Online Learning and Liminal Spaces: An Example of Innovation in Social Work Field Education

Article

Saxton, Kate, Harris, Sera, Clarke, Joanne, Barry, Jaimie and Said, Shannon. 2024. "Online Learning and Liminal Spaces: An Example of Innovation in Social Work Field Education." The British Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae049
Article Title

Online Learning and Liminal Spaces: An Example of Innovation in Social Work Field Education

ERA Journal ID34193
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsSaxton, Kate, Harris, Sera, Clarke, Joanne, Barry, Jaimie and Said, Shannon
Journal TitleThe British Journal of Social Work
Number of Pages18
Year2024
PublisherOxford University Press
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN0045-3102
1468-263X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae049
Web Address (URL)https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcae049/7649333
AbstractAmidst the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, universities grappled with adapting to online service delivery, particularly affecting student placements in programmes requiring practicum experiences. Addressing this, four Australian Universities/Colleges collaboratively initiated the Supporting Placement through online Access and Community Engagement (S.P.A.C.E) Project, a twelve-month research endeavour. This study, based on qualitative data from S.P.A.C.E, reveals that the project’s success in delivering quality placement experiences hinged on three key factors: (1) the creation of a liminal (or third) space, (2) a genuine commitment to critical pedagogy and (3) the intentional use of online technology for an authentic learning experience. Significantly, the findings have implications for the field of social work by challenging assumptions about online learning, influencing social work theory through the exploration of a transformative ‘third space’, enhancing practice through critical pedagogy and suggesting policy directions that support flexible and viable online modalities in social work education. This research contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting online learning as a flexible and effective means for authentic and transformational learning experiences.
Keywordsfield education; online learning; placement; social work; work-integrated learning
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020440999. Social work not elsewhere classified
Byline AffiliationsSchool of Psychology and Wellbeing
Western Sydney University
Queensland University of Technology
Charles Darwin University
Excelsia College, Australia
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