The document summarizes a study on using emerging technologies to support authentic learning for social work students in South Africa. It found that while educators used some technologies like videos and podcasts, their use did not fully achieve authentic learning based on 9 criteria including real-world contexts, collaboration, and coaching. Technologies supported reflection and critical thinking skills but other skills like considering multiple roles and perspectives were lacking. The study recommends further research on how technologies can better align with graduate attributes and support authentic, skills-based learning to prepare social workers for an uncertain future.

1. Emerging technologies, authentic
learning and graduate attributes
Joint World Conference on Social Work,
Education and Social Development 2014 -
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Roshini Pillay – 11 July 2014
Authentic learning principles can lead to the achievement of valuable beings and doings for
social work graduates - Bozalek

2. Structure of the Paper
The SA context
The NRF Project
Social work education
Social Work graduate attributes
Emerging technologies
Authentic learning
Methodology
Findings
Conclusions and recommendations

5. The National Research Fund Project
Aim of the project was :
● To investigate whether and how qualitative outcomes in education
could be realised through the use of emerging technologies to
transform teaching and learning interactions in South African
Higher Education sector
● 8 SA HEIs (SU, UWC, UCT, CTUP, UP, Rhodes, Wits, Fort Hare)
● 1 NGO (Open Courseware Consortium)
● NRF project of 22 universities

6. Social work teaching practices in SA
 Teacher-centred, lecture based, transmission teaching models (Amory,
2012; Bozalek, et al.,2013)
 Historically a casework focus adopted in social work education (Gray, &
Mazibuko, 2002)
 Post-apartheid transformation to a social developmental paradigm
(Nicholas, et al. 2011)
 Social work a scarce skill (Earle, 2008)
 Eucators are required to :
-teach diverse students with the same amount of resources (Collins, 2012; Maistry, 2012)
-prepare students with 21st Century skills(Barnett, 2006)
-use multiple methods to support teaching and learning (Teater, 2011)
-stimulate a caring ethos to society (Walker & McLean, 2010; Maistry, 2012)
-add imaginative and creative aspects to course design (Bozalek, et al, 2013)

7. Social Work Graduate Attributes
• Identify as a professional social worker
• Apply social work ethical principles and values
• Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgements
• Engage diversity and difference in practice
• Advance human rights, development, social cohesion, collective responsibility
and social and economic justice
• Engage in research-informed practice and practice informed research
• Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to
deliver social work services
• Engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups,
organisations, and communities to address life challenges and enhance well-
being
(Bogo.2006;http://ifsw.org/get-involved/global-definition-of-social-work/)

8. South African Qualifications Authority
(2012): BSW
Social work students should be
• Critical reflective thinkers and able to practise within the value
perspective of the social work profession
• Work within teams including social work teams, multi and
interdisciplinary teams as well multisectoral teams
• To work within the ethical parameters of social work education,
training and practice- learners must be registered with the
SACSSP (South African Council for Social Service
Professions) as student social workers
South African Qualifications Authority (2009)

9. Characteristics of Emerging Technologies (ET)
 They are new to the specific context or are used in a new way
 They are used in ways that are evolving and not well-established
 They go through hype cycles of inflated expectation and disillusionment
followed by realistic adoption or abandonment
 They are not fully understood or maturely researched
 Have the potential to transform educational practices
 ET creates shifts in the locus of control or the balances of power in higer
education
(Veletsianos,2010)

10. Methodology
 An exploratory qualitative study using a case study
method
 Selected and examined 5 case studies of social work
educators
 The data was subjected to the 9 elements of authentic
learning and graduate attributes using thematic content
analysis (Herrington, Reeves, & Oliver, 2010;Walker & McLean, 2010)
 The three members of the research team independently
analysed the studies

11. Herrington, Reeves, & Oliver, (2010)
1. Contexts that reflects the way
knowledge is used in real life
2. Provides authentic task
3. Provides access to expert
performances & modeling of
processes
4. Provides multiple roles &
perspectives
5. Supports collaborative
construction of knowledge
6. Promotes reflection to enable
constructions to be formed
7. Promotes articulation to make
tacit knowledge explicit
8. Provides coaching and
scaffolding by educator
9. Provides for authentic
assessment for learning within
the tasks
Elements of
Authentic
learning
Context-Real
world
Task-ill defined
Expert
performance
Collaborative
construction
Reflection
Integrated
assessment
Articulation -
polished product
Multiple roles &
perspectives
Coaching and
scaffolding

12. Educator Gender Type of HEI Course Year of
study
Types of tech Authentic
Learning
(9
elements)
Graduate
Attributes
1.AVB
(PhD)
Man Historically
advantaged
Planned
change
process
1st you tube videos
LMS-
Blackboard, e-
journals
3 Critical thinking,
reflection, ethics
2.VB
(PhD)
Woman Historically
disadvantage
d
Woman’s
Health and
Well-being
Post
graduate
Wikis, email,
video
conferencing
7 Critical thinking,
reflection, ethics,
social justice
3.FB
(MA)
Woman Historically
disadvantage
d
Interviewin
g Skill
Practice
2nd Podcasts 5 Critical thinking,
reflection, ethics
4.NH
(PhD)
Man Historically
disadvantage
d
Ethics
Course
3rd Podcasts, LMS 5 Critical thinking,
reflection, ethics,
social justice
5.JR
(MA)
Man Historically
disadvantage
d
Collaborati
ve
research
report
4th Face Book,
Skype, internal
server- Vdrive/
virtual library
6 Critical thinking,
reflection, ethics
Findings

13. Authentic Learning(AL):Findings
.
AL 1.
Context
2A.
Task
3.
Expert
Thinking
4.
Multiple
Roles
5.
Collaboration
6.
Reflection
7.
Articulation
8.
Coaching
9.
Assessment
1.
AVB
✓ X ✓ X X ✓ X X X
2.
VB
✓ X ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ X ✓ ✓
3.
FB
✓ X ✓ ✓ X ✓ X ✓ X
4.
NH
✓ X ✓ X X ✓ X ✓ ✓
5.
JR
✓ X ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ X ✓ X

14. Voices of the educators
AvB: ‘… when students learn that they’re able to begin to, I suppose in a
sense it’s the transfer of learning from one context or environment to
another. It encourages them to link the learning across different life
contexts, professional and personal is probably my key focus. But even
from a more reflective piece to a more academic piece and students seem
to be able to make those kinds of links’
FB:’So I think the recordings really helped a lot with the reflection’
NH:… that students integrate the theory through chatting and through
exploring, discussion with ethical dilemmas

15. Conclusion
Social work graduates need to be educated for an
uncertain future to make a living as critical citizens (Barnett,
2004; Maistry,2012)
Future research
 The views of students
 More in-depth case studies
 Goodness of fit - graduate attributes, authentic
learning and technology enhanced learning

16. Blogspot- emerging technologies
http://emergingicts.blogspot.com/2011/12/emergi
ng-technologies-in-sa-heis.html
Download this publication
from our blog

17. References
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Gray, M., & Mazibuko, F. (2002). Social work in South Africa at the dawn of the new millennium. International
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Teater, B. (2011). Maximizing Student Learning: A Case Example of applying Learning and Teaching in Social
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Veletsianos, G. (2010). Emerging Technologies in Distance Learning. Edmonton, AU Press.
Walker, M., & McLean, M. (2010). Making Lives go better: University Education and 'professional capabilities'.
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18. Ngiyabonga
roshini.pillay@wits.ac.za