The Department of Social Work offers a micro-credential model in “Digitalization and Society” within the framework of the İGÜ L2E – Learning to Earning Education Model. The increasing impact of digital transformation on individuals, groups, and communities requires social work professionals to integrate digital technologies into professional practice and assess the social consequences of digital transformation. Accordingly, the program aims to prepare students as professionals who can evaluate digital technologies from a social work perspective, analyze the social impacts of digital transformation, and use technology in accordance with ethical principles.

The Digitalization and Society Micro-Credential Model is an interdisciplinary area of specialization that focuses on understanding and evaluating the impact of digital technologies on individuals, society, and social work practice. The program addresses topics such as artificial intelligence, digital health, gerontechnology, digital inequality, digital inclusion, digital privacy, and data protection, with the aim of developing students’ knowledge and practice-oriented competencies regarding the social dimensions of digital transformation.

The Social Work perspective enables students to approach digital transformation not merely as a technological change, but in relation to its implications for individuals’ lives, social relations, inequalities, social work practice, and social well-being. The key contributions of the discipline include:

• Digital Social Work Practice: Develops the ability to evaluate the use of digital technologies in social work practice, case management, and professional decision-making processes.

• Digital Inequality and Inclusion: Provides students with the ability to assess differences in access to and use of digital technologies and to develop a digital inclusion perspective.

• Digital Health and Social Impact: Develops the ability to analyze the social impacts of digital health, telehealth, and related technologies on individuals, communities, and health systems.

• Gerontechnology and Older Adults’ Well-Being: Enables students to evaluate smart care technologies, remote monitoring systems, and assistive technologies in relation to the independent living and active aging of older adults.

• Digital Ethics and Privacy: Develops awareness of personal data protection, digital privacy, AI ethics, and the secure use of technology in digital health and social services.

Elective Courses

The proposed courses cover topics including AI-supported decision-support systems, risk assessment, digital tools in case management, smart care and remote monitoring systems, assistive technologies, digital health, digital inequalities, digital inclusion, digital privacy, data protection, and the social impacts of artificial intelligence.

Competencies to be Acquired by Students

Students will gain the following competencies:

• Evaluate the use of digital technologies in social work practice.

• Evaluate AI-supported decision-support systems, risk assessment tools, and digital case management tools from a social work perspective.

• Analyze the social impacts of digital health applications on individuals, communities, and health systems.

• Assess digital inequality and digital inclusion issues from a social work perspective.

• Evaluate smart care, remote monitoring, and assistive technologies that support the independent living of older adults.

• Apply fundamental principles of digital privacy, personal data protection, and AI ethics in social and health service contexts.

• Evaluate the effects of digital transformation on individuals, groups, and communities from a social justice and human rights perspective.

How does the Micro-Credential Certificate contribute to students’ careers?

• Digital Social Work Practice Competency

• Digital Health and Social Impact Analysis Competency

• Digital Inequality and Inclusion Competency

• Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology in Social Work Competency

• Gerontechnology and Technology-Assisted Social Work Competency

• Digital Ethics, Privacy, and Data Protection Competency