Online Learning and Social Work – A proposal

I’m on a theme at the moment so run with me. I have through various conversations that I’ve hooked into among Occupational Therapists come across this programme OT4OT (Online Technology for Occupational Therapists)

 

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It is a proposed, international educational programme using occupational therapists internationally to provide and support web-based learning or as they call it a ‘virtual exchange schedule’ to promote learning and understanding and uses of technology to grow international knowledge about occupational therapy internationally.

It’s a fantastic model but I’m desperately jealous. Where is the social work equivalent? How about an international ‘virtual exchange schedule’ of free programming that social workers internationally can both contribute to and participate in? Why do we leave these things to those who organise and charge fees which are too large for individual interested practitioners to attend?

I’d love to find out more about this model and see if there’s a way of pursuing a similar experience in social work internationally but I’d need people to come on board. Is there anyone firstly who would contribute their expertise to run virtual sessions or discussion groups throughout a ‘day’. Any social work departments willing to help with technology aspects and providing an educational ‘oversight’ to the quality of submissions? The idea would be for an international event to broaden international experiences of social work. I think it could be a fantastic resource and opportunity.

An opportunity for ‘people like me’ who are not linked directly to universities to run ‘events’ online, it could also be an opportunity for those who teach to share some of their information globally and gain experience and exposure of running online events.

I need to do a bit of work behind the scenes regarding technical aspects and how that  might work but I don’t think it needs to be complicated.

Anyone interested? I can put together some kind of mailing list or group on Google to discuss further. I just want to know if I’m shooting into the wind or not!   I’ll do a bit of investigating regarding hosting and technological needs over the weekend and will write up posts as I find out information. I think it could be something really exciting.

(just as an aside – wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if this was something our ‘College of Social Work’ or BASW were to put together without nudging – that’s the kind of innovation and progressive thinking I’d like to see from a professional association rather than messing around and replicating unions that already exist).