WIXLIB

Guide for Developing an Internship Learning Goals PlanWhat is a Learning Goals Plan?The Learning Goals Plan is a guide to direct and monitor the student’s learning and the fieldinstructor’s teaching. It is a joint process and negotiated agreement between the student, thefield instructor, and the faculty liaison who leads the seminar. It identifies the process andcontent of student learning.Why develop a Learning Goals Plan?The Learning Goals Plan provides structure and guidelines for the learning in the fieldplacement. It helps to identify and define the following:What the student needs and wants to learnWhat learning activities/tasks/strategies will be used to meet the student’s learningobjectivesHow the student’s learning and accomplishments will be monitored and evaluatedThe instructional/supervisory meeting times and process of instruction/supervisionIdentification of the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the student’slearning, including the studentHow do I prepare for the Learning Goals Plan?Student responsibilities:Review the course objectives for SOWK 4970: InternshipReview the mid-term and final evaluation forms for the field placement todetermine what criteria will be used to evaluate your performanceReflect on your learning styleIdentify your expectations of field instruction/supervision and how tocommunicate themReflect on how you communicate, deal with feedback, deal withauthority, engage is self-directed learning, deal with conflictReflect on how you would make best use of supervision.Bemidji State University Social Work Department Internship Learning Contract Guide1

Field Instructor’s responsibilities:Review the course objectives for SOWK 4970Review the BSU expectations for field instructors and field settingsIdentify what learning opportunities exist in the field settingIdentify and prepare colleagues who may be involved in the fieldinstruction activities Reflect on personal expectations of the student andof yourselfReflect on your teaching style and how you will communicate this to thestudent Reflect on your ability to negotiateGeneral Purpose of the Learning Goals PlanA “roadmap” for the development of the internship experience.An opportunity for the student and field instructor to discuss expectations,individual learning and teaching styles, strengths and challenges, how tomanage conflictDetermines structure of supervisory sessions such as dates and times,length of sessions and who will determine agendaPlacement hours, who keeps record, what to do if unable to attendplacement, etc.ConsiderationsThere is considerable anxiety associated with this processLearning plans are negotiated; sometimes there are restrictions on whatactivities are appropriate for studentsThe field instructor must be mindful of the power dynamics Learningplans are evolving and should be renegotiated.Learning Goals Plan Objectives1) Student’s Learning ObjectivesA learning objective is a statement of what needs to be learned. Students should identifylearning objectives that are specific, doable and realistic within the period of the fieldplacement so the student and the field instructor can identify when it has been met. Theobjectives should be clear and measurable.2) Plan of Achieving Learning Objectives:Bemidji State University Social Work DepartmentInternship Learning Contract

This is a plan/strategy to meet a specific learning objective. It should be realistic and includewhat learning opportunities are available at the agency setting. The tasks are negotiated basedon the skill level of the student and the field instructor. Dates can be assigned for completionof the tasks.a) Learning opportunities that will be available and how will they be structuredb) What client, tasks or project assignments can the student be involved with?c) Learning opportunities should be relevant to the student’s learningField instructors should be actively involved in developing this section because of theirknowledge of resources of the agency and the range of learning opportunities available to thestudent.3) Identify how you will evaluate and monitor if you have met your learning objectives.The Learning Goals Plan is meant to give the student and the field instructor a sense ofaccomplishment. Evaluation procedures should include how the student will be evaluated andwho will be consulted. Evaluation can occur through the following methods:Direct PracticeObservations, audio tapes, meetings, consultation, role plays,presentations, debriefings, weekly uninterrupted supervision meetingsSelf-reflective documentation, willingness to be observedIndirect PracticeProcess recordings, summary recordings, journals or reflective logsDocumentationReview and or preparation of documents prepared in practice such asletters, minutes, assessments, briefs, proposals, reports, agency statistics,user satisfaction indicators used by the agencyBemidji State University Social Work DepartmentInternship Learning Contract

Guidelines for Learning ObjectivesStudents are required to develop three learning objectives for each of the nine competencies inthe Learning Goals Plan. Below, are guidelines designed to aid students in creating clear andmeasurable learning objectives for each of the nine competencies.Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional BehaviorSocial workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well asrelevant laws and regulations that may impact practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision-making and how to apply principlesof critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workersrecognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. Theyalso understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influence theirprofessional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, itsmission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social Workers also understandthe role of other professions when engaged in inter-professional teams. Social workersrecognize the importance of life-long learning and are committed to continually updating theirskills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging formsof technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics,relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conductof research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintainprofessionalism in practice situations;demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written,and electronic communication;use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; anduse supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in PracticeSocial workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and arecritical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiplefactors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, genderidentity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexualorientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, aperson’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation as well as privilege,power, and acclaim. Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discriminationand recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, andcultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:Bemidji State University Social Work DepartmentLearning Contract Guide April 2017

apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity anddifference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macrolevels;present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts oftheir own experiences; andapply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personalbiases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental JusticeSocial workers understand that every person regardless of position in society has fundamental human rights suchas freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, health care, and education. Social workers understandthe global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories ofhuman need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Socialworkers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods,rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, andcultural human rights are protected. Social workers:apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice toadvocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; andengage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed PracticeSocial workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing ascience of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientificinquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand thatevidence that informs practice derives from multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They alsounderstand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research;apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitativeresearch methods and research findings; anduse and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, andservice delivery.Competency 5: Engage in Policy PracticeSocial workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, aremediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand thehistory and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role ofpractice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementationwithin their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and they actively engage in policy practice toeffect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural,economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are alsoknowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:Bemidji State University Social Work DepartmentLearning Contract Guide April 2017