU agenda UK Academic Benchmarks and

Occupational Standards Shaking ethnocentric/Eurocentric focus

through learning from other societies Challenging parochial ideas of evidence Critical engagement with personal and

professional assumptions (hegemony) Global employment and global problems.


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How do we know it is a good thing?

Healy (1990) identifies four reasons to support international content:

The educated person's perspective The increasing level of global inter-

dependence and its effects on local social work practice

The use of international knowledge to deal with domestic social work problems

The opportunity to contribute professional experience to global issues.


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Evaluation Healy's reasons for action provide a template

for evaluation which goes beyond student experience

At present evaluation focuses on the educated person as the student

There is a need to include the service user and the educator

Does SWIPE go beyond creating an educated person?

Do international initiatives make a difference and for whom? (Caragata and Sanchez 2002:236).


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Has SWIPE delivered? Different answers from different partners:

Module developed, piloted and incorporated in SW programmes

E-learning project (see poster presentation Gevorgianienė, V. Jakutienė, V. Hendriks, P,

Kloppenburg, R.) Raised the significance of globalisation within local

and national social work networks Partners’ process of collaboration/comparative work

mirroring and guiding our understanding of student learning processes (academy and on-site)

Combined academic and practice learning and produced shared learning materials- available on line.


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SWIPE Conference ‘Social Work in a Cross-national

context’19 September 2006, Sheffield, UK.Contact [email protected]

From end July conference details http://extra.shu.ac.uk/swipe


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Information about EU projects

Good places to start:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/index_en.html Socrates, Leonardo and Youth TAO

http://www.socleoyouth.be


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For information on all the Actionshttp://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/

socrates/download_en.html or

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/index_en.htm

1 Erasmus for HEIs UK (staff and student mobility, intensive visits etc.)

http://www.erasmus.ac.uk/ Applying for projects: http://www3.socleoyouth.be/static/en/overview/erasmus_overview.htm

2 Erasmus Mundus - Master's programmes for international students http://www.socleoyouth.be/static/en/info/eras_mundus.htm

janet williams, peter nelson, sheffield hallam university swipe : cross-national curriculum...

Documents

available slide

social work practice

nd meeting slide

social work curriculum

socrates erasmus

european union social

audit of practice learning

learning outcomes