Social Work Commons^™

“There's No Participation In ‘Our’ Participatory-Action Research Project”: Overcoming Hierarchies In Service-Learning Partnerships, Julia Van Der Ryn, Omar Carrera

Julia van der Ryn

While strategic planning is widely recognized as a central component in the development of sustainable service-learning partnerships and university programs, institutions working to create organizational change often do not have a framework for how to address the power differentials among a diverse group of constituencies. Further, this framework should include all stakeholders in the analysis of the social, historical, and political contexts around service-learning partnerships.

In this study, participants in the service-learning program at Dominican University of California (DUC) explored the complexity of the social forces that influence communication and collaboration in service-learning. DUC faculty members designed a multiphase research …

Prof. Vibhuti Patel's Tribute To Dr. Vina Mazumdar 31-5-2013, Professor Vibhuti Patel

Professor Vibhuti Patel

With passing away of Dr. Vina Mazumdar, our Vinadi the Indian Women’s movement has experienced an irreparable loss. Veenadee personified in her a far sighted and strong willed thinker and forceful speaker and convincing debater who had faith in ‘human goodness’. Her intellectual prowess did not make her ivory tower in her approach towards her colleagues and fellow travelers- academicians, policy makers, researchers and feminist activists. She always remained warm at heart, easy to approach, instant building of rapport, kind and accessible to ‘inarticulate’, ‘less known’ and ‘less influential’ people from remote places, civil and decent with her adversaries, magnanimous …

Indicated Truancy Interventions: Effects On School Attendance Among Chronic Truant Students., Brandy R. Maynard, Katherine Tyson Mccrea, Terri D. Pigott, Michael S. Kelly

Katherine Tyson McCrea

BACKGROUND
Truancy is a significant problem in the U.S. and in other countries around the world. Truancy has been linked to serious immediate and far-reaching consequences for youth, families, and schools and communities, leading researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to try to understand and to address the problem. Although numerous and significant steps have been taken at the local, state, and national levels to reduce truancy, the rates of truancy have at best remained stable or at worst been on the rise, depending on the indicator utilized to assess truancy rates.
The costs and impact of chronic truancy are significant, …

Quasi-Experiment Examining Cafeteria-Style Grading In Social Work Education, Brandon Youker, Lyza Ingraham

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Cafeteria-style grading system is an individualized student assessment method whereby students choose their assignments from an expansive and diverse pool of assignments. In this study, students are non-randomly assigned to two sections of the same social work course. The first section received cafeteria-style assignments and grading system (i.e., experimental group) while the comparison section received the traditional method of grading. Students in both sections video record a demonstration exercise; the recordings are reviewed and scored by experts from a panel of social work professors. Preliminary results show an effect on student attendance but no effect on GPA or student performance.

Our Stories Matter: Liberating The Voices Of Marginalized Students Through Scholarly Personal Narrative, Sydnee Viray

Sydnee Viray

No abstract provided.

Sport For Development And Peace, Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

The discussion will begin with a brief introduction to Sport for Peace and Development (SPD) philosophies and programs. SPD refers to the intentional use of sports, physical activity, and play to attain non-sports objectives. Although SPD often refers to programs that are international in scope, our panelists will be asked to discuss the application of SPD locally. Representation from the following agencies in no particular order are as follows: West Michigan Miracle League, YMCA, Ann Arbor Street Soccer Project, GRAND C.I.T.Y., and Grand Valley State Universities Volleyball program. This panel discussion was sponsored by Grand Valley State Universities School of …

The Effective Use Of Research Tools And Resources, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This presentation is prepared to help scholars who seek to reduce the search time by extending the knowledge of researchers to more effectively use the “Research Tools" that are available through the Net.

Goal-Free Evaluation: A Potential Model For The Evaluation Of Social Work Programs, Brandon Youker

Brandon W. Youker Ph.D

Goal-free evaluation (GFE) is an evaluation model where the evaluator is deliberately kept from the stated (or implied) goals and objectives of the program; this is accomplished by appointing a screener to keep goal-related information from the goal-free evaluator. Screening the evaluator from program goals is designed to control bias inherent in goal-based evaluation (GBE), a bias that contaminates the evaluator’s ability to see the program’s true outcomes and true merit. Although GFE has been around for more than half a century, GBE continues to dominate evaluation practice and the literature on GFE remains sparse and highly theoretical. This article …

“You’Re Employed! How Can We Work Together?” The Experiences Of Employers In Employing Persons With Learning Disabilities In Malaysia, Jee Ching Pang

Jee Ching Pang

Employment for persons with disabilities in Malaysia is not uncommon. The movement of self-advocacy has impacted as one of the key focus for persons with learning disabilities to advocate their rights for employment. But, on the other hand, the voices of employers often remain unheard. This study focuses on understanding the experiences of employers and hearing their voices when persons with learning disabilities are employed in their workforce. Through a purposive sampling method, in-depth interviews were conducted with six employers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in which they described their learning experiences. Information gathered has provided a greater understanding and appreciation …