Robot head graphic in banner reading "The future has arrived: Artificial Intelligence"

Multi-Level Practice for Behavioral Health (SWRK 206A/B)

Cutting-Edge, Imaginative, Time-Saving

Reflection on Instructional Change:

One way I integrated AI into my curriculum was that I developed a 3-hour course meeting titled 'Building a Future with Ethical AI.' This session was designed to introduce students to the potential benefits and risks of AI in the field of social work. To facilitate this learning experience, I created a 34-slide presentation that covered two primary areas:

Ethical Use of AI in Social Work: This section talks about the ethical implications of AI and explored potential biases and limitations of AI tools.
Practical Applications of AI: This part showcased real-world examples of how AI can be used in social work, such as generating treatment plans and writing job cover letters with students.

Students really appreciated ways that AI’s strengths could be helpful in social work. For example, AI can be used to reformulate treatment goals into the SMART format, which can be difficult for students. AI also has integrated information from treatment planners: reference books that are often 500+ pages. Students were thrilled to learn about ways to cut some corners, particularly around writing cover letters and editing resumes. Many talked about how much time they saved by using AI to improve cover letters.

I was most influenced and empowered in my FLC by my experience by the “Empowering Students Using AI”. Prior to this activity, I had though of AI more as an adversary than something I could partner with and teach to students. It challenged me to think about ways I could help students learn about positives and negatives to AI, and helped me to think of the benefits for students (which made me look more cool to them- haha).

In my own “Observe and Analyze” I thought a lot more about slowing down to present individual ideas to students and ramping up the skills more slowly. I need to empathize that some students will be experts while others may be dubious the same way I was. This session also made me consider talking about the ethics of AI earlier in the semester, while doing more occupational tasks like cover letter writing later in the year.

Evidence of Instructional Change

evidence of instructional change
An slide giving examples of AI for Treatment Planning. The Observe and Analyze reminded me to cut this into multiple slides!	This was an incredibly popular slide and information to provide- students reached out after to tell me they used it to help write effective prompts for generating cover letters.	My first ACUE badge for "Leveraging AI to Develop Course Resources".

Practice and Reflect Teaching and Learning with AI:

The ACUE Gen AI course has significantly impacted my teaching practices, opening up new avenues for innovative and engaging learning experiences. One of the most meaningful additions has been a 3-hour session called Building a Future with Ethical AI. This session covers the ethical implications of AI in social work and highlights the importance of responsible practices. It also introduces practical applications, such as using AI for treatment planning and writing cover letters. (Please note that I conducted this session in the spring of 2024, at which time I did not update my syllabus; I am not teaching this course this year.)

By providing students with hands-on experience with AI tools, I've witnessed a positive shift in their attitudes. They've become more receptive to the potential benefits of AI while also recognizing its limitations and ethical considerations. For instance, students were impressed by AI's ability to reformulate treatment goals into the SMART format and access vast amounts of information from treatment planning reference books. While incorporating AI into my teaching has been rewarding, it has also presented challenges, such as balancing the need to teach students about the potential benefits of AI with the importance of fostering critical thinking and ethical awareness. To address this, I've adopted a more gradual approach, starting with foundational concepts and gradually introducing more complex applications.

Course Syllabus

Spring BH Syllabus 2024 Leitch.pdf

Please note that I conducted this session in the spring of 2024, at which time I did not update my syllabus. The selected addition was taught in Week 12 (The Job Market and Beyond). I am not teaching this course this year.

Faculty Bio


	My name is Judith Leitch (LEECH, she/her) and I have been working in the human services since 2002 and working as a social worker since getting my MSW at the University of Maryland in 2010. In terms of practice, I have experience working with people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, youth, and families people with developmental delays and autism diagnoses, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with HIV . I've worked in hospital, residential, healthcare, and independent practice settings. The research I do is about how social workers practice, particularly with LGBTQ+ people, as well as how to improve health and mental health outcomes for people at risk or living with HIV. I love teaching and to connect with students. I see my purpose in the classroom as helping support students growth and formation of a social work identity.

Funding
	This work was supported by: US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project TECH4Equity US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.