SWRK 3150 & 4120 Developing & Completing your Learning Contract

Welcome Please take some time to review these PowerPoint slides. They contain important information for students, field instructors, and agency mentors regarding how to develop and complete an effective learning contract. An Adobe Connect Meeting will be held to discuss this PowerPoint. In addition this meeting will include: Question & Answer Session Examples of Learning Contracts Workshop for your Learning Contracts

What is a Learning Contract? Guides student and field instructor through the learning process. Tool designed to keep focus on goal oriented learning. Combination of what the student wants to learn, what the field instructor is willing to teach, and what is within the agency’s mandate. The learning contract is a “living” document. It can evolve and change throughout the placement.

Completing Your Learning Contract The learning contract and evaluation form are now one document.

Identifying Information Section

Please ensure you fill out all of the required information. This is a fillable form with drop-down boxes. What days are you spending in placement? Please note students receive 7.5 hours for a FULL day in placement. If you are spending half days/evenings count these hours, but document them separately. Please see time/task sheet example. How often are you handing in a reflective journal and when will you be discussing the journal with your field instructor? Remember monthly reflective journals are due at the end of the month. What day and time are you meeting with your field instructor for supervision? Where will you meet? Identifying Information Section

Who does what?? -Field Instructor must possess a social work degree and is formally appointed by the University to supervise student. -Agency Mentor is the onsite person who does not hold a social work degree but it is directly supervising the student and works in collaboration with the Field Instructor. [A student may or may not have an agency mentor depending on their situation] -Faculty/Field Liaison acts as a bridge between the university and the agency and is present to support students, field instructors, and agency mentors throughout the placement.

Developing your Learning Contract There are 5 Skills Areas on the Learning Contract & Evaluation Form: 1) Professionalism/Ethical Standards 2) Assessment and Intervention Skills in Practice 3) Reflective Capacity and Critical Analysis 4) Fostering and Promotion of Human Rights and Social Justice 5) Integration of Policy and Practice

Developing your Learning Contract The Learning Contract can be found at the beginning of each skill area.

Developing your Learning Contract For each skill area identify as many learning objectives, activities, and timelines as necessary. There must be minimum of one objective per skill section. The Learning Contract will be developed with the student, field instructor, agency mentor, and faculty field liaison. It can be reviewed and revised at any time, but is formally reviewed at mid-term.

Please review all of the form and evaluation criteria prior to completing the learning objectives for each skill section. Developing your Learning Contract Evaluation Section 3150 Evaluation Section 4120

Resources Breaking Out of the Box (P.9) What do I want to learn from my experience? What specific knowledge do I want to develop? What specific skills or techniques do I want to learn or sharpen (e.g. interviewing, assessment, referral, group work)? Is there an area of social work that I feel I don’t have a grasp on or feel that I can’t fully integrate (e.g. why policy or research are important to my daily social work practice)?

Signature and Comment Section

Reminders The Learning Contract needs to be completed electronically. The form is available on UM Learn & on our website. The form needs to be submitted into the UM Learn Dropbox.

UM Learn & Submitting Documents UM Learn student access : All monthly time/task sheets and journals must be submitted through UM Learn. There are separate drop boxes for learning contracts, journals, time/task sheets, and evaluations. Keep a copy of the signature page in your own files, you could be required to produce it if there are problems. You will also be asked to scan/fax the signature page of the evaluation at Final.

Dates to Remember Please ensure that you go to DATES TO REMEMBER page/link in UM Learn. Due date for initial learning contract is 2-weeks after your placement start date. Due date for calendar of hours is 2-weeks after your placement start date. Monthly Reflective Journals are due by the last day of every month. Monthly Time/Task Sheets are due by the last day of every month.

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! Please contact your assigned Field Liaison by telephone or . We also encourage you to use the discussion board on UM Learn and to connect through our Facebook group.

References Ward, K. & Mama, R.S. (2010). Breaking out of the box. 2 nd ed. Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books Inc.