Course Syllabus
Instructor Contact Information
Lead Faculty Information
This course was designed by Professors Gena Roberts-Massey and Raina Leckie. There are numerous sections of this course with varying faculty. This course may contain videos and content designed by another faculty to be used by all sections of this course.
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
Graduate standing and enrollment in the online MSW program
Course Materials
- Gehlert, S. & Browne, T. (Eds.) (2019) Handbook of Health Social Work, (3rd ed.). Jossey Bass.
- National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics for Social Workers (most recent version)
- The most recent APA manual is required in every Social Work course. The current manual (7th edition, 2019)
- Additional readings will be pulled from multiple sources and linked in the "RESOURCES" section of each course module
Social Work Competencies and Practice Behaviors Assessed
| Competencies | Course Content |
Dimensions(s) |
|---|---|---|
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Competency 1: Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior |
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Competency 2: Engage in diversity and difference practice |
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Competency 3: Advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice
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| Competency 4: Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice |
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| Competency 5: Engage with individuals |
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Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Policy Paper |
|
25% |
| Decision Case Paper |
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25% |
| Simulation |
|
25% |
| Participation |
|
25% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Health Policy Paper
The purpose of this assignment is to further develop your understanding of the healthcare delivery system & factors (social & political) that impact our healthcare system.
Decision Case Paper
The purpose of this assignment is the application of cross-cultural knowledge of NASW Standards of conduct in juxtaposition with workers' compensation statutes, alongside the evaluation of a myriad of factors and interventions including, but not limited to, critical thinking, problem-solving, religious and spiritual traditions and rituals as methods of healing. Furthermore, this assignment allows for the demonstration of cross-cultural skills in the delivery of social work services within the hospital setting.
Simulation
Paid actors playing the role of a patient will give pertinent feedback to students in a safe space. Your one-hour simulation will take place via Zoom and will include a guided reflection in small groups, also via Zoom.
Participation
The participation grade will include the weekly Discussion Board prompts, occasional, shorter Reflection assignments, and attendance and engagement in two Live Sessions. Our Discussion Boards provide space for a low-pressure exchange of ideas, similar to an in-person classroom conversation. Some posts may require analysis & synthesis and the use of professional writing with supporting evidence. We will have one Live Session featuring an industry round-table with professionals in the field.
Course Policies
Communication
Students should use their OU e-mail or Canvas to communicate with the instructor. I prefer email (leckier@ou.edu) to the Canvas message system, but I understand that sometimes you need multiple ways to communicate. They can expect a response usually within 48 hours Monday-Friday. For any reason communication will be delayed beyond that, it will be communicated to the students in advance. Professional communication is an expectation.
Feedback
Students can expect feedback and grades on their activities and assignments within two weeks. Any exceptions to that will be communicated by the instructor in advance.
Late Policy
Assignments should be turned in when they are due, electronically on Canvas by the stated time. I will consider extensions on a case by case basis only, and requests must be communicated in advance! Only very rarely, and in extenuating circumstances will they be granted after the due date has passed. It is not my policy to penalize the student with a deduction on the grade IF it is communicated in advance. However, in the rare circumstance I grant a late assignment after the fact, you may have a 10% deduction in grade for the assignment being late. Communicating your needs in a manner suitable for the workplace is also a part of the professionalism competency.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Emerging issues with GenAI (ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot etc.)
Technology is always changing, but with recent developments some students are left feeling confused about what constitutes using AI as software tool, and what constitutes plagiarism (see official University policy above on plagiarism). Due to the shifting nature of this technology, I wanted to give you some guidelines and expectations for my class. I also wanted to discuss what I find acceptable regarding the use of tools like ChatGPT. Basically, the LLMs (large language models) can produce great summaries and can be a great place to start when researching projects. However, don't forget it is a tool! People can sometimes use tools incorrectly. I've had students attempt to use ChatGPT to complete homework assignments and present it as their own material. There are several issues with this and going forward will result in a zero if I have not approved AI use for an assignment. ChatGPT output produces (or it's writing level) is consistent with a senior in high school, or a freshman in college. It is not appropriate for graduate level writing. If you are copying and pasting from ChatGPT and into your paper, it will not net you a good grade (issues of plagiarism aside). Another issue that you should be aware of is the GenAI often still "hallucinate." This means that the GenAI will make up references and names at times. We still don't know why this happens, but just know that it does.
In general here is an easy way to determine if you are using the tool of AI correctly: Think of it like a classmate. Is it appropriate to go to a classmate or colleague and tell them you're looking for ideas for a paper in a subject? Sure! Consulting with someone is a great idea if you're not sure what to do next. If your classmate wrote a summary for you in an email, you would intuitively know (or I hope you would at this point) that copying and pasting that summary into your paper would be considered plagiarism because you should not represent words that someone else wrote as your own. Can you use their summary, combine with knowledge gained from readings in class, and then paraphrase all that into your own summary? Yes! Do you have to cite your friend? No. If you find yourself in the position of wondering if you should cite ChatGPT, you are probably not approaching the assignment correctly.
Summary - this is an evolving subject and we can discuss more in person. If you have any questions regarding what is appropriate for my class, please ask me directly. I use several AI tools in my work and I encourage folks to learn about how to use AI and technology appropriately.
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act Statement (HIPAA)
In line with the new HIPPA regulations concerning protected health information, it is important that you understand that any client information that you share, either verbally or written, will need to be de-identified. This means that any information that would allow another to identify the person needs to be changed or eliminated. This includes obvious things like names and birth dates but may also contain other information that is so unique to the person that it could allow for identification, including, but not limited to diagnosis, race/ethnicity, or gender. If diagnosis, race/ethnicity, or gender is directly related to the case presentation, it can be included if it will not allow for identification.
School of Social Work Anti-Racism Statement
“The 2022 Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) affirms and strengthens the enduring commitment of social work education to principles of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The 2022 EPAS supports social work programs in developing a workforce of social workers who are knowledgeable about the ways positionality, power, privilege, and difference affect practice areas, and how social workers challenge systems of oppression that affect diverse populations.” - Excerpt taken from the CSWE Educational Policies and Accreditation Standards
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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