Practice Fridays: Using Simulation to Develop Holistic Competence

Abstract

There has been a call for social work programs to better prepare students for field education. This qualitative study examined an innovation titled Practice Fridays developed to enhance competence in MSW students in a classroom setting. Students (N=57) described what they learned through this simulation-based learning activity and the processes that facilitated their learning. Students reported an enhancement in knowledge, skills, professional judgment, and self-awareness, attributed to observed practice, focused feedback, and guided reflection. Findings suggest that holistic competence can be developed in the classroom when using holistic teaching methods. These findings support simulation as an innovative method of teaching holistic competence in the classroom to prepare students for field learning.