BJSW Advance Access originally published online on February 24, 2009
British Journal of Social Work 2009 39(4):710-724; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcp023
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This article appears in the following British Journal of Social Work issue: Social work in the digital age Special Issue [View the issue table of contents]
Practitioner Networks: Professional Learning in the Twenty-First Century
Walter LaMendola is Professor and Director of the Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver. His scholarly interests have ranged across issues that involve the use and application of communication and information technologies in social work, particularly when they are directed toward or otherwise involve themselves in the everyday life of people experiencing problems—such as poverty or mental illness. Neil Ballantyne is a senior lecturer at the Glasgow School of Social Work currently seconded to the Institute for Research and Innovation in the Social Services as Learning Technology Manager. The Learning Technology Team is an inter-disciplinary team managing the Learning Exchange (a national digital repository of learning resources); creating new multimedia content; and supporting and developing online learning communities for social services practitioners and managers. Ellen Daly is Knowledge and Information Assistant, Institute for Research and Innovation in the Social Services, University of Strathclyde. She works as part of the Learning Technology Team. She has supported the development and facilitation of a number of online learning communities for social services.
Correspondence to Walter LaMendola, Ph.D., Professor and Doctoral Director, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, 2148 South High Street, Denver, CO 80208, USA. E-mail: Walter.LaMendola{at}du.edu
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Abstract |
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This article reports on a study of a networked learning approach among remote social work practitioners in a large, rural local authority. The intervention was a blended approach that combined facilitation, face-to-face meetings, online communications and access to e-library resources. The intervention was focused on discussions of case management issues for three fictional cases. A method of text analysis used in community of enquiry research was implemented to examine participant discourse. Findings indicate that practitioners developed a community of enquiry that privileged face-to-face communication. Online resources were primarily used as supplementary communication. Practitioners engaged with the community of enquiry approach and used explicit knowledge to inform discussions of case planning.
Keywords: Networked learning, evidence-based practice, community of enquiry