The University at Buffalo School of Social Work launched an online Doctorate of Social Work Program (DSW) in 2019. A key aspect of the program is to position graduates to become thought leaders on how emerging technologies can be integrated into the practice of Social Work. Virtual Reality (VR) was integrated into the program to supplement the program’s overall focus on the application of implementation science, the use of emerging digital technologies and the integration of a TI-HR perspectives, so students could consider if and how evidence-based practices can be adapted to effectively incorporate emerging technologies, such as VR, while maintaining fidelity to existing interventions, and how the uptake and use of programs, services, and supports can be advanced through these technological innovations. This award nomination describes the innovative learning activities that were developed to meet the program goals and the student support model that was developed to aid students in learning to use VR remotely.

Students enrolled in the DSW program were required to take a self-paced pre-orientation course that would prepare them for success in the program. A segment of this course focused specifically upon VR to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they would need to successfully integrate VR into their learning. The materials started with examples of how VR was being used in Social Work practice and other health related professions. The pre-orientation class provided suggestions on developing a VR learning plan that included suggestions for spaced learning and the time commitment needed to become facile with the technology. The course started with materials to help students understand how VR would be important to their future practice and develop motivation for learning more about this technology. Students then received instruction on how to setup their Meta Quest devices and how to use the device. Students were also provided a list of suggested apps to explore that were related to the Social Work profession, they were asked to choose apps they were interested in so that they could practice using their devices and become familiar with different types of VR experiences.

During orientation students participated in an introductory synchronous session in the VR based Spatial app. This is the VR meeting space that is used for some of their classes. The orientation session in Spatial allowed them to become familiar with how the virtual classroom functions. During the session we presented additional information on how VR was being integrated into the Social Work profession. Students were also given time to explore and play with the technology with the school’s Instructional Designer present to answer questions and guide them in the functions of their headsets and controllers.

In the first semester of the program students take the Doctoral Seminar in Trauma and Human Rights (SW626). The learning activities in this course integrate VR across the curriculum. The learning activities are scaffolded to allow students to continue developing their skills in navigating immersive VR and to start exploring how VR could be integrated into their Social Work practice. Students start with a self-care exercise where they identify and explore a VR application they might use to relax and reduce stress, such as meditation, travel, gaming or creativity apps. They are then asked to share and reflect upon their experiences and whether they think that this activity would be valuable to them in their own practice or to have their clients do as a stress relieving exercise. After completing this exercise students then engage in a synchronous class with the instructor though VR. This allows them to further develop their VR skills and experience how VR might be used for trainings and other professional development activities. This course also utilized the Trauma-Informed Mental Health Agency VR simulation that was developed by the UB School of Social Work. This VR experience allows students to explore a simulated mental health clinic and learn how the physical characteristics of an agency can impact how trauma-informed that agency is. During this process the students learn how to assess an agency and make improvements to the physical setting so that it is more warm and welcoming to clients that may have a trauma history.

In their second year students take Using Professional Collaboration Networks for Pre-Implementation Planning (SW625). In this course students begin to analyze how they would take existing interventions and modify and improve upon them to better serve their client population or particular agency practices. Parts of this course focus specifically upon how VR might be used as an alternative means to offer existing interventions. In this course students revisit the Trauma-Informed Mental Health Agency VR simulation, but now they use it as a model for how they might develop their own VR based interventions. Students also examine other VR based materials that are relevant to Social Work practice so that they can build a better understanding of how they might use VR in their professional lives. Assignments in this course provide students with the opportunity to plan their own VR based interventions.

To complete the DSW program students must create a capstone project where they either develop a new intervention or modify an existing intervention to improve upon it or make it applicable to a different target population. As part of the capstone students are urged to consider whether VR would be an appropriate adaptation tool for their intervention. If VR would be appropriate students are encouraged to plan out how they would effectively implement their intervention using VR.

Sturman, S., Sperlich, M., Bakk, L., Koury, S. (2021). Development of an Immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environment: Integrating Trauma-Informed Principles into Human Service Agency Settings. Journal of Technology in Human Services, (40), 1-28. DOI: 10.1080/15228835.2021.1915925

Using Immersive VR to Integrate Trauma Informed Principles into Human Service Agency Settings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ipwNFy6N28

https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2022/03/034.html

https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/education/dsw-online.html

Throughout the program students are asked to complete surveys that query their experiences with using VR in the program.

Promotion of self-care and development of empathy for oneself’ s and others’ trauma are important aspects of trauma-informed responsivity. Students in SW626 were invited to engage in applications in VR that would be promotive of self-care, and to evaluate these for their personal use and for use with clients in their respective practice areas. Students utilized a wide variety of applications, including those that portrayed the lived experiences of marginalized people (e.g., Traveling While Black; Notes on Blindness), applications that focused on meditation practices (e.g., TRIPP), applications that fostered exploration of the world (e.g., National Geographic, WANDER), and apps that variously provided immersion in games or other recreational activities (e.g., Beat Saber; BOGO). They found these useful for promoting their own self-care and thought that many of the applications would be useful for their client populations.

Beta testing feedback of the Trauma-Informed Mental Health Agency VR simulation showed that many students also found it useful for learning more about the application of trauma-informed principles in physical spaces. A paired samples t-test was conducted to compare pre- to post-test knowledge regarding trauma-informed principles for 39 students in fall of 2022. We found statistically significant improvements from pre- (M = 4.97, SE = .24) to posttest (M = 5.80 SD = .24) for the main learning outcome of increased knowledge about trauma informed care in the clinic space; t(34) = 3.49, p = .001. One student commented that “I think this was a great demonstration of incorporating trauma-informed approach to the physical environment of an agency setting. It is a budget-friendly way to design before building the agency.” Another student commented specifically on the immersive quality of the application: “I appreciate the usefulness of a technique like this. Immersing yourself in the environment can help a person understand what a trauma informed set up would actually look like in real life. You can really get a feel for how it would be to enter an agency like this.”