Simulation in Social Work Education: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: This article presents a scoping review that synthesized empirical studies on simulation in social work (SW) education. The review maps the research examining characteristics of simulation studies in SW education and emerging best practices. Method: Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework to develop the methodology and following the PRISMA-ScR checklist, we selected 52 studies for this review. Results: Most studies were published in North America and included quantitative (37%), qualitative (31%), and mixed methods (33%). Simulation was used to teach generalist and specialized practice with interprofessional practice as the highest area of specialization. Simulation was also used for assessment purposes, and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination was a commonly reported method. We identified several facilitators and barriers to using simulation effectively for teaching and assessment. Conclusions: Our analysis permitted us to identify emerging best practices that can be used to guide teaching. Implications for SW research, teaching, and practice are discussed.

Using Simulation as an Investigative Methodology in Researching Competencies of Clinical Social Work Practice: A Scoping Review

“…Results on the characteristics of the selected articles suggest that the use of simulation is a relatively new methodology in clinical social work, with a majority of articles published in the last ten years. Given the small number of articles published prior to 2010 and the large number of articles using data available from OSCE-based student assessment, the emergence of simulation-based teaching in social work for the last ten years (Kourgiantakis et al 2019 ) has likely played an important role in vitalizing SBR. While social work competence consists of a number of elements—the worker’s knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes (CSWE 2015 ), only a few areas of competence were studied in the selected articles.…”

“…Here we can draw from a robust body of literature on simulation-based social work education. Scenarios should contain detailed information about the client’s history, current cognitive and emotional patterns, and key verbatim responses to use (Bogo et al 2014 ; Kourgiantakis et al 2019 ; Sewell et al 2020 *). Furthermore, scenarios can be developed in consultation with social work practitioners or experts in the area (e.g., Bogo et al 2013 *; Logie et al 2015 *; Regehr et al 2010a *).…”

“…Simulation in social work generally refers to a situation where a student or a practitioner engages with a trained actor (i.e., often known as “Standardized Patient,” SP) or a virtual reality program that portrays a well-designed character and/or practice scenario. A growing body of research evidence suggests that simulation offers concrete experiential learning opportunties well-suited to assist students in applying knowledge, values and skills into practice (Bogo et al 2014 ; Kourgiantakis et al 2019 ), making simulation a widely recognized key word in clinical social work education. While simulation has been used in the training and assessment of clinical practitioners, it is also emerging as a novel methodology for research on practice competencies.…”

“…Cheng et al ( 2014 ) defined and categorized simulation-based research (SBR), a program of research that involves the use of live SPs or any other kinds of simulated practice situations (e.g., computerized mannequin, virtual reality), into two types: (1) research that evaluates simulation-based teaching and learning, and (2) research that uses simulation as a methodological tool. Much is already well known about the use of simulation in the teaching and learning of social work (e.g., Bogo et al 2014 ; Kourgiantakis et al 2019 ). In this article, we focused on the latter type of SBR: the use of simulation as a novel research methodology.…”

Social work practice education and training during the pandemic: Disruptions and discoveries

“…Developing SW practice competencies is complex and requires a combination of procedural competencies such as knowledge and skills, along with metacompetencies such as self-awareness and self-reflection (Kourgiantakis et al, 2020). Students also need to develop cross-cultural competencies, learn to link theory with practice, and apply social justice principles when working with clients (Lee et al, 2020).…”