Teaching empathy on an online social work placement: Relationship-based practice teaching

The authors reflect on the teaching and supervising of an MSW student on placement, in a fostering agency during COVID-19. The design and implementation of the placement, and the learning outcomes for the student and the practice teacher are considered. They were guided by the work of Bennett (2008) and their principles of effective supervision, the Kolb learning cycle (1984), and research on empathy (Morrison, 2006; Gerdes, et al 2011).The authors focused on how role modelling the skill of empathy was used to support their practice teaching methodology. The student feedback on the placement supports the contention that supervision must be made a safe context for student learning. The use of ‘role modelling’ as a teaching methodology and the importance of ‘relationship building’ between the practice teacher and the student in the supervision space are critical components of the placement learning experience and subsequent learning outcomes.