ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights recent innovations in social services delivery, as well as online social work training and education. Information and communication technology (ICT) is not new, but applying ICT to social services and social work is rather recent. Social services, schools and social work training centres have been rather creative in using social media and new communication tools in delivering social services and social work training. There has been rapid development in online social work education in China, India, Singapore, South Africa and globally. Online social work training has taken off exponentially and it may potentially be disruptive of traditional approaches to social work education and social service delivery. In highlighting issues relating to online education, the chapter also discusses the questions of ethics and online education as well as the pedagogy needed for effective online instruction and training. The strategy used by the Global Institute of Social Work (GISW) is highlighted as a case study. The vision of the GISW is unconventional with regard to the delivery of quality social work training where it is needed, but especially to social workers in third world nations.
