TEACHING NOTESELF-ASSESSMENT AND DIALOGUE AS TOOLSFOR APPR.docx

TEACHING NOTE
SELF-ASSESSMENT AND DIALOGUE AS TOOLS
FOR APPRECIATING DIVERSITY
Gwenelle S. O'Neai
West Chester University
As social work educators continue to examine methods and
techrüques to pro-
vide meaningful knowledge about racism and discriminafion,
the role of self-
assessment and dialogue should also be explored. This teaching
note presents a
tool for students and educators to use in considering Uterature
discriminafion
and increasing awareness of mulficultural resources. This tool
and the related
acfivifies may be used for orientafion or modified and combined
with the vari-
ety of mixed media used to engage students in acfive learning.
THE ROLE OF SOCIALIZATION in e s t a b l i s h i n g
mindsets or world views is an estabUshed per-
specfive among sociologists, social workers,
and other helping professionals. Educafional
socializafion has typicaUy favored middle-
class Euro Ainerican students and neglected
the importance of ethnic minority or working-
class student backgrounds (Stanton-Salazar,
1997). It seems relevant that engagement
around diversity content should begin with

the evaluafion of one's own socializafion or
connection to multicultural examples and
concepts. Services to individuals, famdies,
groups, organizafions, and communifies need
to come from an understanding of the
demeaning reaUfies and often unjust circum-
stances that many people have faced or are
facing. This teaching note presents the de-
scripfion of an exercise that has been used
over the past 10 years to orient students to
their verbal acknowledgement of the appreci-
afion of diversity and their actual parficipa-
tion in gaining understanding of the mulfiple
cultural backgrounds of people in our com-
munifies. Related acfivities are also described.
Diaiogue, Self-Assessment,
and the Learning Process
The human-behavior-in-the-social-environ-
ment course The Dialecfic of Oppression and
Liberafion examines the impact of oppression
and discriminafion on members of various
groups as weU as on Euro Americans within
the context of a diverse and stratified society.
Journal of Social Work Education, Vol. 48, Ne. 1 (Winter
2012).
32012, Ceuncll en Sedal Werk Edueatlen, Inc. All rights
reserved. DOI: 10.5175/JSWE.2011.201000007 1 5 9
1 6 0 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

The course prepares students to engage in con-
versafions that examine tradifional behaviors
and atfitudes. Tradifional contexts, evolving
nofions, and dynamics are addressed in the
process of becoming a social worker prepared
to embrace mulfiple cultural groups. The
process involves self-assessment, exposure to
various perspecfives, and opportunifies to
reflect on and discuss these in an acfive leam-
ing environment.
Critically analyzing routinely accepted
paradigms helps students reevaluate power
structures (Darüel, 2008) and their personal
views of them. The dialectic includes ac-
knowledging and exploring survival and
defensive behaviors. The course incorporates
the history of oppression, impact on idenfity
development of members of all groups, and
ülustrafions of resistance and transformafions.
White privilege and insfitufional racism are
concepts addressed in several ways through-
out the course as precedents, outcomes, and
continuing reaUfies identified in various envi-
ronmental and situafional contexts. Discussion
of these concepts involves examining crifical
race theory (Ortiz & Jani, 2010) with respect to
students' past organizafional experiences and
current field placements. The test on implicit
racism (Project Implicit, 1998), which students
are required to take, illustrates the ongoing
impact of socializafion stereotypes.
Self-assessment is acknowledged as a via-
ble component of professional educafion (Bald-
win, 2000). It is a concept and a process per-

ceived as reflecfive observafion that gives stu-
dents opportunifies to make sense of their
socializafion and leaming experiences. Expo-
sing students to informafion about their mulfi-
cultural awareness (Lee & Greene, 2003) serves
as a basis for discussion and growth. The per-
sonal values and diversity exercise/self-
assessment tool described below was designed
to provide new insights into students' educa-
tional and family racial socialization (Caughy,
O'Campo, Randolph, & Nickerson, 2002) as
well as the affect of these d5mamics on their
development. Simultaneously, it raises aware-
ness of the negafive influence of oppression
and stimulates interest in seeking greater
knowledge about other cultures.
Implementing the Exercise
The design of the exercise draws on social
leaming and ecosystems theories. It creates an
opportunity to talk about what students say
they believe and how they behave. It sets the
tone for openness about their school and
home experiences and support for a range of
experiences. The exercise handout consists of
three parts. Parts one and two are on the front
of the page. Part one entails a set of three gen-
eral value quesfions. These quesfions are not
used to empirically assess or evaluate stu-
dents' values about diversity. The intent is to
gain a general consensus of their interest in
diversity. Part two requests a list of communi-
ty civic acfivifies in which students have
parficipated (see Figure 1).

The reverse side of the page presents a
grid for the student to complete that idenfifies
their connecfions with mulficultural resources
(see Figure 2).
Students are informed that the exercise
will not be collected (early use of the quesfion-
naire indicated student discomfort with it
being collected). The sheet is distributed with
SELF-ASSESSMENT AND DIALOGUE 1 6 1
side one showing. Students are asked not to indicate they agree
with the value items,
turn it over until directed to do so. They Those who may have
responded with less
complete side one. A discussion is irüfiated than agreement are
supported—their respons-
about how they responded. Usually, most es are equally
acceptable; their parficipafion is
FIGURE 1 . Personal Values and Diversity Experiences
Personal Values and Diversity
A. Please circle one response to each of the following three
questions.
1. I support the need for diversity in our lives.
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree
2. I have demonstrated my interest in diversity in specific ways.

3.1 believe social and economic injustice must be addressed.
B. List examples of your participation in social and economic
justice concerns at
school, work, or in your community.
1.
2.
3.
desired. We discuss the reality of consensus
and exceptions, the variations and similari-
ties, and social work values. The discussion
moves to Section B. Students describe their
activities. We sort the types, locations, and
positives and negatives. Some indicate rea-
sons they may or may not have been active
participants. Or they report on activities that

may have occurred in the past but not recent-
ly. AU responses are welcomed, and the con-
versation acknowledges how these experi-
ences or lack thereof may contribute to their
FIGURE 2. Multicultural Literature Awareness Instrument
Handout
C. List some examples of multicultural involvement with
reference to the listed
groups in the past year.
Cultural Group
African American
Hispanic
Asian
Native American
Arab
Asian Indian
LGBTQ
EuroAnglo/Caucasiai^
Other White ethnic
groups

Other challenge^Age,
physical, learning, etc.
Books Films Churcl^empli/Mosques Friends
Other
Events
Activities
Note. LGBTQ=lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or
questioning.
SELF-ASSESSMENT AND DIALOGUE 1 6 3
current percepfions. Then students are asked
to turn the page over and to ful in the grid.
After a few minutes, students have completed
this secfion. The quesfion is asked—"How
does your grid look?"
Student Reactions
Typically, students observe that they have not
read very much by diverse authors. They also
acknowledge they have not parficipated in
many diverse cultural acfivifies. Generally,
they have not attended events in cultural set-
tings other than their own. Some have friends
of different groups, but they tend to be few in
number. Students of color or those who have
lived in mixed or color-dominant communi-
fies have described a broader range of obser-
vafions and experiences. However, they often

reflect on their limited exposure to resources
of other cultures.
The reacfions of Euro American students
and students of color to issues of diversity,
oppression, and liberafion include a range of
emofions. Because the grids are not collected
students are usually quite responsive about the
results. The range of reacfions is useful for the
discussion of their percepfions about them-
selves. Some students have traveled, parfici-
pated in church missionary programs, or
engaged in student exchange programs. Those
with several items filled in on their grids report
on their experiences. Other students may
express shock, surprise, and quiet thought.
Those with few items often reflect that they
have not been exposed to opfions regarding
mulficultural populations. Many have not
grown up in diverse environments or been
exposed to mulficultural opportunifies. Over
the years, several students have observed the
absence of opportunity for exposure in their
educafional socializafion to literature, science,
math, or other contribufions to society by per-
sons of color or members of typically excluded
groups. One student recently exclaimed, "Our
teachers only taught us about American and
Brifish literature and especially Shakespeare."
Another student concluded: "No wonder we
don't value ethnic minorifies. We haven't been
taught to do so." Another reflected in her jour-
nal: "I was very surprised at the numbers
because I didn't realize how little friends of
color I have or know."

Celebrating Black History Month, Mexican
Cinco de Mayo, Women's History Month, and
similar points of reference have done little to
socialize growing and developing children to
the contribufions of all people to society over
time. The premier historical and cultural
chronology that children in our educafional
systems have been taught has excluded people
of color and taught negafive interpretafions of
their presence in this society. The results of the
exercise provide a visual schemafic of the ümi-
tafions or extent of students' literacy with
respect to mulfiple cultures. Examples of cul-
turally affirming resources (Adichie, 2009;
McCoy & McKay, 2006; O'Neal, 2006) and con-
temporary ideas of oppressive situations
(Kristoff & WuEXmn, 2009) are provided.
The results of this tool have not been for-
mally evaluated. A midcourse evaluation asks
students about the exercises, content, pace,
and quesfions. A verbal assessment in the last
class asks them to evaluate their knowledge of
mulficultural literature and their perceived
awareness. Their responses help guide the
instructor's response to student concerns.
Generally there is enthusiasfic reporting of
growth—our program evaluafion self-report
instrument consistently shows high sensifivi-
ty to cUent diversity issues. The major func-

fion of the tool Ues in its use for processing
classroom behavior and estabUshing a sup-
portive learning environment. Student
responses are analyzed on the spot in the
classroom. Indicators of their comfort or dis-
comfort with the content—their comments,
facial expressions, body language, and
questions—are acknowledged and addressed.
Integrating Learning
Through Assignments
Self-assessment exercises have been presented
as useful methods to promote awareness of
thinking variafions with respect to ethnicity
and class differences (Ellis, 2001). Self-
assessment is included in acfivifies Usted to
help foster cultural literacy and competency
in working with international families
(Hamon, 2008). It is also included in the dis-
cussion of training exercises for agency pracfi-
fioners that help them be aware of their own
"culture-bound beUefs" (Beckeft & Dungee-
Anderson, 1996, p. 27). In addifion to the self-
assessment instrument, course content in-
cludes informafion regarding policy, pracfice,
and social behaviors that perpetuate negative
stereotypes and those that assist in aftirming
one another.
Following the discussion of the grids, stu-
dents engage in conversafion about the focus
of the course, the expectafion of crificaUy
thirdcing and reflecting on the traditional
stereotypical messages they have heard, and
examining multiple perspectives. Several

assignments are used to assist continuing self-
reflecfion and considerafion of how mulficul-
tural Uterature can be used to enhance their
understanding. Two assignments have been
selected by faculty as key indicators to evalu-
ate student competency behaviors. The jour-
nal entries and the final exam are scored by a
rubric to determine achievement targets. The
rubric segments define the steps in informa-
fion literacy and crifical thinking.
Journal. The joumal is required to log
thoughts and reactions to the course content—
readings, discussions, videos, presentations,
exhibits—with respect to oppression, discrim-
inafion, affirmation, and social justice. Reflec-
fions are often connected to observafions and
experiences of privilege.
The final exam. The final exam is a take-
home assignment that öfters several opfions for
responding. In addifion to essay quesfions, the
selecfions include opportunifies to react to
poetry (i.e., "With no immediate cause," about
rape [Shange, 2007]), to write and iUustrate a
poem of their owm about an issue related to
oppression or Uberafion, and to design a con-
cept map that demonstrate their conceptualiza-
fion of the oppression-to-Uberafion process.
Other opportunifies for discussion, analy-
sis, and reflecfion include the following.
Small group and dyads. Weekly course ac-

fivifies involve discussion questions for en-
gagement in small groups or with one other
student. A group project requires a multicul-
turally sensifive presentafion that selects an
issue of importance to social work designed to
inform a target audience. Incorporating mulfi-
cultural and mulfidimensional (micro, mezzo,
and macro) perspecfive informafion to deUver
services to diverse consumers is required.
Novel analysis. A novel wriften by a per-
son of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans-
SELF-ASSESSMENT AND DIALOGUE 165
gender person; or representing a physical,
leaming, and/or emofional challenge is read
and analyzed for its cultural context and per-
specfive. Students are required to select an
excerpt or create a summary that may be inte-
grated into service delivery to promote cultur-
al affirmafion. The relevance of integrating
cultural materials is a core course concept,
and examples are integrated across the semes-
ter (O'Neal, 2006). All students discuss their
novels. A demonstrafion of how an excerpt
can be used with a group is conducted.
International examples of oppression. Stu-
dents develop a short paper in class (using the
computer room) on oppressive condifions in a
country of their selecfion. Students teach each
other about their examples, and the informa-

fion from the countries around the world are
compared and contrasted with U.S. examples.
All of these examples and other acfivifies
are designed to further self-assessment and
increase mulficultural knowledge. The per-
sonal values and diversity exercise has been
an effecfive tool for student orientafion to the
history of exclusion in the United States and
the evolving role of cultural competence. The
orientafion sets the tone for open and sup-
porfive discussion and interacfion. The course
provides a foundafion that helps students
understand that all social work services are
delivered in a macro societal context.
Conclusion
This teaching note promotes the integrafion of
culturally affirming materials into teaching
and practice. It addresses the continuing
observafions of the need for more effecfive
engagement methods with social work stu-
dents. This engagement dynamic is simulta-
neously explored for its potenfial implemen-
tafion in delivering services to various family
members and diverse communifies. Student
parficipafion in the discussion has identified
specific needs for social work:
• To create various ways to integrate cultur-
al knowledge into competency behaviors
across the curriculum
• To advocate for the inclusion of diverse
authors, researchers, and their perspecfives

throughout the elementary, secondary, and
higher educafional socializafion process
• To promote the relevance of family racial
socializafion in developing idenfity and
self-confidence across cultures
Challenges to more effecfive social work
service delivery and the need for prevenfion of
ongoing social problems continue in local and
global arenas. Implementing, researching, and
advocating for methods to expand our under-
standing is fundamental to our progress.
References
Adichie, C. (2009, October 7). The danger of a single story
[Video file]. Retrieved from
http: / / www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
Baldwin, M. (2000). Does self-assessment in a group help
students learn. Social Work Education,
19, 451^62.
Becket, J., & Dungee-Anderson, D. (1996). A framework for
agency based mulficultural training
& supervision. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 4(4), 27-
48.
Caughy, M., O'Campo, P., Randolph, I. M., & Nickerson, K.
(2002). The influence of racial

socializafion practices on the cognitive and behavioral
competence of African American
preschoolers. Child Development, 73,1611-1625.
Daruel, C. (2008). From liberal pluralism to crifical
multiculturalism: The need for a paradigm
shift in multicultural educafion for social work practice in the
Unites States. Journal of
Progressive Human Services, 29(1), 19-38.
Ellis, G. (2001). Looking at ourselves—Self-assessment and
peer-assessment: Pracfice examples
fi-om New Zealand. Refiective Practice, 2(3), 289-302.
Hamon, R. R. (2008). International family studies developing
curricula and teaching tools. New York,
NY: Haworth Press.
Kristoff, N., & WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the sky: Turning
oppression into opportunity for women
worldwide. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday.
Lee, M. Y, & Greene, G. (2003). A teaching framework for
transformafive mulficultural social
work educafion. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity, 12(3),
1-15.
McCoy, H., & McKay, C. (2006). Preparing social workers to
identify and integrate culturally

affirming bibliotherapy into treatment. Social Work Education,
25, 680-693.
O'Neal, G. S. (2006). Using mulficultural resources in groups.
Groupwork, 16(1), 48-68.
Orfiz, L., & Jani, J. (2010). Crifical race theory: A
transformational model for teaching diversity.
Journal of Social Work Education, 46,175-193.
Project Implicit. (1998). Retrieved from
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Shange, N. (2007). With no immediate cause. In P. S.
Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, class & gender (pp.
436-^37). New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
Stanton-Salazar, R. (1997) A social capital framework for
understanding the socializafion of
racial minority children and youths. Harvard Educational
Review, 67,1-40.
Accepted: 0 9 / 1 0
Gweneiie S. O'Neai is professor at West Chester University.
Address correspondence to Gwenelie S. O'Neal, West Chester
University, Graduate Social Work
Department, 650 Alley Way, Reynolds Hall, West Chester, PA
19383; e-mail: [email protected]

Copyright of Journal of Social Work Education is the property
of Council on Social Work Education and its
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IT Software for Business – Assignment
• Word Exercise: Create a professional curriculum vitae,
including a picture and at least 2-3
educational institutions and work experience (if you do not have
enough, feel free to invent
them).
• PowerPoint Exercise: Create a PowerPoint presentation
about your hometown/country
using the features of the program (pictures, transitions,
animation, styles, lists etc).
• Excel Exercise: Solve the following problems in one Excel
Sheet, having each exercise on a
separate sheet.
When you have finished the three exercises, upload them to
Moodle, you have time to do so until
the last class of the semester.
Exercise 1

Create a Personal Budget Sheet, including the following
categories:
- In rows:
• INCOME:
◦ Salary, Public Assistance, Food Stamps, Other. Total Income
• EXPENSES:
◦ Living/Housing: Rent/Mortgage, Electric, Water/Sewer,
Gas/Heating,
Telephone, Cable TV, Household/Repairs, Other. Total
Housing.
◦ Regular Payments: Student Loan, Credit Cards, Other Loan
Payments,
Health Insurance, Car/Home Insurance: Life Insurance, Child
Care, Other.
Total Regular payments.
◦ Food Expenses: Groceries, Restaurant Meals, Other. Total
Food.
◦ Personal Expenses: Personal Care, Hair/Nail Care,
Clothing/Shoes, Doctors,
Prescriptions, Laundry/Dry Clean, Recreation/Travel, Other.
Total Personal.
◦ Transportation: Gas/Auto Expenses, Bus, Taxi, Train, etc.,
Parking, Other
◦ Miscellaneous: Church, Gifts/Charity, Savings, Other. Total
Personal.
◦ Total Expenses
• TOTAL INCOME MINUS TOTAL EXPENSES
- In columns: the 12 months of the year.

- Include also the grand total.
Exercise 2
A survey has been completed by 30 families. Their responses
for “number of children” are
the following:
1, 1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1, 0, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 0,
6, 2, 1, 1, 0
1) Introduce these numbers in an Excel table and calculate the
the following statistical data:
minimum, maximum, average, median, mode.
2) Use conditional formatting (on the original data) to highlight
the cells with numbers
grater than 2.
3) Create the following table next to the data displayed with the
following information:
Number of Children Number of families
0 ….
1 ….
2 ….
3 ….
4 ….
5 ….
6 ….

With the second column containing the number of families
having 0, 1, …, 6
children.
4) Show the last results in a Pie Chart.
Exercise 3
Suppose that we have an annual interest rate of 6%.
1) Calculate the present value of 200€ payments at the end of
each month (type 0), during 2
years.
2) Calculate the future value of 50€ payment at the beginning of
each year (type 1), during
10 years.
3) Calculate the internal rate of return of an investment of
3000€, if we get 950€, 930€, 800€
and 528€ in the following periods.
4) Calculate the internal rate of return of an investment of
5000€ on 1st January 2013, if we
get 1900€ on 14th February 2013, 1640€ on 25th March 2013
and 1500€ 12th May of 2013.
5) Compare the net present value of the following two
investment possibilities:
A: to invest 4000€ now and get 1000€, 1800€, 1500€ and 300€
in the next years,
B: to invest 5000€ now, and get 1300€, 1350€, 1400€ and 1450€
in the next years
if we suppose that there is a 2% of annual interest rate.

Exercise 4
1) Which would you choose of the following two options?
A: to get 20,000€ in 4 years,
B: to get 1000€ now and 1000€ at the end of in each quarter
during four years
(future value, suppose that there is 8% of annual interest rate).
Which would you choose, if the interest rate were 7% annual?
2) Which would you choose of the following two options?
A: to get 7,300€ now, or
B: to get 240 at the beginning of each month (type 1), for three
years, supposing that
there is a 12% of annual interest rate.
3) Which would you choose of the following two options, if you
had 10,000€ to invest:
A: a savings account with 5,5% of interest rate
B: a return of 2000€ annually in the following 6 years (use
IRR).
4) Compare the internal rate of return of the following
investment opportunities
Data A B C
Investment 01/01/2013 -5000 -6000 -5500
Return 25/03/2013 1800 2000 1900
10/07/2013 1600 1830 1700
20/10/2013 1300 1600 1000

31/12/2013 500 800 1145
Functions used:
MAX, MIN, SUM, AVERAGE, MODE, MEDIAN, COUNTIF,
PV, FV, IRR, XIRR, NPV

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