Social Work E-Placements During COVID-19: Learnings of Staff and Students

This paper describes and explores e-placements that engaged social work students in semester 1 of 2020 due to placement disruption after the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded. The term e-placement describes a placement undertaken off-site from the placement organisation or agency. Students at James Cook University [JCU], Queensland, Australia, who could not continue in onsite placements were offered the opportunity to participate in a Community Connector Project [CCP] to complete their placement. The aims of the project were to provide an online supported placement experience in order to deliver a comprehensive and interactive learning experience for students to meet the learning outcomes of a field education experience, work with the community to explore community needs during the pandemic, share and distribute existing information and resources, and/- or develop further information and resources. Twenty students chose to participate in the CCP. The project included bi-weekly meetings, small group and individual work. This paper was written collaboratively between field education staff, students and a service provider. It presents practice reflections on the project, its outcomes, challenges and learning. Implications for education practice are drawn. Implication Statement • Students in e-placements can feel overwhelmed and isolated and need targeted support and rich opportunities for collaboration and exchange; • E-placements can be valuable learning opportunities; • E-placements are resource intensive if student learning and safety are to be prioritised.