National research study

The Use
of Technology
in Social Service and Social Work
Diploma Education
and Practice in Canada
Asif Khan, Elaine Spencer, Nellie Sheppard and Lisa Shaw-Verhoek

Use of Technology- ACESS Project
Partners
• ACESS: Association of College Educators
in Social Services and Social Work
Diploma Programs in Canada
• Algonquin College
• Sheridan College
2

www.acesseducation.ca
3

ACESS/ACCC Affinity Group
• ACESS is a national, bilingual organization, founded in 2003, that
advocates for the advancement of social services and social work
diploma programs
• ACCC was an early supporter. ACESS was an “Affinity Group” and
guidance was provided by Paul Brennan from ACCC
4

ACESS
• Governed by a Steering Committee which represents the constituent
groups of the organization (Province or Territory, Francophone,
Indigenous)
• Opportunity for new constituency group from Saskatchewan and
Manitoba and Maritime Provinces if Social Service Diploma
Programs are established in those regions
• ACESS is sustained through membership fees and any donated
proceeds from the annual conference
• Currently have approximately $5000.00 in a community account
which is handled by Treasurer Elizabeth Radian and co-signer Alan
Knowles
5

ACESS Goals
• Develop and exchange information that supports the
education of students in social services and social work
programs
• Support the learning needs of faculty by:
 Identifying, developing and sharing resources
 Developing a program registry
 Advocating for the profession
 Advocating for the needs of students and
 Advocating for the needs of diverse communities across Canada
6

ACESS
• ACESS holds an annual conference and meeting,
rotating jurisdiction host from west to east
• In 2013 at the annual ACESS Conference AGM held at
Conestoga College in Kitchener, the membership of
ACESS voted to support multi-jurisdictional research into
the use of technology in SW/SSW.
• The results form the basis of our presentation today
7

Personnel with this project
• ACESS Advisory Committee comprised of Professors/Instructors
from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nunavut, British Columbia
• Nellie Sheppard (Sheridan College SSW Gerontology Program) and
Lisa Shaw-Verhoek (Algonquin College SSW Program Perth
Campus)
• Kerry Milford (Algonquin College Applied Research Manager Perth
Campus)
• Sarah Abbott (MBRI Graduate, Project Co-ordinator)
• Asif Khan, Algonquin College MRBI Student, Researcher
• Thais Saito, Algonquin College MRBI Student, Researcher
• Nancy Johansen, Algonquin College MRBI Program Co-ordinator,
Project Advisor/Professor
8

Marketing Research and Business Intelligence Program
• One year, intensive graduate certificate program that prepares students
for employment in the marketing research and business intelligence field
• All students gain real work experience during the year
Program
• A fast track towards obtaining the Certified Marketing Research
Professional (CMRP) designation
• Close coordination with MRIA and marketing research industry
Industry
• Application of current research tools, including SPSS, FluidSurveys and
iTracks.
• Solutions to actual business problems using advanced, applied
marketing, competitive intelligence and statistical techniques
Tools
02

Advisory Personnel/Institutions
• Alan Knowles, McEwan University, Advisory Committee Chair
• Elaine Spencer, Red Deer College, ACESS Alberta Rep
• Elizabeth Radian, Red Deer College, ACESS Research Subcommittee
Member
• Deb Wandler, Selkirk College, ACESS British Columbia Rep
• Michelle Proulx, Sault College, ACESS Aboriginal Rep
• Elaine Sauriol, Collège Boréal, ACESS Francophone Rep
• Marie-Josée Girouard, Cégep de Trois-Rivières, ACESS Quebec Rep
• Francine Daniel, Collège Vieux Montréal, ACESS Quebec Rep
• Vivian O'Brien, Nunavut Arctic College, ACESS Northern Rep
10

11

Funders
• ACESS ($1000 voted on at AGM)
• Algonquin College Innovation Fund ($6000 toward one Fall 2013
and Winter 2014 course release for Lisa)
• Algonquin College Health and Wellness Funds NSERC (to pay for
document translation and honorariums for the students)
• Algonquin College Mobile Learning Fund (for additional honorarium
for the students)
• Sheridan College (Complementary hours for Nellie)
• McEwan University (Conference Call Support for ACESS)
12

BACKGROUND

Background
• Since the early days of social work and social welfare
communication has been a prime component of supporting
personal and community change.
• More recently, the development of new technologies has had a
major impact on social work and social service work.
• Examples of technology that have changed the way SW/SSW
is conducted include the telephone, computers, recording
mechanisms, internet and more recently social media.
• With them, new problems and challenges arrived on how to use
technology in the SW/SSW work.
14

Background
• These new challenges led to informal associations interested
in exchanging information and experiences
• The establishment of HUSITA (Human Services Information
Technology Applications) was one of the landmarks of a more
ethical and effective use of IT
• In 2005, the US National Association of Social Workers and the
Association of Social Work Boards developed the ‘Standards for
Technology and Social Work Practice’ to help the industry
improve their performance when it came to technology
• They state that the social workers should acquire the
necessary skills to use technology appropriately
15

Background
• In Canada, however, there has been little guidance as to the
use of technology in SW/SSW
• In Ontario, the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice has one
reference to technology where it indicates on page 26 that “Client
records, whether they are paper files or electronic files such as
computer diskettes, are kept in an area that is not accessible to
persons who have no legitimate interest in the records, and
where the privacy of the records may be secured by lock and
key.” http://www.ocswssw.org/docs/codeofethicsstandardsofpractice.pdf
16

Background
• The Canadian Association of Social Workers’ Guidelines for
Ethical Practice also has only one reference to technology on
page 11 where it states “Social workers take precautions to
ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted
to other parties through the use of computers, electronic mail,
facsimile machines, telephone answering machines and other
electronic technology. Social workers inform clients of the limits
to confidentiality that may apply to these forms of
communication.” http://www.casw-
acts.ca/sites/default/files/attachements/CASW_Guidelines_for%20Ethical_Practice_e.pdf
17

Technology
18

Background
• Another issue is digital exclusion or the digital divide and how
this can marginalize human service educators, students and
practitioners in agencies
• Several diploma programs in Canada have begun to integrate e-
learning into their programs. ACESS member and former Co-
Chair Alan Knowles at McEwan University has done some
research in this area focusing on hybrid and face to face
modalities in SW/SSW education
• There is a need for research on the use of technology in
SW/SSW diploma education and how it technology is used
in practice in agencies and organizations. Before a
technology plan for innovation is designed, there is a need for
evidence on its effectiveness.
19

Background
• With that in mind, ACESS, under the leadership of its members
Lisa Shaw-Verhoek and Nellie Sheppard, and lead by
Algonquin College and Sheridan College, leaders in applied
research and innovation, decided to conduct research on this
topic and share it on the provincial, national and international
levels.
• Since no research in Canada has been conducted on this
subject, several questions were asked before the research
began.
20

Questions
• How are Canadian College SW/SSW Programs
integrating technology in their learning process?
• How are Canadian Social Service Agencies using
technology in practice?
• How are Social Service Worker students using
information technology at school, at field placement and
in their personal lives?
• Do SSW’s working in agencies feel that they need more
direction in the area of information technology and
practice? What are the ethical dilemmas that have arisen?
21

MANAGEMENT PROBLEM

Problem Statement
• Technology is changing the face of every
industry, but social workers/social service
workers are not prepared for those changes
• SW/SSW Codes of Ethics do not include info
about technology and practice. Some
jurisdictions are creating info outside of the
Codes of Ethics.
23

Problem Statement
• SW/SSW Educators must
teach this information in
order to prepare students
for field placements and
graduates for
employment.
• Where do they get their
teaching materials?
24

Problem Statement
• In order to create an effective national plan to
help prepare for the future, further knowledge is
necessary to understand how much access
SW/SSW have to technology and how they are
using it in education and practice
25

Research Objectives
1. To determine the level of proficiency in the use of technology
of students, educators and practitioners,
2. To explore the types of software and hardware they are
using, if any, and the burden it represents,
3. To assess their need for training and the preferred method of
learning.
26

Research Objectives
4. To investigate the use of social media in SW/SSW
5. To assess the level of awareness of the ethical use of
technology in SW/SSW
6. To evaluate their level of satisfaction with the support
mechanisms available to solve conflicts derived from the use of
social media and SW/SSW
7. To investigate the level of awareness of technology waste.
27

Applied Research Dept.
28

Research Ethics Boards
• Nellie and Lisa applied to the Research Ethics Boards at
Algonquin College and Sheridan College
29

NSERC
• NSERC funding
• Tri Council
30

Research Involving Humans
31

Certificate of Approval
32

RESEARCH DESIGN

Research Design
Secondary Research
Shaw-Verhoek, L., Sheppard, N., 2013. Information technology in
Social Service Work education and practice in Canada
Conducted by ACESS before deciding to do primary research
34

Research Design
Descriptive Research - Quantitative
Online survey
Snowball recruitment, i.e. by referral
Students, educators and practitioners of social work/social service work
35

METHODOLOGY

Methodology - Sampling
Method
• Non-probability Sampling
• Cannot estimate a margin of error
• Do not use chance selection procedures
• Rely on the researcher’s personal judgment as he or she can
decide what elements to include in the sample
• Cannot extrapolate results to the population with scientific validity
37

Snowball Sampling
• Used when potential respondents are hard to reach, e.g. there is
no list available In this technique an initial group of respondents is
selected randomly and subsequent respondents are referred by the
initial respondents
• Used when respondents are more likely to participate if referred by
a trusted source, e.g. a colleague, professor
• Respondents may not represent all segments of the population,
e.g. they may be more “connected” to their community
38

Recruiting
The initial list of respondents was formed by:
• Personal contacts – ACESS committee members, their
colleagues, contacts and students
• Program coordinators were contacted and asked to send the
survey to other educators and their students
• Searching for relevant SW/SSW agencies nationally online,
who were contacted by the research team
• Research agencies in 9 provinces
• United Way Canada agreed to distribute near survey closure
39

Methodology - Quantitative
Target audience/Online Survey
• Students currently enrolled in SW/SSW diploma programs
in Canada
• Students in field placements
• Educators currently working in SW/SSW diploma
programs in Canada
• Practitioners currently working in SW/SSW agencies in
Canada
40

• The survey was conducted in both official languages
English and French
• Revised translation done by Société Gamma Inc.
• Pre-testing of the survey occurred between March 1st to March 9th,
2014
• Average time taken to complete the survey: 14 minutes
41

• The online survey remained open for 54 days, from March 10th ,
2014 to May 2nd, 2014
• Geographic reach involved Canada nationally
• 250 reminders were sent by the student team
• Lisa used the Ontario SSW Professor Listserv and Vice
President Academic List in Ontario to push the survey out to
Ontario colleges
• phone calls by ACESS committee members to colleagues and
personal contacts. Emails were sent to ACESS members.
42

• Completion rate: 70%
• Number of participants: 476
• Number of responses per question - Ranges from 333 to 476*
• Since there was no initial list of respondents, 476 respondents
who voluntarily participated in the survey is considered a good
number
• Based on the amount of respondents and the data collected,
important conclusions can be drawn
43

Limitations
• Time restraints
• The survey was initially scheduled to be open for two
weeks. When it was discovered that lists of potential
respondents would not be made available, the project
timelines were extended to allow for snowball recruiting
• Acquiring a list of respondents
44

Limitations
• Due to confidentiality policies, Colleges are not allowed to
give students’ names and agencies were not inclined to
give a list of their members.
• Literacy level of respondents
• During pre-testing, varying literacy levels of certain
respondents was brought to the attention of the research
team. Further editing ensured that all respondents could
easily complete the survey
• Limited internet access in some parts of Canada
particularly in the North and rural areas
45

Limitations (Unanticipated)
• Translation: The time taken to translate the
survey into French was longer than expected
• Having a large committee increased the time
to coordinate final edits. Professors are busy
people and the advisory committee members
were volunteering their time
46

• Submitting the project to two
boards of ethics was a long
and complicated process
• The application was approved
by Algonquin College
• It was approved with
suggestions by Sheridan and
would have to go back to the
committee for final approval
47

• Once the survey was already launched, other
Colleges said it had to be submitted and
approved by their own Research Ethics Boards
• REBs meet once per month at most colleges
• Multi-site application form is deceiving!
• Lack of co-operation by colleges created a major
barrier for Applied Research of this type
• Irony: Sheridan College students did not
complete the survey
48

Recommendation!
• When a project is approved by an REB at
one college in Canada, other colleges
should accept that REB Certificate
49

Project Schedule
January February March April May
Research
Problem &
Objectives
Pretest
.
Snowball
Survey
Online
Survey
250 reminders
Analysis Average survey
time 14 minutes
Questionnaire design &
FluidSurveys programming
English
&
French
476 participants
(70% completion rate)
SPSS
• 476 total responses with 70% completion rate
03

Demographics
SW/SSW
Educators/
Practitioners/
Students
(n=333)
32% College
certificates/diplomas
15% B.A or Masters in
Social Work
30% Income less than
$20,000
58% Majority were young
(age 16-34)
26% Age 45 and above
82% Most respondents
were female
04

Where respondents live
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
4%
9%
37%
45%
0 10 20 30 40 50
Outside Canada
Saskatchewan & Nova Scotia
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
British Columbia
Alberta
Quebec
Ontario
n=407
• Top 3 provinces in terms of respondents: Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta
• 82% of the respondents live in Ontario and Quebec
05

Do you have the necessary technology to succeed in your program?
• 20% SW/SSW practitioners/educators mentioned lack of technology to
succeed in their work
06

Workplace/institution policy for handling/safe disposal of e-waste
• 2/3 of the students were unaware of their institution/agency policy for
handling/safe disposal of electronic waste
07

Do you have the necessary technology to succeed in your program?
Half of the respondents believe it is extremely important for their
institution/workplace to have a disposal policy on e-waste
8%
6%
16%
20%
50%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Extremely unimportant
Somewhat unimportant
Neither important or unimportant
Somewhat important
Extremely important
n = 334
08

Social media use in work and personal sphere
• 42% of the respondents (most
students) were using Facebook for
educational purposes and 24% for
their work.
• More respondents are using
LinkedIn for personal reasons than
for work reasons.
• 40% of the respondents are using
some type of social media in their
agency or field placement.
• Skype was mentioned by some
respondents for work as a means
of talking to clients.
09

3%
5%
8%
8%
13%
23%
44%
52%
Dial-up
Other
Fiber
Don't know
Satellite
DSL
Mobile
Cable
n=394
Type of Internet use
• 52% of the respondents use cable for their Internet connection
10

When facing an ethical dilemma related to the use of social media and
other technologies in SW/SSW, where would you look for guidance?
• Most respondents said
that, when facing an
ethical dilemma, they
would look for guidance in
the SW/SSW Code of
Ethics (63%) or consult
with another Social
Worker/Social Service
Worker (65%). Other
important sources of
guidance were the
SW/SSW Regulatory
Body, the Agency
Director or Manager and
friends
11

Social media and work
Though most respondents do not use social media in their work, 64% of
the respondents strongly agree or somewhat agree that they are
concerned with the potential problems that the use of social media can
cause in their relationships with clients.
9%
12%
15%
41%
23%
Strongly Disagree
Somewhat disagree
Neither agree or
disagree
Somewhat agree
Strongly agree
“I am concerned about the
use of social media and
potential ethical
challenges including the
potential for dual
relationships between
workers and clients”n= 331
12

Thank you
The Use of Technology in Social Service and Social Work
Diploma Education and Practice in Canada

National research study

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