Digital Social Work

🤝 Course Title: Digital Social Work

Course Headline:

Competences for providing social support in a digital environment

By Licia Boccaletti

COVID-19 and the Digital Divide: The global pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by those with mobility impairments, immunodeficiency, or who are simply housebound. With necessary restrictions in place to ensure safety, millions of individuals have faced increased isolation, affecting their access to social interaction and meaningful activities.

• Social Exclusion: The pandemic has worsened the condition of isolation for many, highlighting the importance of digital solutions for social support.
• Person-Centered Care: Engaging clients in meaningful activities is a cornerstone of health and wellbeing. However, this can be challenging for those confined at home without proper support.
• Healthy Ageing Initiatives: The WHO's Healthy Ageing framework emphasizes creating environments and opportunities that enable individuals to do what they value throughout their lives.

The Role of Digital Technologies: Online platforms have emerged as crucial windows to the world, offering connections with family, friends, and communities during lockdowns. Yet, not everyone has the same level of access or skills to benefit from these technologies, including many social care professionals.

• Limited Access: Many individuals still lack access to digital technologies or the necessary skills to use them effectively.
• E-Social Work Competences: There's a need for advanced competences among social workers and educators in leveraging ICT for social inclusion and empowerment.
• Ethics and Privacy: The use of ICT in social work also raises important ethical and privacy concerns that must be addressed.

Course Objectives: This MOOC aims to bridge the gap between traditional social work practices and the digital world by equipping C-VET educators with the tools and knowledge to:

• Develop Digital Pedagogical Competences: Teach students how to use ICT for providing high-quality social support to housebound clients.
• Incorporate E-Social Work in VET Curricula: Integrate digital social work skills into vocational education and training programs for the social sector.
• Create Meaningful Digital Content: Learn how to design engaging, educational, and culturally rich online content that supports the inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable groups.

Course Outline: This course is structured to guide you through the essentials of digital social work:

1. Understanding Digital Divides: Identifying the barriers to accessing digital technologies among different populations.
2. Ethics and Privacy in E-Social Work: Navigating the ethical considerations and privacy concerns when working with clients online.
3. Digital Tools for Social Support: Exploring a range of ICT tools and platforms that facilitate social interaction and engagement.
4. Designing Digital Interventions: Learning how to create tailored digital interventions that cater to the specific needs of your clients.
5. Evaluating E-Social Work Practices: Developing methods to evaluate the effectiveness of digital social work practices and interventions.
6. Innovative Pedagogical Strategies for C-VET Educators: Implementing innovative teaching techniques that facilitate the learning of digital competences in a vocational education context.

Enroll in this course today and be at the forefront of integrating digital competences into social work, empowering yourself to support vulnerable populations effectively in a digital world. 💻💖