Where are We going with Work Based Learning

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Where are We going with Work Based Learning?

• MODELS FOR WORK- BASED LEARNING
• LIFELEARN
• GRUNDTVIG1 PROJECT
• 20062008
• EMERITUS PROFESSOR COLIN U CHISHOLM

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• WBL model based on a programme of study which is
  totally associated with learning via the work
  based environment resulting in a formal award
• Usually based on a three way partnership
  involving the host company, the University and
  the student

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Contd

• Programme developed as a series of learning goals
  / modules which may include applied research
  goals/modules depending on whether programme is
  undergraduate or post graduate
• Usually described as learning agreements,
  learning contracts or learning programme

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• Student would negotiate an agreement to complete
  a programme of study based on learning
  goals/modules which are evolved from the work
  programme of the employing organisation
• Negotiation would require that the programme
  evolved was of the standard needed to satisfy the
  level of the formal award offered by the
  University
• The company would require to agree that the
  workplace environment could be used to deliver
  the programme

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• Thus the student is able to negotiate a programme
  of learning which integrates directly with
  learning from work which directly supports an
  understanding of tacit knowledge with relevant
  explicit knowledge
• Basis of this approach is learning in a work
  based environment totally independent of the
  on-campus learning environment
• This approach is more suited to advanced levels
  of undergraduate study but even more suited to
  postgraduate levels such as MSc and professional
  doctorate

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• WBL model based on a combination of taught
  modules on campus combined with modules that
  develop through the workplace environment
• Allows for traditional taught modules to be
  integrated with work based modules. The ratio of
  taught modules to work based modules can be
  significantly varied according to the
  requirements of the programme
• For undergraduate programmes in engineering for
  example taught modules providing fundamentals
  could form the basis of the early years of the
  undergraduate curriculum

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• Work-based modules would be increasingly
  introduced into the later years of the programme
• This model provides for a large amount of
  flexibility where a student can negotiate
  different combinations of taught modules and
  learning achieved through work based modules
• This model can provide fundamental explicit
  knowledge via the on campus taught modules
  combined with an understanding of tacit knowledge
  and development of knowledge based skills through
  work based modules
• This model is suited to undergraduate level as
  taught modules are needed to provide fundamental
  explicit knowledge which cannot be effectively
  achieved in the workplace

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• This model is ideally suited to study for a part
  time formal award where the student is employed
  and can complete work based modules in his/her
  employing organisation
• Also suited for postgraduate study where the
  student is employed but can be released to study
  postgraduate modules on-campus
• Can be used for engineering programmes where work
  experience forms part of the formal award e.g.
  sandwich degree

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• The work experience periods would be accredited
  as work based modules with learning outcomes
  related to the study level involved
• This model has flexibility to provide many
  different combinations of taught modules with
  work based modules for a formal award
• Examples Programme Mix
• - early years of programme 100 on campus full
  time study of taught modules. Later years of
  programme 100 study by part time using work
  based modules
• - Early years of programme 80 on campus and 20
  work based.
• Later years of programme 80 work based
  modules and 20 on campus taught modules

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• WBL model facilitates recognition of skills and
  knowledge gained from previous work based
  activities
• Student negotiates to get formal recognition of
  the prior experiential learning achieved. The
  learning must be examined and correlated to
  levels appropriate to formal award being sought
• Programmes of this nature can be undergraduate or
  postgraduate. Normally the programme will
  formally include provision to include the
  negotiation for recognition of earlier completed
  experiential learning (Assessed Prior
  Experiential Learning)

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• Earlier work based learning could involve
  elements such as explicit and tacit knowledge
  developed in the workplace environment combined
  with knowledge based skills
• Often a limit is set within a programme of
  amounts of prior learning which can be recognised
  up to 50 of total programme is common

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• The student negotiates with the University and
  submits a portfolio of previous work. This
  facilitates assessment of the learning and level
  of learning resulting in the student being given
  credit for a percentage of the total programme
• Can operate as part of a programme which is
  totally work based or can be part of a programme
  which is a mixture of taught modules and work
  based modules

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• Thematic WBL model was either the work based
  environment or a combination of taught modules
  with work based goals / modules
• However the programme is based on a thematic
  pathway where a cohort of students start to
  complete a thematic learning agreement together
• Students would complete the taught modules as a
  cohort but although they complete the same work
  based goals/modules, each student would use
  their own work based environment to achieve the
  learning outcomes of the work based goals /
  modules

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• So every student achieves the same learning
  outcomes within the overalll thematic learning
  programme but each student negotiates activities
  relevant to their own workplace from which the
  required learning outcomes of the thematic
  programme can be achieved
• Often this type of programme is developed with a
  corporate organisation to achieve CPD for
  individuals in the organisation who form the
  cohort group
• More suited as a postgraduate programme where it
  follows the Equifinality Model each student
  negotiates work based activities specific to
  their job profile but which can lead to learning
  which satisfies the learning outcomes within the
  thematic agreement

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• Can be used for a cohort from the one
  organisation or for a cohort formed from students
  from a range of organisations e.g.
• Thematic Learning Agreement
• Leadership Capability
• All students achieve a set of common learning
  outcomes within the goals/modules comprising the
  Thematic Agreement related to Leadership
  Capability. They each negotiate work related
  activity plans which will facilitate them
  achieving the outcomes set for the programme

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• WBL can be used to deliver a programme or part of
  a programme which is normally taught on campus as
  taught modules. Described as workplace learning.
• Involves a cohort of students, usually in one
  organisation who achieve through taught and work
  related study in the workplace the outcomes
  equivalent to an on-campus programme taught to a
  cohort of full time students.
• Taught modules are taught at the workplace of the
  cohort

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• Remainder of required outcomes achieved by
  approving work based goals/ modules which
  facilitate realisation of required outcomes
• Facilitates students continuing to work but able
  to realise equivalent programme to full time
  on-campus programme completed in workplace at
  full time equivalent rate
• University must validate the workplace
  environment and work activities of the cohort of
  students to verify required outcomes for the
  programme can be realised

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• Usually used for the later years of a degree
  programme where students gain entry with advanced
  standing through earlier qualifications and
  earlier experiential learning
• Also available for postgraduate programmes
• Case study BSc Honours Electronic Engineering
• Programme duration 4 years (Scottish System)
• 3rd / 4th years set up for organisation as a
  workplace learning programme
• Student cohort gain entry to third year via
  relevant qualifications such Higher Certificate
  or Higher Diploma and relevant work based
  experiential learning

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• University decides modules to be taught in the
  workplace and validates work based learning to
  achieve remaining outcomes
• Where suitable work related learning is also used
  to support the practical and tutorial work of the
  taught modules
• University would validate the workplace programme
  as equivalent to the traditional on-campus
  programme

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• Essential to success of this WBL model is the
  University examining the workplace and the work
  activities of the students and being able to
  verify that the required outcomes can be achieved
  for the existing programme. In this case it is
  not an negotiation on the WBL with the student
  and the organisation
• Essentially it involves achieving an existing
  traditional on-campus programme by converting it
  to achieve workplace delivery using work related
  learning and using the earlier described model of
  accepting a portfolio of experiential learning
  for earlier parts of the programme

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• WBL model driven by the organisation and the
  student for CPD purposes involves a formal award
  or no formal award
• The duration can vary according to company
  requirements e.g. one month to one year
• Awards can be a postexperience certificate set at
  various levels of equivalent undergraduate/postgra
  duate study to a full postgraduate certificate /
  diploma

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• Role of University is to facilitate the
  correlation of the work related studies to
  learning outcomes desired by the organisation /
  students
• Normally this model involves the organisation in
  agreement with the potential students specifying
  the CPD required with the University facilitating
  the work based study

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• WBL model uses the workplace environment but not
  the job activities of the student for achievement
  of outcomes
• In this case the student seeks permission of the
  organisation to use the overall workplace
  environment as a real world transdisciplinary
  learning environment to achieve desired outcomes
• The student uses the workplace as a means of life
  related learning but not his/her actual job
  related activities

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• Often useful where the persons job activities
  would not realise outcomes needed but where using
  the overall workplace environment they can
  realise the desired learning outcomes
• This WBL model can be used in the following ways
• Students in a full time programme with access to
  the workplace of an organisation can complete a
  module(s)
• Sponsored students attending full time can use
  the workplace of their sponsor

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• Suitable for part time students who are working
  in an organisation or have access to an
  organisation
• Suitable for undergraduate, postgraduate or CPD
  studies
• Students can benefit from a more comprehensive
  environment than simply learning directly related
  to their specific job activities
• Often useful model for problem / project based
  dissertations within programmes where real world
  transdisciplinary projects can be realised
  through the use of the overall workplace of an
  organisation

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• WBL gives following benefits
• Facilitates increased flexibility of learning
  where students can negotiate using work related
  studies to achieve learning outcomes
• Facilitates students learning in a real world
  transdisciplinary environment where no single
  discipline dominates

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• Facilitates students getting the optimum learning
  from a mixture of traditional taught modules
  alongside work based goals/modules
• Engineers spend their working lives in a real
  world transdisciplinary environment
• So students studying through work based learning
  approach get a better balance of knowledge
  skills, explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge

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• WBL Model can involve an approach based as
  Problem Based Work Based Learning where we
  translate the on-campus notion of P.B.L into the
  work-based environment
• PB-WBL has the advantage that the problem base is
  not simulated as on-campus but exposes the
  student to a real world work related problem from
  which required learning outcomes can be achieved
• PB-WBL can be used for a purely WB programme or
  for one with taught modules and work based
  learning used as an integrated programme

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• Is WBL about
• Learning at Work,
• Learning about Work,
• Learning through Work,
• Learning in Work ?
• Is Work
• About the organisational workplace,
• About the lifeplaces such as the home the
  community,
• About paid or non paid work ?

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• The problem for the term work is it is associated
  by most with paid employment
• Does an at home mother work ?
• Western societies regard this as non work.
• So here is the problem Does a mother operating
  in the home get recognition as doing WBL?

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• Is WBL what we do in the garden?
• Is WBL about learning a language when we spend
  some time in a foreign country?
• Why do we regard and assume workplaces are places
  of paid employment and regard them as superior
  and totally dissimilar to homes and other
  non-workplaces ?
• Is it about informal versus formal accredited,
  validated, quality assured versus no
  accreditation etc. ?

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• So the belief is that paid employment work
  based learning can be accredited and quality
  assured whereas work in the home, community
  cannot. Is this really correct?
• Consider do we learn about work. ?
• Some WBL models deliver on this basis where
• the student acquires an award in relation to
• work-based studies i.e. about work.

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• Consider do we learn through work - ?
• Most of the WBL models facilitate learning
  through work but restrict it to paid or unpaid
  employment
• Consider do we learn at work - ?
• WBL models such as the workplace learning
  relates to learning at work but not always using
  the job related activities. Here modules could
  be taught to a cohort at work.

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• Consider Do we learn in work - ?
• WBL models also accommodate learning whilst in
  the job task at a given workplace. Again most
  models use the organisational workplace and do
  not recognise other places where we working.
• Most WBL models see work based / workplace
  learning in isolation to all other lifeplaces
  where we work.
• Is lifebased learning where we learn in any
  environment the true way forward ?

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• We would argue the future of WBL and WBL models
  depends on recognising the wider definition of
  workplace to include all our lifeplaces where
  learning can be formalised and measured. We are
  in a dynamic situation and need to recognise that
  the concepts of WBL and work based environments
  are in continuous change.
• Our awards need to recognise this in the form of
  continuous evolution of programmes using
  lifeplace learning (lifebased in a work
  situation).