Competency-based education in social work (CSWE, 2022) demands active learning methods that demonstrate professional competencies and practice behaviors. Role-plays and simulations are methods that link learning in the classroom with practice. This article explores role-play and simulation variants: basic role-play, real play, student-scripted…

Peer-to-peer role-play in social work education continues to have widespread use in the teaching of generalist social work skills. For many students, however, the unfamiliarity of role-playing the client in conjunction with discussing clinical concerns may lead them to become emotionally dysregulated during the social work-client encounter. To…

This qualitative study aims to examine foundation year Master of Social Work (MSW) students' experiences with the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) using a holistic framework. Study participants included 64 MSW students who completed a 15-minute virtual OSCE with standardized patients and expert observers followed by a five minute…

This article presents the use of simulation-based learning (SBL) for master-level school social work students at a public university in the Midwest. Findings based on the use of four school-specific case scenarios and subsequent focus group discussions suggest that live simulations can serve as a model to engage students by presenting curricula in…

Few studies examine the use of live actors in simulated training for social work students. This paper offers a programmatic exemplar on the implementation of simulation training in ethical decision-making using professional live actors. It offers original findings on the experiences of Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work students (n…

This teaching initiative responded to an effort to strengthen the connection between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) theory and practice among Master of Social Work (MSW) students. This initiative was developed in response to feedback from our MSW students, who requested further training in CBT skills before entering practicum settings.…

Over the past several decades, the use of simulated or standardized clients has been an important area of pedagogy for social work education in training students to work with individuals, families, and groups in practice settings, often in preparation for a practicum placement. Little in the extant literature, however, has focused on the possible…

While direct client experience is the optimal environment for social work students to learn interviewing skills, vicarious learning, or learning through observing peers or an instructor in a simulated client encounter, also affords students the opportunity for personal growth and reflection. To explore students' experiences of vicarious learning…

Social work educators are compelled to use reliable and valid methods to assess student learning outcomes. This study adapted a clinical simulation by integrating traditional role-play of case scenarios and elements of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, which is often used to assess students' practice skills. Master of Social Work…

The integration of evidence-informed practices in social work education can be difficult given the crowded curricula of most Master of Social Work programs, particularly for advanced standing MSW students who launch directly into advanced concentration year coursework after obtaining their Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). Several factors impact…

Simulation training has been found to be an effective method to increase social work student knowledge, empathy, or skills. This study examined the impact of an interprofessional poverty simulation on public school teacher participants, who would learn about the impact of poverty, and on social work students, who were the volunteers or…

Interprofessional education (IPE) aims to introduce students to the importance of team-based decision making. This article presents evaluation data from an IPE poverty simulation event. The goals of the project were to increase students' understanding of the barriers faced by families in poverty, and to increase students' confidence when working…

This study explored the use of simulation with Master's level students to determine the efficacy of this approach in teaching advanced social work skills with diverse client populations. Three instructors jointly developed a case scenario in which cultural beliefs differed strongly between clients who were a biracial couple. Instructors found that…

The use of simulated instruction is a growing trend in social work education. This study examined the effectiveness of simulated instruction with undergraduate social work students. In this mixed methods study, the extent to which simulated instruction improved self-efficacy and practice readiness was assessed. Results of the study suggest that…

In discussing a university-industry partnership on the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based simulation platform, this conceptual paper explores the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) as a pedagogical innovation in social work. Critically reflecting upon this ongoing project, we discuss the current promises and limitations of…