End-of-the-Year Field And Program Evaluation Survey

The Social Work Department of Ohio University conducts an annual end-of-the-year field and program evaluation survey. The aim of this activity is to pursue honest, professional, and constructive suggestions from our constituents. The goals of the survey are as follows:

1. To obtain feedback for corrective action and program improvement
2. To record trends and themes
3. To record aggregate numerical data for purposes of administrative improvement
4. To gather data useful in the process of selecting placements for students

At the end of spring quarter, both graduate and undergraduate students are asked to evaluate their field placement site, their field instructor and augmented field instructor (if applicable), their field liaison, the field instruction office, and their seminar class and instructor (undergraduate only). The students also evaluate their perceived mastery of social work knowledge, skills, and values and ethics (twenty mastery questions rated from very poor to excellent). Likewise, the field instructors are asked to evaluate their field liaisons, the field instruction office, and the student's mastery of social work knowledge, skills, and values and ethics.

The survey results are tabulated and analyzed over the summer. Each field instructor, field liaison, and seminar instructor will receive his or her individual scores only plus comments provided in order to reflect on changes he or she may want to implement prior to the coming year. The field education director and assistant field education director will analyze the overall results of the survey and will develop a corrective plan for field problems identified. Results are also shared with the department chair, the graduate chair, and the program evaluation committee for overall program improvement activities.

While these surveys are not anonymous, the following procedures ensure a safe and professional atmosphere for the participants to engage in candid feedback:

1. Participation in the survey is strictly voluntary.
2. The field instructors, field liaisons, and seminar instructors will not receive the results of the student's surveys until all grades have been submitted.
3. Individual results only are shared with field instructors, field liaisons, and seminar instructors.
4. Overall results of the survey are considered to be confidential material and are shared only with department administrators on a need-to-know basis.

This end-of-the-year survey has proved to be valuable in improving the quality of the field education aspect of social work education at Ohio University. The department is studying the long-range trends with regard to student mastery of basic social work knowledge and skills and readiness for generalist practice and/or advanced practice.