Temporary Adjustments or Long-Lasting Innovations? The Unconventional Experiences of Social Work Practice Education During the Pandemic and Their Current Value

In this chapter, we analyze European experiences in social work practice education during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the continuities, multiple adaptations, experimentations, and enduring innovations in and after the pandemic. The analyses are based on selected answers from the international online survey described in Chap. 3 and more detailed descriptions of 14 creative approaches to social work practice education during the pandemic. The data show that, despite all differences, a distinct adjustment to restrictive measures has required a shift to virtual teaching methods and resulted in many other creative approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us to embrace technology and learn new skills rapidly and quickly. This scenario has given educators unprecedented opportunities to act as learners and innovators. This study indicated that various changes in social work practice education and the impact of online activities were perceived more positively than negatively. Consequently, most approaches used in social work practice education during the pandemic will likely continue. However, these long-lasting innovations still challenge all social work schools to ensure good quality education, which is crucial for developing effective future social work practitioners in the coming decades. Since social work is expected to increasingly face uncertainty in future teaching, practice, and ethical domains (Afrouz, Qual Soc Work 20:561–567, 2021), the innovations developed in 2020–2021 can help joint solutions globally for local implementation (Marinoni & van’t Land, International Higher Education 102:7–9, 2020).