Exposure Is Not Enough: Technology Readiness and Competency Development In Social Work Education

Background:

Simulation-based and technology-enhanced instruction are increasingly integrated into social work education; however, evidence regarding their effectiveness remains mixed. A common assumption is that exposure to instructional interventions leads to uniform improvements in competency. This assumption may overlook two important factors: (1) competency domains may reflect different levels of cognitive complexity, and (2) student-level readiness may shape learning outcomes. This study examines whether competency development varies across domains of increasing complexity and whether technology readiness moderates or predicts competency development in a simulation-based learning context.

Methods:

Data were collected using a pre–post matched design with graduate social work students (N = 84 matched pairs). The sample was predominantly white (67%) and female (88%). Students in the intervention arm engaged in virtual simulation activities throughout the semester, whereas those in the comparison arm received treatment-as-usual instruction. A chi-square test indicated a statistically significant difference in race/ethnicity across instructional conditions at baseline (p < .05), suggesting potential group nonequivalence. Race/ethnicity was not included as a covariate in the model because it differed significantly across conditions and was collinear with condition, limiting the ability to estimate their independent effects.

Competency was assessed using a 20-item scale. Items were grouped into three domains reflecting increasing levels of cognitive complexity: applied/procedural (practice), analytic/integrative (assessment), and evaluative/judgment-based (evaluation). A 2 (Time: pre, post) × 2 (Condition: intervention, comparison) mixed repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to examine overall competency change. Separate mixed ANOVAs were conducted for each domain. Linear regression models examined whether baseline technology readiness predicted competency change, controlling for baseline competency and condition. Moderation was tested using Condition × Technology Readiness interaction terms.

Results:

A significant main effect of time indicated overall competency increased from pretest to posttest, F(1, 83) = 4.16, p < .05. The main effect of condition and the Time × Condition interaction were not statistically significant (p > .05), indicating that the simulation-based intervention did not produce greater gains than standard instruction. Domain-level analyses revealed different patterns: applied/procedural competencies increased significantly (p < .001), analytic/integrative competencies showed no significant change (p = .159), and evaluative/judgment-based competencies decreased modestly (p = .027).

Moderation analyses indicated that technology readiness did not significantly interact with instructional condition (p > .05). However, baseline technology readiness significantly predicted competency gains (β = .28, p < .05) across both groups.

Conclusions/Implications:

Findings suggest that exposure to simulation alone is insufficient for competency development. Instead, competency development varies across domains of cognitive complexity and is shaped by student-level readiness factors. Technology readiness functions as a general facilitator of learning rather than a condition-specific moderator. These results highlight the importance of preparing students for technology-enhanced learning environments and suggest that readiness may be a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of sustained or complex instructional approaches.