This volume provides a unique and notable contribution to the investigation and exemplification of computer literacy in human services education. A significant contribution to the development of the contemporary human services curriculum, this helpful guide introduces the computer literate curriculum, explores the nature of computer literacy and its ramifications for teaching in the human services, and discusses the computer's effect on scholarly thinking. Computer Literacy in Human Services Education is divided into two major sections, the first dealing with teaching about computers and the second addressing the use of computers in teaching. In the first section, the authors introduce the topic of computer literacy in human services education and look at some general issues which have broad implications for the educator. They also explore program-wide curriculum development and the development of individual courses. In the second section, the authors discuss computers as devices which can facilitate both learning and thinking in human services, and suggest that some theories explaining human behavior may also apply to human/computer interaction. Other topics covered in the section are the use of computers in teaching about human services, including Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI), simulations, and interactive video. The volume concludes with an examination of the ways computers can affect the thinking of scholars in teaching and in model and theory building in the human services.

This state-of-the-art volume is the first to specifically address, define, and exemplify computer literacy in human services. It is unique in the literature of computer literacy in that it addresses the perspectives of both practitioners and scholars. A wealth of thought-provoking material is provided, including a definition and discussion of computer literacy that emphasizes computer and human service abilities, a variety of novel approaches to the use of commercial software in solving human services problems, descriptions of the development of new software applications specifically designed for human services settings, and an exploration of the current frontier of computer technology in human services. Computer Literacy in Human Service is designed for all human service professionals who recognize that computer applications play an important part in present and future practice.

Make the most of what today’s technology has to offer in human services education! Distance education presents special challenges to social work education. Using Technology in Human Services Education: Going the Distance provides case studies and practical research on making the best use of this powerful new tool for teaching. Designed for both practitioners and educators, this fascinating book examines the use of technology in education and practice in the field of social work and other human services. Because setting up distance-learning programs can be expensive, Using Technology in Human Services Education suggests ways to reduce the impact on the budget, including setting up a consortium to merge resources with other schools. It also shows how to integrate traditional instructional approaches with the new technologies, how to make use of email and electronic discussion groups, and how to use the Internet to hone practice-related skills. In addition, it covers the current status of the technology itself. Using Technology in Human Services Education: Going the Distance explores ways to maximize the potential of distance education, such as: a framework for designing distance education courses that fully utilize the unique environments these courses offer a discussion of the impact of technological tools in teaching specific course content ways that SACs (Site Advisory Committees) can increase students’ socialization into their new professions ways that students need to be supported in order to feel a connection to a distance-learning program the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to help meet and identify the information needs of a field placement agency Using Technology in Human Services Education offers creative approaches and practical advice for making the best use of the technology. Whatever your level of computer skill, from novice to hacker, this book will give you ideas you can use. No individual or institution interested in maintaining top quality in human services education should be without this book!

This book was written to help social work educators make pedagogically sound, rational, practical, and ethical decisions about integrating technology into their social work programs and across the curriculum. It covers a range of essential topics, from understanding digital literacy skills to ethical implications for technology in social work practice; from technology in the traditional classroom to fully online teaching environments. Case studies, real-world examples, and technology tips are part of each chapter, and checklists show how technology is integrated with the Council on Social Work Education's EPAS competencies, the NASW's Code of Ethics, and other social work practice standards and guidelines. Appendices provide a wealth of practical materials.

Web-Based Education in the Human Services reflects the vitality and diversity of Web-based courses currently delivered within human services. Unlike previous texts that have combined technologies such as Interactive Television (ITV) and two-way audio where Web involvement was minimal, this unique book focuses on Web-based models, tools, and techniques used in courses where the majority of the content is delivered online. The book's contributors emphasize the social aspects of learning, examining topical areas not usually associated with Web-based education as they remind us of the need to move beyond the similarities between WBE and face-to-face (FTF) approaches.

A few years ago, a book of this type and style could not or would not have been written. This is because, until a few years ago, no real in-depth knowl edge of computers and computerized equipment was at the disposal of those with a nonscience, nonquantitative background. Some people from other disciplines-including business, the arts, and the social sciences-had been working with such equipment, but they had "gone over" and tended to be even more computer-conscious than those whom they served. It is only comparatively recently that people like Elisabeth Gerver with a firm arts and adult education background first of all became knowledgeable and then remained true to that background. To her eternal credit, Elisabeth Gerver, when she became involved, avoided being sucked into the world of the jargon or even that of the thinking of the computer scientists and the electronic engineers. On the contrary, she insisted that she was an educated woman dealing with other educated people, and that they would all speak in the language of everyday discourse. It worked! One consequence of her experience and her thought is this remarkably lucid and readable book. It will prove to be of immense value to many in the world of adult and community education. But the beneficiaries will run beyond those sectors of society. Other people with a nonscience, nonquantitative background will surely find it of immense value in their early, inevitably hesitant and faulty, grappling with the world of new technology.

Will your agency or students have the training to use the Internet in practice? Human Services Online: A New Arena for Service Delivery focuses on ways that Human Services are using the Internet for service delivery, community education, collaboration, advocacy, social change, and resource development. This valuable book highlights the array of innovative services now being offered on the Internet and provides guidelines and cautions for human service professionals in using the Internet to enhance their services. Human Services Online: A New Arena for Service Delivery provides much-needed research and empirical evaluation related to human service online activities and points to areas where future research efforts should be directed. The book describes and evaluates cutting-edge Internet-based services, ethical and legal threats to agencies and consumers that may result from online activities, and theoretical discussions of issues that impact human services as consumers and human service agencies increasingly come online. Topics addressed in Human Services Online: A New Arena for Service Delivery include: online therapy/counseling online fundraising online recruitment of volunteers and virtual volunteer programs online consultation, continuing education, and training ethical, legal, and liability issues related to Web sites and online support online support groups and self-help online advocacy and activism promoting access for under-represented populations use of the Internet to impact specific social problems such as domestic violence or HIV/AIDS Human Services Online: A New Arena for Service Delivery provides guidelines and specific suggestions for agencies considering developing online services. The book examines model programs and their effectiveness so that other agencies can replicate them in their own areas, describes cutting-edge online services that today's human services students will need to be aware of as they enter the job market, and provides information for agencies that will enhance their ability to solicit volunteers and contributions on the Internet.