Partnerships between higher education institution departments that offer qualification which include work-integrated learning in the curriculum; and workplace learning providers in the relevant occupational field/s are generally accepted as essential in the cooperative and work-integrated education community.
Kamper and Du Plessis (2014, 79) recommends the use of appreciative inquiry to assess the health and sustainability of an institution’s partnerships. The basic premise of appreciative inquiry is to focus on organisational strengths. By giving attention to organisational problems, more problems will be identified. However, by appreciating what is best in an organisation more and more good will be revealed. Through a collaborative appreciative inquiry approach, institutions and their industry partners would appreciate what is inherently good (an affirmative focus) and may envision what might be. By approaching partnership through appreciative inquiry a trust building and life sustaining environment is stimulated. Appreciative inquiry further offers an action research opportunity.
Kamper, G.D. & du Plessis, E.C. 2014.) Some critical reflections on open distance learning, with particular reference to work-integrated learning, Africa Education Review, 11:1, 77-90. Accessed 12 March 2014 at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/18146627.2013.853568
Comments