A key element of teaching and learning on professional social work placements is students and practice teachers’ engagement with the shared responsibility of giving and receiving feedback. However, experiences with feedback tend to be variable with numerous challenges in the feedback process stemming from both student and practice teacher factors. Developing students’ feedback literacy, which has been defined as “understandings, capacities, and dispositions needed to make sense of information and use it to enhance work or learning strategies” (Carless & Boud 2018 p.1316) is now seen as central to effective teaching and learning in practice settings.

This seminar explores

• The concept of feedback literacy in social work practice teaching and learning
• Enablers and barriers to student and practice teachers’ positive engagement with feedback
• How to deliver feedback in a manner that aligns with evidence-based practice
• Strategies to help students make the most of feedback

Speaker Biographies

Dr Erna O’Connor is Assistant Professor of Social Work and Practice Education Co-ordinator at the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining the university Erna worked as a social worker in drug treatment and HIV services and a social work team leader in hospital-based social work. Her teaching and research interests include practice teaching and learning, health-related social work, reflective and relationship-based practice and transnational social work.

Sinéad Whiting is an Assistant Professor of Social Work and Practice Education Co-ordinator in Trinity College Dublin. Prior to taking up this role Sinéad worked as a social worker in the areas of child protection, fostering and adoption. Sinead’s teaching and research interests include adoption, permanency within child welfare systems, experiences of adult care leavers, social work skills and practice teaching and learning.