Storytelling and Technology - Antidote to Boring Social Work Theory Lessons

This presentation is a reflective consolidation of my teaching practice with technology and narrative practice in social work classrooms. The module of “Theory, Approach and Intervention in Social Work” serves as a case to demonstrate how people with lived experience and social workers can reinforce the co-creation of a heuristic and reflective learning/teaching experience for social work educators, collaborators with lived experiences and students.

In this module, students are expected to be theoretically informed and emotionally equipped to engage purposefully, responsibly and effectively in professional relationships with professional colleagues and people with lived experiences.

The module covers four paradigms (i.e. cognitive-behaviourism , humanism, realism and structuralism) and relevant theories and methods for assessment and interventions. For each paradigm, the design of teaching is split into morning session for knowledge building and afternoon session for experiential learning.

In the afternoon session, students were formed in groups to host a 45-minute storytelling interview with people with lived experience. The student has a guide and online worksheet to guide their discussion when the PWLE shared a significant episode. Then, students and PWLE gathered in a hybrid forum where students shared their assessment and intervention. PWLE were invited to provide feedback. This dialogue aims to reinforce students to critically review their work. In one session, a social worker from China shared his work with indigenous communities to demonstrate how social-ecological systems theory connects to green social work practice and global trends.

The presentation ends with an evaluation of the use of narrative practice and technology in social work classrooms to reinforce social solidarity and global connectedness.