ABSTRACT
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has altered caring professions education and the range of technological competencies needed to thrive in today's digital economy. We aimed to identify the various technologies and design strategies being used to help students develop and translate professional caring competencies into remote working environments. Eight databases were systematically searched in February 2021 for relevant studies. Studies reporting on online learning strategies designed to prepare students to operate in emerging digital economies were included. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and/or the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Thirty-eight studies were included and synthesized to report on course details, including technologies being used and design strategies, and study outcomes including curriculum, barriers and facilitators to technology integration, impact on students, and impact on professional practice. Demonstrations of remote care, videoconferencing, online modules, and remote consultation with patients were the most common instructional methods. Audio/video conferencing and online learning systems were the most prevalent technologies used to support student learning. Students reported increased comfort and confidence when working with technology and planning and providing remote care to patients. While a recent influx in research related to online learning and caring technologies was noted, study quality remains variable. More emphasis on assessment, training, and research is required to support students in using digital technologies and developing interpersonal and technological skills required to work in remote settings.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Distance , COVID-19/epidemiology , Humans , Learning , Pandemics , StudentsABSTRACT
The recent COVID-19 pandemic drew a sharp focus on existing inequities for racialized communities in Canada and globally. A paucity of research-informed transformative learning models in social work has resulted in the persistent centering of Western ways of knowing. Current efforts do not adequately address the nuances of systemic and structural racial inequities, leaving students unprepared to deal with these issues in the classroom and in practice. We propose critical race pedagogy as an essential framework to promote and enrich social work learning environments where students can engage in courageous conversations about race, racism, power and oppression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
In the early months of COVID-19's proliferation through Canadian communities, the now largely documented uneven impacts and burdens of the illness were emerging. Among the early COVID-19 casualties were workers in Alberta's meatpacking plants, with infection rates so high that the news quickly gained international attention. The Cargill meatpacking plant, overwhelmingly staffed by temporary foreign workers with no permanent status or citizenship rights, was the site of the largest single coronavirus outbreak in Canada. The need for a community response to this emerging crisis was a focal discussion for a newly formed network of social workers. A multileveled series of actions and systems advocacy were put in place. These actions would foment a vibrant and diverse "community of communities" while also unveiling challenges and obstacles to the work during a period of a shifting health landscape, shutdowns, and changing legislation. This article focuses on the development of a grassroots and transformative community-led response to COVID-19, describing strategies, implementation, and challenges in the "real life" context of the recent pandemic. Key learnings for postpandemic community organizing and social work solidarity actions are highlighted.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Caring professions attend to the health, educational and social needs of society rather than its material needs. Caring professionals are a vital part of the world's response to COVID-19, yet the global pandemic and its aftermath have significantly changed the ways in which care is provided. The rapid pivot to remote care, where the essential caring cues and opportunities are not as readily available, has put unprecedented pressure on caring professions. There is currently a lack of clear understanding and accepted standards for teaching caring profession students how to provide care remotely. The objective of this systematic review is to identify and assess the ways in which educators can integrate online learning opportunities to help students develop effective caring practices and translate these into today's remote and virtual care environments. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This systematic review will consider diverse quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies of innovative online education initiatives and required technology for caring profession education. Articles will be retrieved from academic databases and limited to articles reporting primary data and published in English within the last 10 years. Data extraction procedures will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guideline. The methodological quality of all studies will be assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and/or the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Study characteristics will be tabulated and narratively synthesised to integrate and explore relationships within the data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethics approval is required to conduct this review. Review findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and be used to inform and guide caring profession education policy, practice and research agendas with the goal of improving education for caring profession students, and care for the patients, clients and learners they serve.