Teaching Students to Perform Child Welfare Assessments with Adaptable Computer-Supported Scripts and Metacognitive Reflection Prompts

ABSTRACT

Assessing cases of child welfare requires the ability to engage with different sources of information systematically. This study examined how case-based learning (CBL) can be used to support social work students (N = 104) acquire knowledge crucial to assessing cases of child welfare and whether benefits of CBL could be maximized by structuring the learning process. We conducted a 2*2 quasi experiment and randomly assigned the students to one of the conditions: computer support scripts (adaptable vs. strict scripts), metacognitive reflection prompts (generic vs. specific), or a control group. Students in the guided CBL environment acquired better conceptual knowledge scores compared to counterparts in the unguided CBL environment but not strategic knowledge and reasoning. In the posttest, generic prompts and adaptable scripts were found to be single-handedly effective in fostering conceptual knowledge but not when combined. Future research can examine possibilities of scaffolding activities of assessment to achieve congruent use of conceptual, strategic knowledge and reasoning.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The project was funded by the Elite Network of Bavaria (Project number: K-GS-2012-209).

Notes on contributors

Mary Opio-Göres

Mary Opio-Göres is a research associate and PhD candidate in the International Doctoral School REASON, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.

Ingo Kollar

Ingo Kollar is a full professor for Educational Psychology at the University of Augsburg, Germany.

Birgit Dorner

Birgit Dorner is a full professor for Art Education at Katholische Stiftungshochschule München, University of Applied Sciences, Germany.