Social Work Program
On-Line Course Preview Page for:
SOCW 0103
Introduction to Social Work
and
Social Welfare
Section 501
Self-Paced
On-Line Section
Instructor:
Robert C. Kersting, ACSW, Ph.D.
Instructor
Availability:
Feel
free to email me at rkersting@wsc.ma.edu (I will respond to all
emails within 48 hours) or call me at 413-572-5536
Catalogue
Description:
Preprofessional
course designed to introduce the student to the present profession of social
work, present social welfare programs, and the history of social work and
social welfare.
Course
Information:
This
is a 3 credit hour course.
There
are no prerequisites for this course.
This
course is offered totally on-line and is self paced but must be completed by
the end of the 
semester it which it was taken.
This
course is asynchronous which means that there are no specific times you must be
on-line.
Technical
Requirements:
Students needs a computer with DSL or Cable internet connection. Students
need a web-browser (e.g. Explorer, Safari, etc.), a word processing program (MS
Word, Apple Pages, etc.), iTunes (a free download from Apple for PCs
and Macs) and Quicktime (a free download from Apple for PCs and Macs).
Students need basic web-browser skills and word processing skills. Students
will be required to watch prerecorded content on iTunes, YouTube videos, and
other Quicktime movies. Students will not be required to purchase any
additional software or media beyond the course textbook.
NOTE: It is the student’s
responsibility to make initial contact with the instructor either via e-mail or
phone. Student must have a valid working email address on file with the
instructor.
Course
Objectives:
At the end of this course the student
will be able to
1 describe what social workers do in a
variety of practice settings;
2 define “social welfare policy” and
describe contemporary social welfare systems;
3 outline the histories of social work and
social welfare policy in the
4 locate and use social work resources at
the WSC Library
5 discuss the values and ethics of social
work
6 identify their own attitudes and beliefs
and discuss the social work profession's position on issues of diversity and
social justice
7 determine if they may be interested in
continuing their studies in social work
Textbook (available at the WSC Bookstore):
Suppes, M. A.
& Wells, C. C. (2009) The social work
experience: An introduction to social work and social welfare.
Course Requirements:
The course is
divided into 12 modules. For each module there is a reading assignment, videos
to watch, and brief reaction activities/assignments to complete. At the end of
every 3 modules there will be an on-line quiz to be completed. There is a
required final assignment. Students will complete an assignments that explores
their interest in and understanding of the field of social work. Students will
have the option of completing a short video, presentation, or paper on this
topic. Further guidance will be provided in the course syllabus.
Course Grading:
Module
Activities/Assignment (50%)
Quizzes (40%)
Final Project
(10%)