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Traditional pedagogical approaches have primarily focused on cognitive tasks like academic papers and readings, which fail to fully address practical competencies needed in fields like social work and couple/family therapy. Due to increasing time constraints, field instructors often prioritize compliance over quality supervision. To address this, Canadian Schools of Social Work are increasingly incorporating simulation-based and roleplay-based learning into their programs, two experiential learning methods originating in healthcare education. Simulation and roleplay-based learning use realistic case scenarios and interactive tools to mimic real-life situations. These experiential approaches integrate practice behaviours and cognitive processes, offering immediate feedback from peers, instructors, and/or standardized service users (trained actors). They allow students to develop skills in a controlled environment without the threat of posing harm to real service users, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Additionally, experiential exercises enhance students’ critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, preparing them for the diverse challenges and ethical dilemmas they will face in their careers. This approach not only reinforces learning but can also lead students to deepen their understanding of the ethical and anti-oppressive approaches critical for effective clinical practice.

The Simulation Lab is a new initiative in the School of Social Work aimed at providing students in the social work and couple and family therapy programs with additional and enhanced practice experience alongside field education. During the school’s pilot year of simulation, themes and topics of simulation learning included sexuality, children and teens, child play, refugee experience, and anti-oppressive practice. I was interested in completing an ARIA research project with the Simulation Lab because I wanted to contribute meaningfully to the school of social work and the future of social work and couple/family therapy education and practice. The purpose of my research was to examine best practices for implementing experiential-based learning into social work and couple and family therapy pedagogy. During the research process, I compared simulation-based education with roleplay-based activities in their efficacy for preparing students for clinical practice. In doing so, I developed two 50-page best practice manuals for educators interested in implementing simulation and/or roleplay into their course curricula, as well as a 45-page resource and reading list.

I began the process by familiarizing myself with simulation as a pedagogical tool and completing a comprehensive literature review. I scanned a wide variety of databases to ensure I could include the most relevant, notable, and recent research on experiential learning in my future work. I was then fortunate to be able to attend the 2024 annual CASWE-ACFTS research conference that united a diverse group of scholars, researchers, and practitioners from across Canada and internationally. I had the opportunity to attend presentations and speak with academics working on projects that were directly and indirectly related to simulation and roleplay-based education. This experience informed the outcome of my research this summer.

I encountered one all-encompassing challenge during the research process; it was difficult to balance and mitigate conflicting views on the benefits and harms of simulation-based education. For example, despite its evidence-based success at training students for clinical practice, some scholars have raised concerns that simulation can perpetuate injustice against marginalized communities when instructors and students fail to engage with the pedagogy critically. In my work, I have learned and emphasized the importance of – and potential harms of – standardization. I come away from this experience with a strong understanding that leaders and educators must always commit to critically engaging with pedagogy to uphold social justice and ensure ethical practice.

This fall, I will be entering my final year of undergraduate studies at Â鶹AV, majoring in social work and minoring in psychology. ARIA has been a wonderful experience and has provided me with a solid foundation for a future in clinical practice and research. I look forward to continuing my work with the Simulation Lab this coming year as a research assistant as well as pursuing graduate-level research focused on experiential-based learning in the future. Contributing to this emerging field of knowledge is exciting.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Harry Samuel for generously funding this research opportunity through the Arts Undergraduate Research Award. I would also like to thank my supervisor Dr. Pam Orzeck and her colleague Dr. Katherine Maurer for their guidance throughout this project. Finally, I want to acknowledge the Faculty of Arts Internship Office for their work in providing students with these remarkable experiences, helping to prepare the next generation of inspiring leaders, mentors, and researchers.