Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Monitoring Work Based Learning

1
Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to
Monitoring Work Based Learning

• Peter Williams, Robert Freestone and Susan
  Thompson
• Planning and Urban Development Program
• Faculty of the Built Environment
• University of New South Wales
• Sydney, Australia

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Structure of presentation

• Review of work-based learning
• Objectives and practices
• The work experience year at UNSW
• Organisation and administration of work
  experience
• Reporting the views of stakeholders, especially
  employers
• Student experiences of work experience a
  qualitative approach
• The Work Experience Questionnaire (WEQ) - A
  quantitative approach to assessment of work-based
  learning

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The case for work-based learning

• academic input into first professional working
  engagements
• the gaining of professional experience, skills
  and maturity
• adding to graduate employability
• heightening appreciation of real world
  constraints on general theories and concepts
• exposure to the realities of a workplace
  environment
• understanding of how planning and planning
  organizations operate
• opportunity for students to explore interests and
  make intelligent career decisions
• encouragement of students to develop habits of
  reflection.

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Some models of work-integrated learning in
tertiary education
Source Freestone, Thompson and Williams (2004),
adapted from Manns (2003), Martin (1997) and
Victoria University (nd)
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Work experience at UNSW

• From 2006 Handbook As a key part of their
  Bachelor of Planning degree, students must
  undertake 48 weeks of approved employment related
  to the professional objectives of the Planning
  and Urban Development Program for example, in
  private development companies, planning
  consultancies, state government departments and
  agencies, or with local councils. This is
  normally undertaken in the twelve months
  following the end of Session 1 of Year 3. The
  Program Head must approve the type of employment
  proposed. The requirements of courses PLAN0081
  and PLAN0082 Work Experience must be successfully
  completed before a student will be permitted to
  graduate. Assessment components include
  documentation and submission of a work experience
  diary, a reflective report and participation in a
  compulsory seminar.

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Work Experience Placements, UNSW Planning
Program, 2000-2007
Source Planning and Urban Development Program
records
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Employer views

• The tension though combining work and study
  creates a more rounded experience which lots of
  other undergraduates dont have
• The year out gives your course the edge ... I
  have had a long association with the university
  and I have employed dozens of graduates and they
  do have the edge as far as I am concerned in
  local government where we are looking for
  somebody broad.
• The value to an organization of graduate who has
  already gone out and seen the real world
  increases by a factor of say 60
• From 2001 focus groups

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A representative bunch
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Student survey

• three open-ended questionnaires of the same
  cohort of approximately 35 students over the
  period June 2003 to September 2004 timed (1) just
  before they commenced their work experience, (2)
  half way through it, and (3) several weeks after
  completion.
• Evolving mix of questions centered on
  expectations (expressed and realized)
  achievements and disappointments adequacy of
  preparation for work experience ways in which
  the work and study components of their
  degree were integrated returning to university
  etc
•  Reported in three clusters of responses
• Expectations
• Learning experiences
• Overall evaluations

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Expectations Looking back

•   Fulfilled completely! I expected to be
  thrust into a working environment with
  responsibility and the expectation to perform. I
  expected to be given many tasks and treated as
  any other member of the organization. All this
  was achieved.

I went in wild expectations that I would be a
disappointment and discovered I knew a lot more
than I had given myself credit. So everything was
a bonus. Loved it.
My year turned out very differently to what I had
anticipated and the things I had learnt in my job
probably didnt start to fall into place until
towards the end.
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What were the most important things you learnt?

• Planning knowledge
• Planning processes
• Development of technical skills
• Professional development
• Personal growth

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Evaluating work experience
I think the practice side is teaching me at a
much, much faster rate, and I am learning to
mould my thinking to adapt to that situation
where you need to think laterally, and adapt to
other peoples opinions - more open than is
taught at uni.
The work experience component sheds light on the
subjects studied at uni. The two experiences
need the other to work effectively.
  I should have concentrated more during the
first 2½ years. It would have paid off.
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The Work Experience Questionnaire (WEQ)

• 16 scale questions
• Clear Goals (3 items)
• Support for Learning (5 items)
• Generic Skills (5 items)
• Menial Tasks (3 items)
• 1 overall satisfaction item
• 7 unscaled questions
• 9 additional attribute items

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Generic Skills (5 items)

• The work placement has developed my ability to
  solve problems.
• The work experience has sharpened my analytic
  skills.
• This work placement has helped me to develop my
  ability to work as a team member.
• As a result of this work placement I feel
  confident about tackling unfamiliar work-based
  problems.
• In this placement I am helped to develop the
  ability to plan and organise my day-to-day work.

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WEQ Scale Scores for Planning Students, 2004 and
2005
a Note Indicates total percentages for scales 4
and 5 (strongly agree)
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WEQ 2006 Students Comments

• Work experience was very valuable and I would
  highly recommend it even to people not required
  to complete it. It seems to be a respected part
  of the program.
• The work placement was an invaluable learning
  experience where I learnt an incredible amount
  about the technical elements of planning and the
  professional workplace. This component of the
  course should be retained as it is the most
  valuable part of the course.
• This place had never taken a student from our
  course before. They were extremely supportive and
  provided great feedback to help me learn

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WEQ 2006 Students Comments

• I was allocated too much admin tasks and time
  was lost doing admin work rather than planning
  work. Sometimes it was a waste of time. There was
  too much disruptions at times to do admin work
  rather than planning work, thus the work
  experience could be improved better.
• Was unhappy with being used as cheap labour, in
  second half of year too much work to get
  through, not enough help.
• Would perhaps be more valuable to undertake work
  experience during summer break and reduce degree
  to 4 years.

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Teaching and learning support

• upgrading of course documentation on objectives
  and assessment
• placement of all guidelines and pro-forma
  documents on the Faculty website
• a day-long orientation at the start of the
  academic year
• day-long mid-placement seminar at university
• rigorous assessment of diaries, portfolios, and
  supervisor reports submitted by students to
  ensure all requirements have been met
• encouragement of a more explicit reflective
  dimension to both diary-completion and assembly
  of a work portfolio
• communication of student feedback to all
  employers
• individual student and employer consultations
• group discussions with employers on improving
  education and professional experience for
  students.

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The experience of work experience

• Specific lessons
  for us
• the adequacy of preparation
• managing the welfare of students while away from
  the university
• the best form and level of liaison with both
  students and employers
• the appropriate content and approaches of
  classroom teaching pre- and post-work experience
• General and for
  others
• appreciating the evolutionary learning experience
• countering the uneven quality of job placements
• reliance on practitioner-teachers