Not just for romance: Applications of ‘speed dating’ in social work education

Not just for romance: Applications of ‘speed dating’ in social work education Beth R Crisp and Jane Maidment PEPE Conference January 2008

Introduction • How to get meaningful conversation in large classes? • ‘Speed dating’ as a new social phenomenon in which participants have several brief conversations with a specific intention

Educational applications • Primary, secondary and tertiary education • “Getting to know you” exercises • Peer teaching of course content • Exam revision

Question 1 If you weren’t at PEPE, where would you be and what would you be doing right now?

Question 2 Why did you come to PEPE? What are you hoping to get out of this conference?

Question 3 What’s been the highlight of the conference so far?

Question 4 What will you be able to take away from the PEPE conference?

Question 5 How do you engage large classes (or other groups) in conversation? What has worked for you?

Question 6 How important is it that all members of a class actively participate in classroom conversations?

Question 7 How are you finding the experience of speed dating in this workshop?

Question 8 Do you think speed dating may be worth exploring with your students?

Study skills exercise (1) • What hints do you have about time management to get you through this semester? • Why come to classes? • Do I need to take notes when I come to class? If so, some advice?

Study skills exercise (2) • Why is using library resources a big deal? Can’t I just use Google? • What is Harvard referencing and how do I go about finding out about this? Is it the same as APA? What about footnoting? • What is plagiarism?

Debriefing exercise (1) • What are some of the ‘unwritten’ rules you have observed in your placement agency? • What differences do you and your field educator have in relation to the way you approach your work? • What have you learnt about yourself so far on this placement? • How is being on placement impacting upon relationships you have with friendsand family?

Groupwork principles and processes • Function and objectives of group • Ground rules • Group leadership • Need for planning • Phases of groupwork

Applications outside the classroom • Conference presentations • Student selection • Large events such as a ‘careers expo’ • Professional development programs

Not just for romance: Applications of ‘speed dating’ in social work education