Work-based Learning Activities Research Articles

Design and Development of a Professional Skills Coaching Framework for Engineering and Computing Degree Apprenticeship (DA) Programmes at Aston University

Aston University has provided Work-Based Learning (WBL) courses since the 1960’s. The introduction of Degree Apprenticeship (DA) levy funding in 2015 has led to a change of focus at Aston University from delivery of traditional WBL programmes to development of more than ten level 6 and 7 Engineering and Computing programmes in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS). These programmes were designed and developed organically over the years leading to different student support mechanisms and practice across the varying DA programmes. The growth of these programmes led to the establishment of the Aston Professional Engineering Centre (APEC) as a department in late 2020, overseeing all Engineering and Computing DA and non-DA programmes in the College. This, together with the regulatory aspects of DA programmes, in turn, led to investigating the historic role of the Professional Supervisor. This investigation combined with the prospective Ofsted New Provider Monitoring Visit (NPMV) in 2022 instigated a need for a shift from solely utilising professional supervisory roles for WBL activities to a consistent framework for skills-based, systems level thinking approaches, conducive to the corporate environment, via Professional Skills Coach adoption. This concept paper presents our innovative approach in supporting Engineering and Computing DA learners at Aston University by designing and developing a Professional Skills Coaching framework in 2022, underpinned by the pedagogical coaching approaches, as well as the way in which the model concept could be adopted by other STEM educators to support learners.

Work-based learning: A learning strategy in support of the Myanmar education framework

In Myanmar, the main issue of educational field is disjunction of classroom lectures and industrial practices. The students never know how to apply their theoretical skills in real workplaces. Based on this issue, this paper proposed a toolkit called Work-Based Learning (WBL) for Myanmar students. In 2017, our university, University of Technology (Yatanarpon Cyber City), UTYCC, introduced WBL toolkit to facilitators and students. Facilitators used WBL continuum step by step to train the students who utilized these steps inside or outside of the classroom. The university defined rules and regulations relating with WBL activities such as credit combination to final result, holding curriculum revise and review meeting by inviting industries, project shows by connection with industrial needs. After running WBL activities for three years, there are many handout forms for facilitators, learners and industries which are used in this paper in analyzing toolkit’s results. This paper discusses about those analytical results of applying WBL toolkit in university level consist of facilitators, students and industries in details.

Understanding Internships for Transition-Age Students With Disabilities

Secondary educators implement an array of work-based learning activities that expose transition-age students to the demands of post-secondary employment. One such strategy, internships, provides students with a formal opportunity to acquire transferable employment skills that lead to meaningful post-secondary employment outcomes. Facilitating internships for transition-aged students with disabilities, however, presents challenges for educators because internships often involve complicated and sometimes ambiguous labor laws, regulations, and provisions. This article provides secondary educators with information about how to facilitate unpaid and paid internships for students with disabilities that align with requirements established by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The article provides a case study to illustrate how schools can develop both unpaid and paid internships and concludes with recommendations for best practices.

Examining the 21st century skillset perceptions of academy and comprehensive school students

We compared career academy students (n = 669) with traditional comprehensive school students (n = 614) on the perceptions of their 21 st century skillsets. Academy students, when compared with their traditional comprehensive school peers, reported that their schools significantly contributed more to their abilities to apply knowledge from their courses to a real-world context. Students from two of the three academies – that operated as magnet schools – reported that their schools significantly contributed more to their communication and critical thinking skills. Students from one of the three academies – with a 93 % Latinx and 90 % low-income student population – reported that their schools significantly contributed more to their intra- and interpersonal skills. Findings emphasize the nature of the curriculum and learning strategies that are beneficial for students in career academies as they use curriculum integration and work-based learning activities to increase the meaningfulness and relevancy of content.

The reflective practitioner: the challenges of supporting public sector senior leaders as they engage in reflective practice

PurposeThis paper explores the challenges, issues and benefits of reflective practice faced by work-based practitioners undertaking negotiated experiential learning. The study focuses upon the case of a ground-breaking UK-based Senior Leader Master's Degree Apprenticeship (SLMDA) programme which requires learners to develop and apply reflective practice skills through comprehensive work-based learning and research activities. Degree apprenticeships represent a significant opportunity for providers and employers to become more closely aligned in the joint development and promotion of innovative learning opportunities, yet the efficacy of individually negotiated, experiential learning and reflective practice for senior leaders within a challenging healthcare environment remains relatively unexplored from a tripartite perspective. This paper investigates the role of reflective practice within a leading degree apprenticeship programme which embraces this pedagogic approach and considers the potential barriers and benefits for learners and their organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by discussing the nature of reflective practice in the workplace and explores the growing importance of this activity in contemporary organisations. Theoretical and conceptual foundations relating to experiential learning and reflective practice are analysed and discussed. The SLMDA programme and NHS case organisation are described in detail. Qualitative data drawn from semi-structured interviews undertaken with learners, employers and personal academic tutors (PATs) are then analysed to identify the key issues and challenges encountered.FindingsThe study identifies the benefits of reflective practice, explores the challenges and issues that act as barriers to reflective practice and highlights the importance of the role of the personal academic tutor (PAT) and that of employers in supporting and developing reflective practice in one of the first SLMDA programmes to launch within the UK.Originality/valueAlthough reflective practice and work-based research have attracted considerable scholarly activity, investigations have overwhelmingly been focused upon professions such as teaching and nursing and have explored challenges and issues from the perspective of the provider. This study explores reflective practice from the viewpoint of learners, employers and PATs and thereby seeks to complement and expand current understanding by developing a more holistic approach. This work will inform future programme design, practitioner skills development and employer support procedures as learners plan and prepare to facilitate work-based research projects within their organisations.

Curriculum framework for employability readiness skills: sustainable industry engagement

In spite of endeavors to expand the idea of graduate employability, there stays an overall spotlight on creating industry-pertinent employability abilities. The Work- Based Learning approach is found completely catch the multifaceted nature of graduate work-availability. This paper contends for the reclassifying of graduate employability by grasping industrial skills development and identifies with a comprehension of and association with the aptitudes, characteristics, lead, culture and belief system of an expected calling. The partnership model is attracted upon to show how WBL can be designed and created during internship by involving curriculum reform and mapping. The aim of this study is to reduce the skills gap between institution and industry by designing additional curriculum. These programmes are viewed as significant in light of the fact that they encourage students’ access to work-based learning activities in polytechnics and work-based opportunities such as placements after completed the internship.

Quality of high school programs for students with autism spectrum disorder.

The purpose of the study was to examine the quality of high school programs for students with autism spectrum disorder in the United States. The Autism Program Environment Rating Scale-Middle/High School was used to rate the quality of programs for students with autism spectrum disorder in 60 high schools located in three geographic locations in the United States (CA, NC, and WI). Findings indicated that the total quality rating across schools was slightly above the adequate criterion. Higher quality ratings occurred for program environment, learning climate, family participation, and teaming domains. However, quality ratings for intervention domains related to the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (e.g. communication, social, independence, functional behavior, and transition) were below the adequate quality rating level. Also, quality ratings for transition were significantly higher for modified (primarily self-contained) programs than standard diploma (primarily served in general education) programs. School urbanicity was a significant predictor of program quality, with suburban schools having higher quality ratings than urban or rural schools, controlling for race, school enrollment size, and Title 1 eligibility status. Implications for working with teachers and school teams that support high school students with autism spectrum disorder should include a targeted focus on transition programming that includes a breadth of work-based learning experiences and activities that support social-communication domains.

WORK-BASED LEARNING INVOLVING THE DUAL EDUCATION ELEMENTS

The article analyses the dual education capacity for implementing work-based learning (WBL) for future skilled workers in order to improve the quality and enhance their professional training practice orientation. It is emphasised on information accumulating in the national scientific-pedagogical dimension on dual education elements introducing into future skilled workers professional training. Therefore, the appropriate issues on relevance, expediency, perspective and necessity are actively studied. It is noted that dual education applying is to create real production situations, assure cooperation of students and experienced mentors from enterprises, and demonstrate students’ autonomy and initiative in the workplace. It also represents the students’ involvement into professional culture and their professional identity, recruitment possibility for the youth of appropriate qualification, strengthening the practical component of professional (vocational) education (P(V)E) system, etc. It provides characteristics for WBL activities and its main forms: work experience, traineeship, work-shadowing, mentoring, apprenticeship, cooperative learning, partnership-based learning, internship or work placement.

Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students With Disabilities: Ensuring Compliance With the Fair Labor Standards Act

BackgroundWork-based learning strategies are often used in secondary transition settings to identify a student's strengths and interest related to competitive integrated employment. Transition professional must not only understand evidence-based practices for creating and supporting work-based learning, they must also understand specific statutory provisions outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).ObjectiveThis article provides a targeted review of the FLSA to highlight specific provisions that transition professionals must understand when facilitating work-based learning activities in secondary transition settings.ConclusionsThe article will conclude with specific recommendations about how to implement and supervise work-based learning in compliance with the FLSA.

The development of mapping tool for work-based learning activities

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to describe a new tool that can be used to help in the design and evaluation of work-based elements within programmes or to evaluate whole programmes.Design/methodology/approach– This paper takes a case study approach to describe the development of the mapping tool. The tool is based on a matrix which enables users to map four variables: teacher-centred delivery, employer-centred delivery and students outcomes in terms of knowledge and skills.Findings– The mapping tool provides a useful approach to evaluating the outcomes for work-based learning activities.Practical implications– The mapping tool provides tutors with a useful, easily used way to visualise the nature of their work-based learning activities.Originality/value– This paper presents a novel, practical and useful tool that has wide applicability in the field of work-based learning.

The industry champion approach to developing work-based learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of using industry champions (ICs) to inform curriculum development for work-based learning and to probe their perceptions of and attitudes towards work-based learning. The research took place as part of a project that ran from 2009 to 2012. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted a grounded theoretical framework. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. Findings – The ICs had positive attitudes towards work-based learning which did not change significantly throughout the timeframe of the project. Their involvement was very useful with respect to curriculum development but less so for marketing and recruitment of learners. Research limitations/implications – The participant pool was small. Practical implications – The involvement of ICs in curriculum design of work-based learning is effective. Originality/value – This industry champion model of curriculum development is novel and identifies an effective way for academia to design bespoke work-based learning activities.

Facilitating professionals' work-based learning with context-aware mobile system

Work-based learning refers to the learning process occurring at workplace as acquiring knowledge and skills or developing approaches to solve problems. It is a crucial approach to promote professionals' working efficiency. However, the majority of research on professional learning concentrates on holding trainings (off-the-job or on-the-job), seminars and workshops, or on implementing systems for distributing training materials or facilitating communication. Few effort has been paid to support work-based learning which has the characteristics like informal, spontaneous, work-related and just-in-time. The purpose of our work is to facilitate professionals' work-based learning with a context-aware mobile system. This system can guide professionals to engage in work-based learning activities, which are arranged properly based on our online survey results. It can also provide learning supports which are adapted to current engaged work, professionals' learning needs, personal characteristics, environmental situations, etc. In this paper, we present successively the work-based learning activity design, the system structure design, the system technical implementation, the system functionalities and evaluation of learning achievement, and the user attitude and acceptance about this system. With the proposed system, professionals can use their mobile devices to get personalized, adaptive and just-in-time learning supports in real working environment.

Conditions for apprentices’ learning activities at work

The aim of this study was to investigate how apprentices’ learning activities at work can be fostered. This is a crucial issue as learning at work enhances apprentices’ competence development and prepares them for professional development on the job. Therefore, we conducted a study with 70 apprentices in the German dual system and examined the role of school–work alignment and work characteristics as facilitators of apprentices’ work-based learning activities. Outcomes of path modelling showed that apprentices’ engagement in enquiring was facilitated by their perception of work orientation at school. Likewise, if apprentices perceived work as complex and providing autonomy and needs support, they more strongly reflected individually on work-related challenges. Finally, as a consequence of perceiving their work as complex, they sought reflective interactions with others. The study, thus, highlights the importance of challenging, empowering and supportive work environments and of alignment between school and work as facilitators of apprentices’ learning activities at work.

Student Satisfaction with Work-based Learning: Evaluation of a Foundation Degree Health & Social Care Programme

This paper presents findings from an evaluation of student satisfaction with work-based learning as experienced by 57 Foundation degree (Fd) Health & Social Care students. The study participants were all employed by the National Health Service (NHS) in a range of clinical settings in the English Midlands. Three cohorts of students completed a questionnaire which sought to uncover the individual circumstances, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of work-based learners. Students undertaking the acute care, long-term conditions, children and mental health study pathways were supported by a workplace mentor and assessor, while students studying the diagnostic radiography, radiotherapy and mammography pathways had their work-based learning supported by a clinical learning facilitator (CLF). Most of the participants were undertaking the Fd to make the transition from radiography helper or healthcare assistant (HCA) to assistant practitioner (AP). The findings distinguish the individual circumstances of students in the context of their study pathways and on the basis of their contracted hours and the role that they hoped to fill on completion of the programme. Student behaviour was characterised by the regularity with which students worked with their mentors, assessors or CLFs and their engagement in a range of work-based learning activities including practice-based assessments, knowledge and skills acquisition and, with particular regard to radiography students, the learning of new procedures. Although the level of student satisfaction with work-based learning was high, several participants perceived that their colleagues seemed reluctant to recognise them as students in their own right and lacked an awareness of the role of the AP. Participants believed that their confidence had increased and that they were playing a greater role in their clinical teams as a result of gaining knowledge and skills that had helped them to engage in new ways of working.

The Use of Personal Digital Assistants as Tools for Work-Based Learning in Clinical Internships

Though mobile technologies have been studied, their specific value in supporting work-based learning has not yet been investigated. This paper describes a small exploratory study in health care education in which medical students work in clinical practice. The study investigates both the perceived potential as well as the actual role of PDAs in supporting a range of work-based learning activities. Based on the results, the authors claim that PDAs can facilitate work-based learning only when they are deliberately used as a “boundary object” between college and working practices.

Development and acceptability of structured work based learning in a community pharmacy vacation training programme

Abstract The development of structured work based learning (WBL) for use by pharmacy students in a standardised summer vacation work placement is outlined. Assessment methods were developed for measuring the acceptability of the WBL activities and work placement from both the students' and employers' viewpoint. Overall, both were acceptable, and students suggested that the WBL activities should become an integral part of the undergraduate degree course.

Subject-centred learning outcomes of structured work-based learning in a community pharmacy training programme

Abstract Second-year pharmacy students were divided into two cohorts, one of which participated in structured work-based learning (WBL) activities in a summer vacation training programme (VTP) in a community pharmacy work placement. Assessment methods were developed to measure quantitatively any change in knowledge and knowledge-based transferable skills. Results from the assessments showed that participation in structured WBL activities increased the students' knowledge and knowledge-based transferable skills.

Personal learning outcomes of structured work-based learning in a summer vacation work placement in community pharmacy

Abstract If work-based learning is to become an acceptable and accredited part of an undergraduate course, it is essential to incorporate assessment methods in order to measure the students' learning outcomes. Learning outcomes can be subject based or personal. The development of intra- and interpersonal skills by students as a result of work-based learning would lend credit to such learning. This paper describes the methods used to assess the development of students' personal learning outcomes as a result of participation in structured work-based learning activities in a vacation training programme in community pharmacy. Overall, quantitative and qualitative results show that, during work-based learning, the students were able to develop personal skills such as communication, teamworking, motivation, confidence, professional attitudes and decision making. The development of some of these skills would be difficult to achieve in the academic environment.

The Role and Function of Work-based Learning in Aviation Management Programs

Work-based learning (WBL) encompasses various and diverse components of experiential learning. Cooperative education and internship comprise two elements of experiential learning constituting WBL in this study. The importance of WBL is amplified by an aviation industry that identifies “job skill and knowledge” as “highly regarded” characteristics of new hires (Phillips, Ruiz, & Mehta, 2006, p. 126). The study sets out to define the roles and functions of WBL and determine their overall importance from the perspective of those that are engaged in administrating and managing WBL activities in Aviation Management (AVM) programs.

Work-based learning: a leadership development example from an action research study of shared governance implementation

An empowering action research study was undertaken to evaluate and strengthen the implementation of shared governance. One aim was to identify factors that acted as aids or barriers to effective decision-making by clinical leaders. As a work-based learning approach, action research was expected to lead to integration of learning into practice by researcher and participants alike. Shared governance replaces traditional hierarchies and requires and develops clinical leaders. Strategies are needed to maximize learning from introduction of such initiatives at the individual, group and organizational level. Participant-observations and interviews were undertaken with shared governance council members from one model in north-west England. Leadership skills and knowledge and shared governance practices were significantly enhanced. Preparation for council roles was considered inadequate. Increased structured time for reflection and action planning was indicated. Implementation of shared governance has succeeded in developing leadership capacity. Evaluation findings have led to improvements in the overall shared governance model. Action research has been found to have great utility at optimizing work-based learning. Nurse Managers need to develop their coaching and facilitating skills and recognize there is no "quick fix" for developing clinical leaders. Implications include the need to support learners in identifying and implementing changes arising from work-based learning activities, the significant resource implications and the need to optimize the organizational climate if work-based learning approaches to leadership and management development are to succeed.