Evaluating the Impact of Simulation-Based Case Conferences on Social Work Students' Field Placement Performance

Vanessa Vinodhen — 2026-07-06

Simulation-based case conferences, developed collaboratively with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), aim to increase students' competency in managing real-life internship case conferences. There is a significant gap in evidence-based approaches that effectively bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application in social work education, particularly in preparing students for complex multi-agency case conferences. Therefore, this study examines the effectiveness of this approach in preparing students for internship challenges and its influence on their confidence, decision-making abilities, and overall case conference performance. The research methodology incorporated three validated assessment tools: the Simulation Effectiveness Tool, Self-Efficacy in Clinical Skills Scale, and Social Work Skills Inventory. These were contextualised within Nanyang Polytechnic's (NYP) Social Work simulation framework to create comprehensive pre- and post-training surveys. The study involved Year 3 students from NYP's Diploma in Social Work programme. Qualitative analysis of learners' perceptions provided additional insights into the training's effectiveness during field placements. The findings revealed significant positive outcomes in students' preparedness for real-world case management, confirming simulation-based training's value in bridging theoretical and practical aspects of social work education. The research highlights simulation-based learning's effectiveness in developing practical skills, with the MSF partnership demonstrating the benefits of external agency collaboration in creating relevant training scenarios.

Virtual Exchange in Higher Education: Emerging Discussions and Recommended Practices

Luciana Cabrini Simoes Calvo — 2026-07-10

As a powerful catalyst to internationalize higher education institutions, advancing strategies of internationalization at home (IaH) and internationalization of the curriculum (IoC), virtual exchange (VE) has played a significant role in the development of participants’ intercultural, linguistic, digital and transversal skills as well as in Global Citizenship Education. Although it has been integrated into many undergraduate and graduate programs across the globe, its successful implementation requires strategic planning and informed pedagogical considerations. Drawing on recent scholarship as well as on our own research and accumulated practice in VE, this paper revises current and emergent discussions offering recommendations for its implementation in different fields of knowledge. The discussion afforded in the paper considers the following aspects of VE: i) preparing students for intercultural encounters; ii) language use and communication in multilingual, lingua-franca, and translanguaging environments; iii) task design and assessment aligned with collaborative and action-oriented pedagogies; iv) digital tools, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital/AI literacy; v) challenges and critical considerations for equity, inclusion and Global South participation. By addressing those issues and providing pedagogical insights and strategies, the paper contributes to the ongoing discussion of how VE can support the internationalization of higher education in a more informed, engaged and critical way.

Journal of International Education and Practice

Evaluating the Impact of Simulation-Based Case Conferences on Social Work Students' Field Placement Performance

Virtual Exchange in Higher Education: Emerging Discussions and Recommended Practices