Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 675 - State Board of Licensed Social Workers › Chapter 15 - Guidelines for Continuing Education › Section 675:15-1-5 - Information to providers of continuing education

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a) When planning a continuing education activity (face-to-face or distance education) for social workers, the provider needs to consider six essential program elements. The guidelines that follow delineate those elements and establish respective professional expectations of providers. The licensed social worker, in turn, can use these guidelines as the basis for inquiry about a provider's qualifications, leading to better decisions about which offerings to pursue.
(1)
Program development.
Adequate and responsive continuing education program development requires interaction among sponsoring administrators, the instructor or educational leader, and potential social work consumers. The provider needs to involve social workers in the identification of learning needs, in the selection and development of educational events to meet those needs, and in the establishment of appropriate evaluation mechanisms. Involvement of social workers with content expertise and an understanding of the educational objectives are recommended as well.
(2)
Program content.
Continuing education events for social workers should clearly relate to social work practice, theory, and methodology; to the level of social work education; to social policy; or to administration, planning, and research related to human services. As a guide for participation, learning objectives and content designed to meet those objectives should be specified for each event. The way in which the content will meet the learning needs of social workers also should be made clear. Such information should be provided on promotional materials or upon request.
(3)
Participants.
Selection of participants for continuing education events must not discriminate by reason of gender, age, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, physical abilities, or other characteristics. Promotional materials should state clearly the educational level of the social worker for whom the event is geared but not limited to, as well as any prerequisites.
(4)
Program format and instructional methodology.
The provider should be able to demonstrate that the format and methods selected for continuing education were influenced by contemporary adult learning theory; the identified learning needs of the participants; and the learning objectives, the educational content, and the size and composition of the participant group. Methodologies need to be diverse and encourage the active participation of the learner in the educational process. A variety of teaching techniques should be considered; any assignments, such as readings or structured exercises, should be related to the conceptual content, and any audio-visual resources should be used in a planned manner.
(5)
Qualified instruction.
The sponsor of a continuing education event must make sure that the instructor, speaker, or educational leader is qualified. Individual providers have responsibility for offering only those events for which they are qualified. Specific qualifications include:
(A) competence in the subject matter as determined by a combination of two of the following:
(i) license, registration or certificate in an area related to the course subject matter;
(ii) master's or higher degree in an area related to the course subject matter; (iii) training, certification or teaching experience in subject matter related
to the course subject matter;
(iv) at least two years' experience in an area related to the course subject matter.
(B) ability to transmit the educational content to the participants' understanding of continuing education objectives
(C) knowledge and skill in instructional methodology, learning processes, and the use of emotionally laden material
(D) capacity for self-evaluation and modification of future offerings in response to evaluations conducted by self, sponsor, and participants
(E) maintenance of an appropriate certification, credential, or license for subject matter.
(6)
Program evaluation.
Formal evaluation of each continuing education event is essential for maintaining or improving the quality and effectiveness of future events. Measures of evaluation need to be established during the planning phase and linked directly with the event's learning objectives. Two distinct but related measures of evaluation may be appropriate. The first is the instructor's, sponsor's, and participants' assessment of the event with respect to content, format, methodology, instruction, and facilities. The second is assessment of the knowledge acquired by participants and is based on:
(A) demonstration of a taught skill
(B) an oral or written test
(C) a project or report
(D) a self-assessment checklist
(E) another instrument designed to collect data on changes in participant knowledge or performance attributed to the educational experience. The instructor and sponsor together should review the evaluation outcome and revise subsequent events accordingly.