Effects of Interactive Multimedia Training on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy of Social Work Students

Abstract

Objective Building Family Foundations (BFF), an interactive multimedia (1M) training curriculum for child welfare workers, and its use with baccalaureate social work students is described. Students’ attitudes toward technology and multimedia, instructional efficacy, and knowledge acquisition were examined. Method Social work students viewed selected units from BFF and completed pretests and posttests using the BFF Competency Rating Scale (CRS), the Child Welfare Knowledge Assessment (CWKA), and the Technology Rating Scale, adapted for use with multimedia. To provide a control group, items from a unit the students did not view were included in the BFF CRS and the CWKA. Results Significant differences between the pretest and posttest means were found. Users increased knowledge, developed a sense of competence in the subject area, and became more comfortable with the use of technology. Conclusion The results indicate that IM is an effective means of providing baccalaureate social work education.

Online Versus Face-to-Face Training of Critical Time Intervention: A Matching Cluster Randomized Trial

“…Online training offers a promising avenue for reaching the homeless services workforce by delivering ongoing, interactive, experiential, and flexible learning (Cauble and Thurston 2000; Kozma 1995). However, meta-analyses of studies comparing online and face-to-face training have either found no significant differences in the overall effectiveness of the two models in knowledge acquisition and retention (Zhao et al 2005) or great variation in outcomes; some applications of distance education perform better than their classroom counterparts, while others perform more poorly (Bernard et al 2004).…”

Student Perceptions of Web-Assisted Teaching Strategies

“…The enthusiasm for technology in higher education has been matched with an abundance of research designed to determine if the effort required for using various technologi- (Cauble & Thurston, 2000;Finn, 1995;Stocks & Freddolino, 1998); reduces anxiety concerning technology and computer use (Maki, Maki, Patterson, & Whittaker, 2000); is at least equally as effective as the traditional lecture format for teaching (Stocks & Freddolino, 1998;; and is perceived as helpful by students (Maki et al, 2000;Polloff & Pratt, 2001;Svanum, Chen, & Bublitz, 1997;Thurston, Denning, & Verschelden, 1996). Whether these positive results will endure once the novelty of technology in education wears off is uncertain.…”

Videoconferencing: A Viable Teaching Strategy for Social Work Education?

“…Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions rooms'), computer-based instruction, distance learning and web-based courses that are often used to augment existing traditional face-to-face classroom teaching, and, interactive TV-ITV also referred to as compressed video, interactive video or videoconferencing (Freddolino, 1998;Forster & Rehner, 1998;Cauble & Thurston, 2000;Forster & Washington, 2000;Petracchi & Patchner, 2000, 2001Schoech, 2000;Hicks, 2002;Seabury, 2002). In the US, as distance education has been increasingly spreading in social work education, the Council of Social Work Education Commission on Accreditation established in 1994 a special committee to address quality issues of distance learning in the profession.…”