Online critical reflection in social work education

An aim in social work education is to educate reflective practitioners. How is it possible to do critical reflection in social work education when the students are not meeting face-to-face and live geographically spread? This is the question raised and discussed in this article. The design of an online course is described and evaluated. The reflection model is based on the critical incident technique. The students reflect on a challenging incident during their field placement. Critical reflection is described as examining power relations and hegemonic assumptions which guide one's actions. Part of the reflection is looking for alternative methods of understanding. The reflection should help the students to be aware of the disparities between their espoused values or theories and their actual practice and eventually lead to change of action. Instead of reflecting face-to-face, the students use a learning management system to reflect online. The design is discussed in relation to Salmon's e-learning model. The advantages and disadvantages of different tools are examined, as well as the teacher's role.