SWRK 3150 & 4120 Mid-term Evaluation

Welcome Please take some time to review these PowerPoint slides. They contain important information for students, field instructors, and agency mentors regarding how to complete a comprehensive mid-term evaluation. An Adobe Connect Meeting to discuss this PowerPoint will be held. This meeting will include: Question & Answer Session Examples of Mid-term Evaluations *All students are expected to attend the meeting. Field instructors and on-site mentors can choose to attend or not.* **The meeting can be accessed through (log in as a guest, type your name and hit enter).**

Why Are Mid-Term Evaluations Important? If feedback is given to students early and ongoing, concerns can be addressed and students can move forward in developing identified skills. When performance is not addressed, problems and concerns can develop. Mid-term is also a good time to look at achievements and ways that learning contract goals can be accomplished.

Evaluations can be used to: identify the student’s level of competency, abilities, skills, and theoretical knowledge as they relate to the placement. provide the field instructor and student an opportunity to change/update the learning contract to ensure goals are achieved and accomplished. Evaluations are based on: learning contract field placement’s policy and procedures & expectations. university specific learning criteria as formulated in the evaluation form. Why Are Mid-Term Evaluations Important?

CONNECTION TO LEARNING CONTRACT

Connecting Your Learning Contract & Mid-Term The learning contract should be reviewed and discussed prior to mid-term evaluation. Use your learning contract to link and measure your learning in the evaluation. Keep in mind that changes can be made to your learning contract to update and help you make SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and Timely) goals.

Revising Your Learning Contract Please revise your learning contract during your mid-term evaluation: Discuss w/ your field instructor Compare reality of field to initial contract Breaking Out of the Box Exercise (pages 169 – 170)  Posted on UM Learn  Removal pages in book  Sample questions: 1) What haven’t I experienced in my placement that I still hope to experience? 2) What specific knowledge do I still need to be exposed to?

RESOURCES

Breaking out of the Box Breaking Out of the Box Exercise (p )  Posted on UM Learn  Removable pages in book  Example: questions for a learning objective of facilitating a group: (1) Have I facilitated a group yet? How often? (2) Have I dealt with the behavioral challenges that have occurred in group? (3) Did I use the time well, being prepared with enough material that is appropriate for the populations that I was working with? (4) How was my documentation of group process?

Professional Reflective Journaling & Time/Task Sheets Reflective journals are useful tools to identify strengths and areas requiring development. Provides students and field instructors the opportunity to review activities/tasks/cases etc. assigned to the student and to provide feedback. During evaluation the field instructor will assess how well the student engaged in activities.

Feedback During evaluation the field instructor will also assess how well the student accepted/implemented feedback. What is Feedback? “It has been defined as a verbal or non-verbal process through which an individual (i.e. field instructor) lets others (i.e. students) know his/her perception and feelings about their behaviour.”

Feedback Should Be Empathic and supportive Timely Based on direct observation Balanced (positive and negative)

Feedback Includes: Clarity of Expectations: The learning contract is important; however, consistent and ongoing feedback in relation to the learning contract that a student receives is what drives change/growth in student’s performance. Direct Observation of the Student: Studies indicate that students reported that they valued instructors that observed their performance and debriefed with them as soon as possible afterwards. It is important to form your evaluation on behaviour that is observed by you or by others in the agency. Other staff can be involved in the evaluation process (i.e. written and/or verbal).

Feedback Includes: Balanced comments are important  Sometimes it’s easier to identify strengths and not point out areas that need improvement  Sometimes it’s easier to point out areas that need improvements and not strengths  Recognize growth and positive performance, as well as areas that need improvement.

COMPLETING THE EVALUATION FORM

Completing Your Mid-Term Evaluation The learning contract and evaluation form are now one document.

Completing Your Mid-Term Evaluation Student and field instructor should independently fill out the rating scale and provide written comments to substantiate their rating. At the mid-term evaluation meeting students and field instructors need to come prepared with their completed mid-term evaluation forms. Students and field instructors will then discuss and compile their comments and scores prior to sending them to the field liaison. Consensus on rating scaling does not have to be achieved.

Evaluation Criteria (1) Does Not Meet Expectations (2) Needs Development (3) Meets Expectations (4) Integrates Theory and Skills N/A - Not Applicable Given that each agency is unique, certain areas identified in the evaluation may not apply (N/A). Please indicate N/A, with an explanation in the comment box. N/0 - Not Observed If a student has not had the opportunity, or the Field Instructor has not been able to evaluate the identified skill, please indicate N/O, (not observed) with an explanation in the comment box.

Evaluation Criteria (1)

Evaluation Criteria (2)

Evaluation Criteria (3)

Evaluation Criteria (4)

Evaluation Section Instructors and students will choose an item from the drop down box under “mid-term.” Examples under each evaluation item are optional.

Narrative Section Instructors and students will make summary comments at the end of each skill section (5 in total). This section is used to (a) support the evaluation section; (b) comment on student’s strengths and areas for development; (c) document change to the learning contract.

Signature and Additional Comment Section *Please note that the scanned/faxed copy is only required at final evaluation*

Conflict Resolution Inaccurate/Unfair Evaluation: May occur if the student has an unclear understanding of expectations. May occur if rules/standards used to evaluate performance were changed (this is why it is so important to have a solid learning contract). May occur when a student is given a low score, but does not understand why. Possible Need to Re-evaluate the Placement: If the setting cannot meet the student’s needs or if the student is irresponsible, unethical, or is not meeting agency expectations, it is important to advise me immediately and I will advise the Field Coordinator.

Reminders The Mid-term Evaluation form needs to be completed electronically. The form is available on UM Learn & our website. The form needs to be submitted into the UM Learn dropbox upon completion. Mid-term Evaluation are due upon completion of 210 hours. Contact your Field Liaison for a telephone conference once your hours and evaluation are completed.

Mid-term Evaluations Should be a positive process for the student and field instructor. Becoming a social worker is a journey, we would like to thank all of our field instructors for helping our students find their way.

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! Please contact your assigned Field Liaison by telephone or . We also encourage you to use the discussion board on UM Learn and to connect through our Facebook group.

References Ward, K. & Mama, R.S. (2010). Breaking out of the box. 2 nd ed. Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books Inc.