Technologies to Improve Social Work Practice and Education

by

Johanna Creswell Báez, Tae Kyung Park, Jonathan B. Singer

• LAST MODIFIED: 20 March 2025
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0343

Introduction

Technology has been increasingly integrated into social work practice and education over the past few decades, with each technological wave bringing new tools—from computation to electronic health records, online learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). The first books on the subject were written for social service administrators who wanted or needed to develop and implement computer systems. These early books posed questions that the profession continues to grapple with (e.g., can technology take the place of social workers?). Organizations such as the Human Services and Information Technology Association (husITa) were established to explore the critical roles of human involvement, social justice, and ethics in technology; husITa established the first journal dedicated to the topic of computers in human services, the Journal of Technology in Human Services. Magazines such as New Social Worker established regular columns dedicated to technology. Technology is now used in various ways, from integrating gaming and social media into interventions to the normative use of telehealth in clinical settings. This shift highlights the growing role of digital tools in enhancing therapeutic approaches. Technology is also being used in teaching as emphasis on the importance of digital literacy has been an increasing focus to equip future social workers with the necessary skills to function in a digital world. Competencies and professional standards on educating social work students have been developed and technology tools are being used more frequently in the classroom including social media, podcasts, and virtual simulations. More recently there have been advancements including using XR extended reality (augmented, mixed, and virtual reality) and AI in social work practice and education, such as social work practitioners using AI to map eviction filing counts by neighborhood to identify disparities and social work educators using generative AI to create case studies or edit a manuscript. In looking to the future, XR and AI are poised to significantly enhance teaching, learning, and practice in social work, contributing to broader efforts to harness technology for social good.

Textbooks on Technology in Education and Practice

There are a variety of textbooks that integrate technology within social work education and practice. These textbooks span from seminal guides on integrating technology in social work pedagogy in Hitchcock, et al. 2019 to education strategies within the digital milieu in Daniela 2022 and Turner and Fanner 2022. The textbooks also include technological applications in social work administration in Arnold 2023 and the incorporation of information technology in social work education in Iii, et al. 1999. There are also textbooks on practical tools for enhancing social work practice with digital technologies, such as in Goldkind, et al. 2019; the impact of social media in practice settings in Megele and Buzzi 2020; and an overview of digital social work practice with a focus on data equity and justice in Wilkerson and O’Sullivan 2023. Furthermore, these textbooks cover global digital strategies and policies in macro social work practice in Özsungur 2021 and research and trends concerning digital technology in social work practice in Peláez and Kirwan 2023.

• Arnold, M., ed. 2023. Handbook of applied teaching and learning in social work management education: Theories, methods, and practices in higher education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature.

  While this book makes a general contribution to teaching and learning in social work management, it allocates two chapters exclusively to the application of technology in social work management education. Chapter 13 explores digital competencies within hybrid learning environments, while chapter 19 delves into the implementation of virtual reality role-play.

• Daniela, L., ed. 2022. Inclusive digital education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature.

  Highlights strategies and methodologies to bridge the digital divide with an emphasis on four main areas: (1) access to different digital technologies, (2) support for development of digital skills for everyone, (3) development of learning that centers universal design, and (4) development of different educational structures to remove barriers to education for those who can’t participate in face-to-face learning.

• Goldkind, L., L. Wolf, and P. P. Freddolino, eds. 2019. Digital social work: Tools for practice with individuals, organizations, and communities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  A comprehensive resource that explores the use of digital technology in social work practice, offering insights into how technology can be used to work with individuals, organizations, and communities effectively.

• Hitchcock, L. I., M. Sage, and N. J. Smyth. 2019. Teaching social work with digital technology. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

  This 713-page book guides social work educators on integrating technology into their curriculum through practical examples, ethical considerations, and alignment with professional standards, enhancing both traditional and online environments. The book was conceived after Regan and Freddolino declined to update their 2008 CSWE text. Notably, the book includes over three hundred pages of appendices, including over one hundred annotated assignments and critiques of the 2017 NASW technology standards.

• Iii, F. B. R., L. Ginsberg, and D. Gohagan. 1999. Information technologies: Teaching to use—using to teach. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

  Provides an international viewpoint on incorporating information technology in social work education with examples from Great Britain and Malaysia. Chapters explore the use of internet and computer application, along with research on the effectiveness of technology-based teaching and learning activities.

• Megele, C., and P. Buzzi, eds. 2020. Social media and social work: Implications and opportunities for practice. Bristol, UK: Policy Press.

  Delves into both the advantages and limitations of integrating social media into social work practice for both practitioners and students. Includes real-life case studies that evaluate the influence of new technologies on diverse facets of social work practice, encompassing areas such as child welfare, mental health, youth justice, and engagement with online communities.

• Özsungur, F., ed. 2021. Handbook of research on policies, protocols, and practices for social work in the digital world. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

  Underscores macro-level practices pertaining to the influence of digital applications, the ramifications of Covid-19, and the digital transformation of social work within a global context. Provides best practices, policies, and protocols applicable to international settings.

• Peláez, A. L., and G. Kirwan, eds. 2023. The Routledge international handbook of digital social work. Milton, UK: Taylor & Francis.

  Covers contemporary research and trends concerning digital technology and its intersection with international social work. There is a focus on the digitalization of the social work profession and the advantages offered by technology in social work practice.

• Turner, D., and M. Fanner, eds. 2022. Digital connection in health and social work: Perspectives from Covid-19. St. Albans, UK: Critical Publishing.

  Offers insights into digitally mediated modes of education and practice within the realms of health and social work. Provides lessons learned and pioneering methodologies for education and practice in light of the challenges precipitated by Covid-19, with the overarching goal of readiness for future pandemics.

• Wilkerson, D. A. and L. O’Sullivan. 2023. Social work in an online world: A guide to digital practice. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

  Provides an overview of digital social work practice that notes the shift from traditional in-person service delivery to digital practice that was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, the authors develop a “digital social work practice map” that offers a crucial reframing of leading-edge concepts such as data equity and justice within traditional practice domains like psychotherapy and community action.