ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to explore the contextual realities and provide information surrounding the benefits, challenges, and strategies of field education from a distance. Field education presents both benefits and challenges related to the contextual realities of students, agencies, communities, and social work programs serving rural communities. Challenges emerge for distance students, the majority of whom are nontraditional, as they manage multiple commitments and priorities, including work and family. Therefore, it is essential to ongoing, constructive relationships with community partners that people maintain a focus on the following three activities. The activities are: In the distance field education context, challenges in building community partnerships also arise because fewer social service agencies are found in smaller communities. The university field education program that people have created has established a means for faculty field coordinators and the field director to obtain feedback about student performance in the practicum setting.
