Bridging Education and Practice with e-OSCE Simulations

Abstract

Advances in technology, expanding distance education course offerings, and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional teaching styles, and strategies for meeting the needs of the students and social service agencies in their implementation of training for social work practice (Wolfe-Taylor, Khaja, Wilkerson, & Deck, 2022). This has led to an increased emphasis by social work educators to explore and share the outcomes of simulation-based learning opportunities to prepare students for the field. Prior to the pandemic, Dodd, Heslop, and Meredith (2018) discussed the need for interactive, engaging, and immersive simulations, facilitated by modern technology to bridge the gap between knowledge and skills in social work education. However, post-pandemic, minimal research exists on social work students’ perspectives and experiences participating in online simulation-based learning opportunities. Online electronic objective, structured clinical examination (e-OSCE) is one form of online simulation-based learning, and this chapter will share findings from a qualitative case study that was conducted with online MSW students’ experiences and perspectives on completing and participating in an online e-OSCE.