Courses and Professional Development

Field Instructors benefit from a wide range of courses and professional development opportunities. These will help orient new Field Instructors, and help current Field Instructors reinforce and further develop their supervision skills.

CASWE Online Field Instructor Course

The Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE-ACFTS), the accrediting body for social work programs in Canada, has designed an online course for new and returning field instructors. The course consists of 9 modules delivered in a concise and engaging format that includes multimedia resources and will take approximately 10 hours to complete.

This online, asynchronous course is offered every two months and is intended to be easily accessed by field instructors and completed at their own pace, while providing them with the training and resources needed to enhance their field experience. More information can be found on the CASWE website.

A University of Toronto Verification Code is needed for registration.

Contact the Practicum Office to receive a Verification Code and Field Coordinator contact information.
Register online using the code and contact info provided.
Once you are registered, login to the course through the CASWE dashboard.

FIFSW Professional Development

For Field Instructors, FIFSW organizes an annual schedule of professional development opportunities. The scheduled sessions are listed on the Professional Development Schedule. Field Instructors will receive a certificate of hours attended that may contribute to fulfilling OCSWSSW Continuing Competence Program requirements.

Institute for Life Course and Aging Workshops

(for instructors of students in Social Work in Gerontology field of study)

Please fill out a workshop registration form and select “Practicum Supervisors of MSW Gerontology Students (FREE)” under the Other Registration Types section

Practicum Orientation Materials

Professor Marion Bogo developed a 13 ½ minute video for Year 1 Field Instructors to explain the relationship between the first semester courses, Elements in Social Work and Social Work Laboratory, and Practicum 1: Bridging Class and Practicum – Video (13min)

FIFSW Learning Tools

The Relational Context of Supervision: Educational Practices to Enhance Learning

This innovative online resource consists of videos and PDF documents that use simulated supervision scenarios, supervisor discussion, and suggestions for small group exercises to address best practices in supervision. Find out more and request access.

Videos and Podcasts

Professor Marion Bogo addresses teaching and learning processes that lead to effective social work graduates, using research on social work education that has identified a model of holistic competence for all levels of social work practice: Educating Effective Social Workers with Marion Bogo (1hr20min)

Professor Marion Bogo discusses the challenges faced in providing high-quality, effective field instruction on the University of Buffalo School of Social Work podcast in Episode 65 – Doing, Thinking, Then Doing Again: Reflective Practice in Field Education.

Books

Bogo, M., & Vayda, E. (1987). The Practice of Field Instruction in Social Work (Theory and Process With an Annotated Bibliography). University of Toronto Press.

Bogo, M., & Vayda, E. (1998). The Practice of Field Instruction in Social Work: Theory and Process, 2nd edition. Columbia University Press.

Bogo, M. (2010). Achieving Competence in Social Work through Field Education. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated.

Bogo, M., Rawlings, M., Katz, E., & Logie, C. (2014). Using Simulation in Assessment and Teaching. Alexandria: CSWE Press.

Articles and Journals

Two special issues of the Clinical Social Work Journal, guest edited by Marion Bogo and Karen M. Sewell, were dedicated to building on the social work discipline’s tradition and commitment to the supervision of staff and field education of students.

Special Issue on the Supervision of Staff.
This issue includes papers on the supervision of professional social work staff.
– See the Table of Contents for the Staff Supervision Issue.
Special Issue on Field Education.
In the Field Education Issue attention is given to macro structural issues impinging on the profession’s capacity to provide quality learning experiences, in addition to the integration of concepts into our educational practices, and research studies that provide systematic approaches to training practicing field instructors and providing clinical supervision for students.
– See the Table of Contents for the Field Issue.