MLTIDIMENSIONAL THEORY 1

Application of Multidimensional Theory

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation
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1. Describe how the theory you selected can be used to guide the processes of

assessment, intervention, and evaluation

Assessment is a vital element of implementing and designing reading and comprehension

programs and strategies. Assessing student comprehension skills and ability before intervention

allows for diagnosis of potential weakness. Effective intervention must monitor and examine

student progress in improving and developing comprehension skills. For instance, training can be

adjusted to satisfy student’s needs to maximize intervention impact. It is critical to evaluate the

extent of intervention efficacy in enhancing student comprehension skills. Evaluating student

comprehension skills is significant in developing and designing an intervention for reading

strategies. This essay describes how multidimensional theory can be used to guide assessment,

evaluation, and intervention processes.

The efficacy of a particular comprehension analysis tool must be evaluated by

considering relevant factors like texts used, assessment purpose, target examinees, and the

aspects or processes that the assessment is structured to assess. With a multidimensional theory,

a multidimensional framework can be used to evaluate current assessment methods and tools and

guide new assessment tools development (Krings et al., 2019). Reading comprehension results

from complex interactions between text properties and what students bring to the reading

context. According to Ashford et al. (2016), proficient students use multiple approaches to a text

including situation-based and text-based inference skills, relevant knowledge, metacognitive

skills, word decoding ability, and competency with multiple reading approaches. Each dimension

impacts comprehension and implicate the individual assessment of comprehension capability.

Further, there is evidence that students’ reading abilities are closely associated with

multidimensional high-skill level reading skills. Such skills include, coherence maintenance,
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managing and monitoring comprehension process, ability to make text-based inferences, and

ability to activate higher-order knowledge framework. Students read a text for different

objectives closely associated with the text genre (Teng & Zhang, 2016). Given this, some

students read narrative stories to be entertained, understand described events sequence, and

extract some moral. In contrast, the typical goal of reading expository texts is to learn about a

historical or scientific fact. The student may appear stronger or weaker depending on reading

context, which often encompasses different objectives related to the text genre (Krings et al.,

2019). Assessment, intention, and evaluation tools must have activities and texts that are

representative of what individuals encounter in the non-evaluation contexts that the evaluation is

structured to measure. Therefore, it is important to understand that there are multidimensional

goals elated to different texts to accurately detect intra-individual differences in reading

comprehension.

2. Discuss why you believe your chosen theory will be most valuable to you in

your social work practice

A multidimensional approach provides insight to multiple ways to understand human

development. Since there are multiple dimensions that result in human experiences, there is no

single theoretical perspective can cater for an individual’s diverse experiences. Rather, using a

multidimensional approach allows us to reason about the interconnectedness and significance of

an individual’s rational, psychological, structural, biological, cultural, and social dimensions

(Illeris, 2018). A multidimensional approach encourages one to acknowledge the different ways

many dimensions can function as protective or risk factors.

In a social workplace, human service response must be multidimensional. Through a

multidimensional approach, a person can understand that each person in a work environment has
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unique structural, spiritual, biopsychosocial, and cultural dimensions (Karvinen-Niinikoski,

2016). Hence, an individual can understand that one can have more than one dimension since

experiences are affected by individual and environmental factors that are interdependent. It is

apparent that multiple responses are significant in human services.

Every individual has unique connections and relationships with several groups of people

and individuals such as peers, partners, colleagues, friends, and family members. Therefore, we

depend on multiple interpersonal relationships in our dimensions for our identity and well-being

sense and survival (Verney et al., 2016). A multidimensional perspective helps in understanding

critical dimensions influence of an individual’s situation. Such goes beyond the person’s

responses and causes to considering competing and interacting issues in a workplace. A

multidimensional approach encourages one to step out of comfort zone and resonate about

challenges more broadly and in different perspectives.

As a social worker, it is appropriate to possess multiple strategies for intervention,

prevention, and post intervention situations in a workplace. These problem –solving techniques

include referral, counseling, liaison, policy development, program and education development,

advocacy, resource development, and policy development (Krings et al., 2019). One can utilize

the multiple skills to understand when to use direct or indirect practice methods focused on a

community, family, group, or an individual

3. Compare and contrast the theory you selected with at least two other

theories, explaining why the theory you selected is a better fit for your practice

A multidimensional theory implies the strength of multiple theories. Rather than focusing

on one theory, it presents a holistic approach to comprehension. A multidimensional approach

provides insight to multiple ways to understand human development. Since there are multiple
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dimensions that result in human experiences, there is no single theoretical perspective can cater

for an individual’s diverse experiences. On the other hand, strength-based approach is based on

social work (Majumdar, 2020). It focuses on a person’s strength and determination. It is a work

practice theory that is client led and concentrates on a person’s future strength outcomes. Worth

noting, the approach is successful since the client is the change agent by providing the

appropriate context for controlling change (Verney et al., 2016). This approach allows open

thought and communication process for one to establish value and gather strength in the course

of change.

However, the approach depends on the individual’s informational, emotional, and

thought process. Besides, the approach ignores an individual’s weakness yet they can influence a

client’s behavior. Strength-based approach is not based on efficacy evidence nor provides

anything novel.

Akesson et al. (2017) postulate that person-in-environment theory is a social work

philosophy that an individual can be understood by assessing their past and present environment.

This theory provides the social work field with credibility in the scientific community. In

particular, the theory establishes that an individual’s environment and experience determines

their world view, thoughts, and responses. This theory is beneficial in social work as it helps

collect information from clients and use to find solutions to client challenges (Närhi, 2017). It is

problem focused and provides dynamic interactions. On the contrary, compared to

multidimensional theory, person-in-environment theory is too focused on immediate person and

environment. In an authoritarian environment, few individuals with power can exploit others for

self-interest or profit.
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Moving forward, learning theories are based on the principle that individuals develop

knowledge upon prior knowledge (Illeris, 2018). Thus, knowledge is acquired when a person is

predisposed to a specific behavior. The learner creates the answer to things around them as they

see and make conclusions. Such educational approach is accommodative of diversity compared

to other theories. However, while multidimensional theory allows for different learning and

teaching dimensions, learning theories can result in consideration and frustration to the learner.

In particular, the learner’s ability to create abstracts and relationships between retained

knowledge and the new knowledge could be different from the assessed. The learner could

appear weaker yet there could be intra-individual differences in comprehension (Avby et al.,

2017). Multidimensional approach provides learners with different structures and evaluation to

ensure students are tested according to their strength to enhance success.

References

Akesson, B., Burns, V., & Hordyk, S. R. (2017). The place of place in social work: Rethinking

the person-in-environment model in social work education and practice. Journal of

Social Work Education, 53(3), 372-383.

Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W., & Williams, L. R. (2016). Empowerment series: Human behavior

in the social environment: A multidimensional perspective. Cengage Learning.

Avby, G., Nilsen, P., & Ellström, P. E. (2017). Knowledge use and learning in everyday social

work practice: a study in child investigation work. Child & Family Social Work, 22, 51-

61.

Illeris, K. (2018). An overview of the history of learning theory. European Journal of

Education, 53(1), 86-101.

Karvinen-Niinikoski, S. (2016). Social work supervision: Contributing to innovative knowledge

production and open expertise. In Social work, critical reflection and the learning

organization (pp. 33-50). Routledge.

Krings, A., Fusaro, V., Nicoll, K. L., & Lee, N. Y. (2019). Social work, politics, and social

policy education: Applying a multidimensional framework of power. Journal of Social

Work Education, 55(2), 224-237.

Majumdar, A. (2020). Discovering the Root Causes of Success: The Strength-Based Approach in

Organisational Development. In Appreciative Inquiry Approaches to Organizational

Transformation (pp. 119-132). IGI Global.

Närhi, K. (2017). The Changing Understandings of the ‘Person in Environment ‘on Organizing

Public Social Work Practice. Teoksessa Aila-Leena Matthies & Kati Närhi (toim.) The
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Ecosocial Transition of Societies. The Contribution of Social Work and Social Policy.

Abingdon: Routledge, 301-318.

Teng, L. S., & Zhang, L. J. (2016). A questionnaire‐based validation of multidimensional models

of self‐regulated learning strategies. The Modern Language Journal, 100(3), 674-701.

Verney, S. P., Avila, M., Espinosa, P. R., Cholka, C. B., Benson, J. G., Baloo, A., & Pozernick,

C. D. (2016). Culturally sensitive assessments as a strength-based approach to wellness in

Native communities: A community-based participatory research project. American

Indian and Alaska native mental health research (Online), 23(3), 271.