Assessing Quality in Social Work Education: focus on diversity

This paper reports on the development and implementation of the ability to Value a Diverse World in an American school of social work. The paper begins with a review of assessment in social work education, and then a framework for assessing learning is presented that builds on the pioneering work done at Alverno College and elsewhere. Prior to developing the diversity ability, faculty identified a set of eight abilities they wanted graduates to have, based on input from 14 stakeholder groups. The ability to Value a Diverse World was selected for implementation first, and a detailed description of the ability was developed which includes six developmental levels and possible assessment activities. Appropriate curriculum revisions were made based on the ability description and implemented in pilot sections of a new course. The paper concludes with a discussion of the impact implementing the diversity ability has had on curriculum and teaching in general.