SW 689 - Community-Based Research in Social Work Practice

Units: 4
The purpose of this course is to prepare students to implement and evaluate a community-based research, evaluation or advocacy project. Topics include program evaluation and planning, data analysis, and ethical issues in community-based research.

Prerequisites: M.S.W. major.
Possible Instructional Methods: Hybrid.
Grading: A-F grading only.
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Develop a community-based research, evaluation, or advocacy project that reflects a sophisticated understanding of stakeholder strengths, needs, and input, draws on theoretical and empirical literature, and considers issues of social work ethics, diversity, and social and economic justice; (PLOs: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice, Values & Ethics, and Diversity).
Demonstrate an understanding of ethical, political and managerial implications of planning a program and conducting an evaluation in human service organizations; (PLOs: Values & Ethics, Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Describe and critically assess the similarities and differences among evaluation models and approaches used in human services; (PLOs: Communication, Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Learn and apply qualitative and quantitative participatory methods to program planning and evaluation; (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Articulate a rationale for how evaluation results can be used to improve human services, advance the interests of stakeholders, and inform social work practice; (PLO: Advocacy).