Table Of ContentActive Learning Lessons,
Activities, and Assignments
for the Modern Social Work
Educator
This text infuses the field of social work with dynamic and evidence-based
active learning, offering fresh ideas to increase students’ abilities to effectively
implement their social work practice.
To practice social work in the real world, students need to be energized
and engaged with the realities of the modern social work landscape. Written
in an accessible and practical style, the impressive array of contributors
provide social work educators with structured lesson plans, practice exercises,
and assignments that can be used in both the physical and virtual classroom.
Combining the latest research with current social work practice trends, the
chapters cover cutting-edge topics such as ethics, social work technology,
the importance of self-care, and social justice and activism, bridging the gap
between current social work education and the needs of the modern social
work student.
This book is invaluable reading for both social work educators and their
students, providing tools to seamlessly integrate innovative techniques into
the classroom as well as helping their students navigate a career in social work
after graduation.
Karen Zgoda, LMSW, is Director of the Care Center at Villa Maria College.
She has vast experience in social work, social work technology, higher
education, and course development.
“Active learning exercises are an important part of professional social work
education but creating good ones is difficult and time-consuming. Fortu
nately, Karen Zgoda’s new book gives instructors a wealth of useful and well
developed exercises, nicely organized and keyed to critical areas of the cur
riculum. This book is a must-have for social work faculty but would be useful
to faculty in other fields as well.”
—John McNutt, PhD, MSW; Professor, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School
of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
“Active learning is a fundamental instructional approach to helping students
critically engage in thoughtful intellectual discourse designed to maximize
student’s ability to apply and transfer knowledge. Karen Zgoda’s new book,
Active Learning Lessons, Activities, and Assignments for the Modern Social Work
Educator, provides social work faculty with a myriad of useful tools that can
easily be applied to promote critical thinking about the application of social
work principles to research, policy and practice.”
—Tanya L. Sharpe, MSW, Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Endowed
Chair in Social Work in the Global Community;
Founder & Director, The CRIB, www.the-crib.org;
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work,
University of Toronto
“Great book for social work educators across the curriculum who are look
ing for creative and engaging activities. Reflects important core knowledge,
value and skill areas beautifully—with an eye on the future. Strong founda
tion that would be easy to put one’s own touches or weave in local priorities
or concerns.”
—Laura Nissen, Ph.D., Professor, Portland State University;
P.I. Social Work Health Futures Lab
Active Learning
Lessons, Activities, and
Assignments for the
Modern Social Work
Educator
KAREN ZGODA, LMSW
Cover image: Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Karen Zgoda
The right of Karen Zgoda to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
ISBN: 978-0-367-23729-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-24260-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-28139-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9780429281396
Typeset in Avenir and Dante
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
Acknowledgment ix
Introduction 1
1 History of Social Work Practice 3
Dana B. Marlowe, Ph.D., LCSW
Charity Organization Society Workers vs. Settlement
House Workers Debate 3
White House Conference on the Care of Dependent
Children Simulation 7
2 Ethics 14
Kathryn Peterson, MSW
Difficult Conversations 14
Michelle Sunkel, DSW, LICSW, LAC, MBE
Anti-Racism Experience and Leaning-In Assignment 19
3 Communication 42
Fredi Giesler, MSW, Ph.D.
Managing Group Conflict Simulation 42
4 Clinical Practice 56
Kathryn Peterson, MSW
In-Depth Case Analysis 56
vi Contents
Dana B. Marlowe, Ph.D., LCSW
Groupwork Skills Role-Play 62
Using Activities in a Therapeutic Group 68
Tami Micsky, DSW, LSW, CT
Life Change/Loss Interview 74
Elspeth Slayter, MSW, Ph.D.
Evidence-Based Practice Dialogue 78
Choosing an Evidence-Based Practice With Scarce
Resources 83
Dana B. Marlowe, Ph.D., LCSW & Elisabeth Cannata, Ph.D.
Home Visits Role-Plays 88
Elaine S. Rinfrette, RN, MSW, Ph.D.,
LCSW & Natalie M. Montero, MSW
Week 1 — Safety and Self-Care 102
Week 2 — Understanding Trauma-Informed Care 108
Week 3 — Working With Trauma Survivors in
General Practice 115
Week 4 — The Neurobiology of Trauma 120
Week 5 — Quiz 123
Elaine S. Rinfrette, RN, MSW, Ph.D., LCSW & David Pugh,
MSW, Ph.D.
Week 1 — Is Addiction a Disease or a Choice? 125
Week 2 — Stigma 127
Week 3 — Defense Mechanisms and Stages of Change 130
Week 4 — The Family 139
Week 5 — Harm Reduction and Medication
Assisted Treatment 144
Carla Sofka, Ph.D., MSW
Advance Directives (Advance Care Planning) 152
Defining a “Good Death”: Facilitating Conversations
About End of Life Planning 158
Options for Final Disposition (Scavenger Hunt/
Discussion) 163
5 Macro Practice 168
Fredi Giesler, MSW, Ph.D.
Facilitating a Collaborative/Interprofessional
Task Group 168
Elissa Thomann Mitchell, Ph.D.
Social Policy Online Debate Assignment 178
Policy in the News Assignment 183
Who Represents You? Assignment 185
Elspeth Slayter, MSW, Ph.D.
Community-Based Disability Accessibility Assessment 188
Contents vii
Developing a Sexuality Policy and Procedures
Manual for a Group Home 191
Legislative Advocacy Assignment 195
Michelle Sunkel, DSW, LICSW, LAC, MBE
Forensic Social Work and Experiential Assignment 199
6 Fundraising and Social Work Administration 207
Fredi Giesler, MSW, Ph.D.
Preparing for Job Performance Feedback 207
Presenting Client Progress Using SOAP 218
Presenting to a Board of Directors or Policy
Decision-Making Group 230
Patricia Welch Saleeby, Ph.D., MSSA
Macro Change Through Fundraising 239
The Grant Review Process 242
Understanding the Relevance of Grants and Fundraisers 246
Grant Writing: The Needs Statement 248
7 Research and Evaluation 251
Jesse Capece, Ph.D.
Ways of Knowing 251
Research Concept Maps 257
Operationalization 261
Survey Construction 266
Analyzing Qualitative Data 269
Research Proposal Assignment 274
Elspeth Slayter, MSW, Ph.D.
Agency Evaluation Practice Assessment 277
8 Social Work Technology 282
Jennifer M. Frank, Ph.D., LSW
Online and Technology Enhanced Assignment 282
Thomas P. Felke, Ph.D., MSW
Introduction to Digital Mapping 286
Introduction to Static Online Mapping 292
Using the Census Data Mapper 299
Using PolicyMap to Spatially Explore Data 306
Introduction to Geocoding With BatchGeo 311
GIS-Supported Community Assessment 316
Gregory Acevedo, Ph.D. & Dana B. Marlowe, Ph.D., LCSW
Digital Advocacy Campaign 320
9 Social Justice and Activism 326
Dana B. Marlowe, Ph.D., LCSW
viii Contents
Social Justice Issues—Digital Storytelling 326
Elissa Thomann Mitchell, Ph.D.
Cultural Competence Community Meeting or Event
Reflection Assignment 329
Kathryn Peterson, MSW
Identifying Implicit Bias 331
10 What to Do After Graduation 341
Ellen Fink-Samnick MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CCTP,
CMHIMP, CRP, DBH(c)
Identify Strengths 341
Understand Professional Competencies 346
Develop Mission and Vision Statements 351
Build a Professional Brand 356
Promote a Professional Brand 361
Narrated Presentation: Professional Branding 366
11 Self-Care 371
Tami Micsky, DSW, LSW, CT
Self-Care for Social Work Students 371
Photovoice for Social Work Practice and Research 377
Photovoice Self-Care Assignment 382
Appendix 385
Index 388
Acknowledgment
Illegitimi non carborundum
