Research on the utilization of IT (Information Technology) for improving professional social welfare education

社会福利学是一门“实践学科”。社会福利专业人才培养是一门高等实践科学。因此，以实地工作为基础、内容充实的“实地学习”是必不可少的。广泛的田野工作和学院工作将有助于学生从真实的情况中学习。本研究的目的是为了证明利用信息技术的可能性和有效性，如远程学习，各种技术利用e-learning，和多媒体。在京都科卡女子大学社会福祉系和人间关系系的师生们的共同努力下，通过讲座、实地考察、专业研讨会、研究生课程等方式，实现了这一目标。成员们从事了以下工作：制作讲座电子教材，使用“Blackboard”（学习管理系统）和“MediaDEPO”（视频传输系统）试验电子学习方法，建立一个名为“Fukushi.com“的网站以提供支持，并通过远程会议系统操作实地工作。此外，小组成员参观了一些大学，了解资讯科技在社会福利研究方面的应用。最后，本研究探讨数位学习技术应用于课堂教学的可行性。这将有助于提高专业社会福利教育的学术水平，并强调实地工作教育的重要性。掌握了野外工作保障方法的思路。这项研究还指出，作为非常真实的问题，个人的努力有一个有限的，在获得显着的结果和系统的方法，作为一个大学组织是至关重要的。

The study of social welfare is in a "practical discipline". Developing social welfare professionals is a higher practical science. Therefore, "the field learning" based on the field work with fulfilling content is essential. Extensive field work and college work will help the students learning from the real situation. Then, they can understand social welfare in a real sense and will foster their actual ability to practice in social welfare settings.The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the possibility and the effectiveness of the IT utilization, such as distance learning, various techniques making use of the e-learning, and multi-media. This will be achieved in lecture classes, field work, professional seminars and classes for the graduate researches.The teachers and the students in Department of Social Welfare and Department of Human Relations, Faculty of Human Relations in Kyoto Koka Women's University cooperated in this study. The members engaged in the followings : making electrical teaching materials in the lecture classes, experimenting the method of e-learning by using "Blackboard" (Learning Management System) and "MediaDEPO" (Video Delivery System), and constructing a web site named "Fukushi.com" for supporting, and operating the field work by the distance conference system.Moreover, the members visited some universities to learn about the usage of IT in social welfare studies. Then the directions and issues about this matter are examined.Consequently, the effectiveness of e-learning technique in the lecture classes was confirmed. It will contribute to improving the professional social welfare education to the academic level and emphasizing the importance of field work education. Also, the ideas about the methods for supporting field work is grasped. This study also indicated as very real problems that individual's effort has a limit in getting a significant results and systematic approach as a university organization altogether is essential.