Theory is Not Enough! Experiential and Project-Based Approaches to Teaching International Social Work

In the increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, social work education requires a more global approach to graduating better-prepared practitioners. Teaching international social work only based on classroom and second-hand experiences do not expose students to the realities, opportunities, and challenges of work in the field. While there are longer-term volunteering or internship-based field immersion programs, shorter-term collaborations mixing in-class and field learning in international social work education are practiced less. Experiential and project-based courses provide students with opportunities to learn from practitioners, while also providing the reciprocal benefit of time, human, and academic resources of their institution to their partner agencies. This model of education provides aspiring practitioners skills in and models of international collaboration, reducing the risks that learning takes place only at the expense of host communities. The key takeaways of this approach from the experience of students in the course Social Work Practice with Displaced Persons are discussed in this paper. The course provides structured instruction and exposes students to experts in the field of humanitarian response through collaborative projects, field visits, and seminars with practitioners. The analysis of the qualitative data from students’ course reflections shed light on several broad themes on the value of experiential project-based education and the impact of field immersion on the development of essential skills necessary for social workers entering the field of humanitarian response and practice with displaced persons. A case for mainstreaming project-based learning in international social work education to better prepare informed, effective, and efficient practitioners and leaders is presented.