New Technology in the Human Services

Cosgrove J (1998), Assessing technology needs in a school of social work: Asking the right questions, New Technology in the Human Services 11(1), pp. 17-21
Abstract The authors describe a needs assessment model developed from the experiences of a social work school in evaluating its use of technology. Following the introduction and unplanned but burgeoning growth of computer use in the school, a committee was appointed to institute a more planned approach to the introduction of technology. The committee, using informal participant observation approaches - the first step in the model, gathered data used to establish broad parameters for further study. These parameters were then used to formulate a series of interviews with key informants at strategic points in the school - the second step in the model; -the results of which established different domains within the broad parameters. Based on these domains, focus groups were then conducted - the third step in the model - to obtain more detail and greater clarity on these issues, resulting in the identification of the still more specific dimensions of the domains. This served as the basis of developing the fourth and final step of the model: a survey comprising well-informed questions which reflect the unique interests of a school of social work and are meaningful to the populations to whom they are posed.
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