Learning in vivo

The complimentary roles of tutors and mentors in work-integrated learning

The roles of mentors and tutors respectively, depicted in the winning-trio and circles of relations, mirror the ten commandments of Bova and Phillips (1981, in Nuninger & Châtelet 2011, 97).

The fact that “mentors gain the satisfaction of being able to transfer skills and knowledge accumulated through extensive professional practice” may serve as important feature to solicit buy-in from organisations (Nuninger & Châtelet 2011, 98). 

Bova, B.M. & Philips, R.E. (1981). The mentor relationship, a study of mentors and proteges in business and academia. (Eric 208233).

Nuninger, W. and Châtelet, J.M. 2011. Work-Integrated Learning for Engineers in Coordination with Industries. In P. Keleher; A. Patil, R.E. Harreveld (eds). 2011. Work-integrated learning in engineering, built environment and technology: diversity of practice in practice (pp. 85-109). Hershey, Pa.: Information Science Reference.

Winning-trio and circles of relations in work-based learning

A “truly co-operative educational approach” between the engineering educational institution and employer organisations, reflected by the ‘double-headed arrow’ below the triangle in the figure below, is advocated by Nuninger and Châtelet (2011, 91). The profile (depicted inside the triangle) of the professional production systems engineer in France, serves as the core of the training. The curriculum is altered to meet the demands and needs of the industrial partners. However, the quality is monitored by comparing appropriateness, currency and relevance to the professional reality (Nuninger & Châtelet 2011, 90), and audits are periodically undertaken by the Engineer Title Commission of France. 

The knowledge and skill acquisition of the student (apprentice/learner), depicted at the top corner of the triangle in the figure below, is facilitated by both the academic institution (school) tutor and the workplace (company/industry) mentor. This triangle represents the wining-trio, with its three circles of relations (Figure 6 from Nuninger & Châtelet 2011, 93).

The “strong university-industry partnership arises from … [the] decision to establish a board of management (with both industrial and university membership) to oversee the curriculum and because of the shared university/organization mentoring processes” state Nuninger and Châtelet (2011, 88-89). Further benefits derivable are dependent upon the discourse/s and interactions between the university (and higher education as a collective) and the appropriate professional sector argue Nuninger and Châtelet (2011, 93).

Nuninger, W. and Châtelet, J.M. 2011. Work-Integrated Learning for Engineers in Coordination with Industries. In P. Keleher; A. Patil, R.E. Harreveld (eds). 2011. Work-integrated learning in engineering, built environment and technology: diversity of practice in practice (pp. 85-109). Hershey, Pa.: Information Science Reference.

E-portfolios and assessment via mobile technologies

The South African Council for Higher Education (CHE) imperatives with regard to programme (qualification) accreditation include, among others:

• That the programme must bring about an understanding within students about the specifics of the occupation for which they are being trained.
• That the students should master the techniques and skills required for a specific profession or occupation.
• And where feasible that work-based learning and placement in a work-based environment should form an integral part of the curriculum.

The CHE imperatives with regard to work-integrated learning further include (1) a mentoring system that enables the student to recognise her/his strengths and weaknesses in his/her work, to develop existing and new abilities, and to gain knowledge of work practices; as well as (2) regular and systematic monitoring. Mobile devices may well enable both these.

However, Coulby, Laxton, Boomer and Davies (2011) caution that without a sound pedagogical rationale for the use of mobile devices; technical and infrastructural realities may very possibly reduce student engagement.

Higher educational health and social care curricula often comprise a blend of classroom instruction (in residential education); simulations and work-based placement/s. The latter provide for learning opportunities and the assessment of competencies and professional attributes that cannot be cannot be replicated in the former two. The authentic nature of work-based placement/s enables holistic preparation; preparing graduates for professional practice, including the culture and practices of the particular community of practice. Primary care community clinics are utilised for placements in teaching. (Coulby, et al citing Billet, 2001; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Vygotsky, 1978).

Although work-based placements are regarded essential; Coulby, et al realise that these learning and teaching environments are challenged by practical and sometimes complex issues such as:

• Unreliable or restricted access to PCs and IT infrastructure; resulting in a lack of access to contemporary information; learning materials and social networks.
• Students experiencing uncertainty due to inadequate feedback on their performance resulting in unpreparedness; as well as insufficient monitoring, mentoring and tutoring (pastoral care) due to inadequate resources.

A potential solution explored is the ‘Assessment and Learning in Practical Settings’ (ALPS) programme, which employed mobile technologies. Common competencies, representing ‘readiness’ for professional practice were identified and developed into mobile assessment tools—which enable and encourage students to seek a spectrum of assessment opportunities such as from peers in the health and social care professions; from service users (patients); and self-reflection. The ‘ALPS’ assessments are completed are automatically captured online in e-portfolios; which in turn enable tutor and student review and commentary—in this way future practice of students are shaped and high-level scaffolding feasible. The University of Leeds, for example, has several hundred students in six different discipline/qualification cohorts.

Coulby, C; Laxton, J; Boomer, S & Davies, N. 2011. Mobile technology and assessment: A case study from the ALPS (Assessment and Learning in Practical Settings) programme, pp. 51-70. In N Pachler, C Pimmer & J Seipold (Eds). 2011. Work-based Mobile Learning — concepts and cases. Oxford: Peter Lang.

Networking for experiential learning providers

Cooperative and work-integrated education (CWIE) in higher education is about the institution and industry collaborating in offering educational programmes. The occupational field plays a key role in curriculum design, during which it is determined if work-integrated learning is the appropriate teaching and learning method and what part of the curriculum should be taught/learned this way. It follows that employers in industry should then serve as experiential/work-integrated learning providers (ELPs).

Take note of what Thelme Janse van Rensburg (2012: 25) accentuates:

Online marketing is the fastest growing branch of marketing today. As the world becomes ever more connected, keeping up with development and trends is vital for marketers trying to reach new audiences — who are more discerning, fragmented and cynical than ever.

You may ask what does this have to do with cooperative and work-integrated education. Allow me to explain. “Effective communication with your target market is key to business success” states (Janse van Rensburg, 2012: 25). Translated into higher education it means: effective communication with the key stakeholders employing the graduates of your qualification is key to success in teaching and learning.

Online communication with members of the community of practice provides an affordable means to attract potential experiential/work-integrated learning providers (ELPs). Janse van Rensburg (2012) emphasises that successful marketing (read communication) is about reaching the right people, in the right places at the right time. Knowing online avenues and selecting the most appropriate one/s to reach the target market/s is not only becoming a vital soft skill for marketers, but also vitally important for CWIE-practitioners.

• Online marketing (communication) extends beyond advertising on Internet to include target-market email communication; social media utilisation; search engine optimisation; and online public relations.
• Where to start, says Janse van Rensburg (2012), is at the programme’s webpage/s—a “front desk” where you can direct targeted people for qualification information and what the work-integrated learning (WIL) entail.
• Search engine optimisation (SEO) includes ‘tricks’ to increase the visibility of webpages through search engines—in effect to improve the ranking by enhancing the popularity.
• The social media, says Janse van Rensburg (2012), “provides a significant window of opportunity for getting in touch with” the community of practice:
  • Facebook, Twitter and Mxit present opportunities to inform and stay in touch through both an online profile and interaction. Twitter is an excellent means to keep in touch with the community of practice. Key players can further attract interest by liking Facebook entries.
  • LinkedIn allows for ‘business-to-business’ networking within the community of practice.
  • A blog serves as excellent facility to publish regular updates and snippets of information. Members in the community of practice may, as readers, subscribe to feeds to inform them about new posts. Previous posts are searchable through categories and sequential history. Readers may participate through comments and even as guest authors (if permitted by the blog provider).
  • YouTube enables the sharing of online videos about, for example, developments in the field; and the mentoring of students.

The ‘Big Five’ in social media in South Africa are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and YouTube.

Janse van Rensburg (2012) likens an email campaign to the historical method of distributing pamphlets; but with the added advantage that it allows for responses and online conversations. The lists of addresses of the members of professional, vocational and/or statutory bodies can be obtained in order to generate a range of persuasive messages to generate interest and recruit ELPs.

Janse van Rensburg (2012) further mentions online marketing. Adverts on the webpages of professional, vocational and/or statutory bodies; the webpages of journals relevant to the community of practice; etc, could be used cost-effectively.

Janse van Rensburg, T. 2012. Revitalise your business. Professional Beauty, September 2012, 25-28.

Restorative Formative Normative Custodian

In an article titled ‘But I thought you were doing that’ Rowe, Mackaway and Winchester-Seeto (2012) attempt to clarify the role of the host mentor/supervisor in the experience-based learning setting. They present the following model:

The model identifies four key roles: Restorative (supporting the student); Formative (fulfilling an educatinal role); Normative (administrative functions); and Custodian (guardian role within the community of practice). 

The article elaborates on the aspects that make up the four roles.

Rowe, T.; Mackaway, J. & Winchester-Seeto, T. 2012. ‘But I thought you were doing that’ – Clarifying the role of the host supervisor in experience-based learning. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2012(2), 115-134.

WIL “is not as intuitive as it may seem”

The 12 points below originates from a summary and explanation by Annie Murphy Paul about a recent report on the science of training. She points out that there are right ways and wrong ways (myths) regarding how to design, deliver, and implement training. I adapted the 12 points to work-integrated learning (WIL):

1. It’s what happens before and after WIL that matters. Universities should clearly communicate to students what the WIL is about and how it relates to curriculum of the qualification and the day one competencies expected from graduates.
2. The WIL guidelines should clearly specify what a student need-to-be master versus learning where and how to find information rather than be expected to retain all information in memory.
3. WIL would be more effective when it’s presented as an opportunity of which the benefits to students are emphasised.
4. Decay of skills acquired during WIL may be reduced by giving students subsequent opportunities to practice the skills and/or refresher orientation upon employment.
5. Workplace mentors could increase the motivation of students by making clear the link between what is being taught during WIL and how it will be used in the careers of students.
6. The best WIL occurs through the practice in the workplace and feedback by workplace mentors — the effectiveness of WIL can be increase by making the process more active and engaging for students.
7. Mentors should be made aware that unstructured practice by students without clear objectives; without relevant stimulation; and without appropriate feedback can teach students wrong lessons. Students “will get the most out of practice when they are provided with constructive and timely feedback that identifies what they may be doing wrong and how to fix it”.
8. Superficial exposure during WIL leads to poor retention and poor transfer; whereas deep learning promotes retention and transfer.
9. There is value—both strategically and emotionally—in teaching students to cope with errors made. Workplace mentors should guide students to correct mistakes made which will help students to understand the task in greater depth and will help them deal with errors on the job.
10. Technology and contemporary gadgetry would not necessary improve WIL. However, if implemented appropriately it may add to the effectiveness of WIL.
11. Left to their own devices, students “may not be knowledgeable or motivated enough to make wise decisions about how and what to learn”, sound guidance is important.
12. The “psychological fidelity—how accurately it evokes the feelings and the responses the worker will have on the job” of simulations is more important than physical fidelity a student will encounter as worker on the job.

Paul, A.M. 2012. Learning on the job: myth vs science (How do we really learn to do our jobs?). A post published 2 July 2012 on Wray Herbert's blog We're only Human.

Salas, E.; Tannenbaum, S.I.; Kraiger, K. & Smith-Jentsch, K.A. 2012. The Science of Training and Development in Organizations: What Matters in Practice. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(2) 74–101.

Rhizomatous propagation of Co-op & Work-integrated Ed support

Propagating involves the breeding of specimens by natural processes from the parent stock. Rhizomes are creeping plant rootstalks or rootstocks that send out shoots and roots from its nodes. The word rhizome originates from New Latin rhizoma, meaning a "mass of roots"; which stems from Ancient Greek rhizóō, meaning "cause to strike root"; and rhiza, meaning "a root".

Cooperative and Work-integrated Education qualifications/programmes are distinguished by two characteristics, namely:

• Credit bearing work-experience forms an important part/s of the curriculum that is aimed at producing work-ready graduates.
• The curriculum is designed in conjunction with, supported by, and retained relevant by representation from the occupational-field that the programme is intended for.

Good Cooperative and Work-integrated Education practice is characterised by:

• An appropriate advisory system ensuring the retained relevance of the programme through providing regular updating input and critique about the existing curriculum.
• Continuous propagating and cultivating activities to retain and expand a supportive occupational community which is vital for (a) providing real-life work experience opportunities; as well as (b) mentoring of students by workplace supervisors during period of experience; and (c) evaluative input about the competence acquisition of students for graduation purposes.

The metaphor (rhizomatous propagation) suggests:

• Starting of a new garden from good quality rhizomes (irises, cannas and asparagus) — curriculum design in close collaboration with the vocational community and/or professional/statutory body.
• Keep the programme flavour just right by cooking/brewing with good quality rhizomes (ginger, hops and turmeric) — frequently consult the community of practice.
• The underground rhizome is crucial to longevity — foragers, insects, fungus, and fires may attempt to damage the qualification (the above-ground portion of an aspen colony), but a supportive group of practitioners will keep the qualification healthy and protected against threats.
• Rhizomes send out internodes that form roots from the bottom of the nodes and new upward-growing shoots from the top of the nodes — the members of the programme’s advisory system are instrumental in expanding the network of supportive organisations.
• Similar to a rhizome, a stolon (e.g. strawberry plants) grow long internodes that generates new shoots at the end — active marketing interventions takes place to generate wider support.
• A rhizome (also stem tuber or enlarged stolon) serves as storage organ that is often high in starch (e.g. common potatoes) — enabling survival during winter or drought.
• The rhizomes of some species grow above ground, e.g. iris species lie at the soil surface; whereas other are underground, e.g. bamboo — some members of the community of practice render explicit support whereas the contributions of other are equivocal.
• Generally rhizomes form a single layer, but some form a multi-tiered mass — in some communities of practice a qualification may lead to a variety of career paths, whereas in other it is limited.

Drafting experiential education procedures for a university

Those who have been involved in a policy and/or procedure creation process at a university will know it is not an easy task. Substantial literature reviews (which I blogged about during the recent past) that informed a first draft had been undertaken. This draft (Download Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning) has been distributed by e-mail to key role players within the university for critique and comment. The commentary received has been incorporated and a second draft made institutionally available on Intranet and called for commentary through the university's daily e-news mail (Download 2nd Draft of Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning).

At this point a meeting with a senior educational-support line manager resulted in further review and supplementation. A third draft -- Download 3rd Draft of Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning has been produced, which served as discussion document with several key stakeholders. Following thorough consultation and incorporation of input, contributions, commentary, critique and recommended structural changes the process has since arrived at a sixth draft -- Download 6th draft towards a Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning. The sixth draft got formally tabled at a committee within the structure and accepted in principle - subject to a few changes. This new version (Download Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning DRAFT 2-1 - apologies for the hyperlinks to Intranet pages that readers would not have access to) is now the official 2nd draft, for which a powerpoint presentation (Download Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning) had been prepared in order to present it at a next level internal committee.

Ultimately a Procedural Manual for Experiential Learning had been presented to Senate 13 June 2012 and approved, whereafter it was placed on Intranet with the University Council approved Policy for Experiential Learning.

Three modes of experiential education

The Best Practices for Legal Education (2007) publication of the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) represents the fruit of 25 years of rich dialogue among American law teachers, lawyers, and judges, regarding the education of lawyers. In the foreword is stated that the American Bar Association convened a 1984 conference ‘Legal Education and the Profession: Approaching the 21st Century’. The foreword further states that in 1987 Justice Rosalie Wahl of the Minnesota Supreme Court and Chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar rhetorically asked:

Have we really tried in law school to determine what skills, what attitudes, what character traits, what quality of mind are required of lawyers? Are we adequately educating students through the content and methodology of our present law school curriculums to perform effectively as lawyers after graduation?

The purpose of this elaborate prologue is to convey the credible nature of the three modes of experiential education identified in Chapter 5: Best Practices for Experiential Courses (pp 121 – 152, note that the page numbers of individual online chapters differ from the full publication) of the CLEA Best Practices for Legal Education (2007: 122), namely:

• In-house law clinics offering students opportunities to represent clients or perform other professional roles under the supervision of members of the faculty
• Externships — where students represent clients or perform other professional roles under the supervision of practicing lawyers or they observe or assist practicing lawyers or judges in their work
• Simulation-based courses granting students hypothetical situations to assume professional roles and perform law-related tasks

These three modes, although many different terms are used, are common in many disciplines, for example:

• Practicals, laboratory work, applied field experiences facilitated and managed by lecturers
• Work-integrated/experiential/work-based learning in the occupational field under supervision of an experienced practitioner
• Simulated learning providing experience in hypothetical situations

Brayne, Duncan and Grimes (1998: 244) address externships as a means for law students to obtain a credit “working in legal settings”. It is interesting to note that “in the United States, students may not receive financial compensation for work which warrants educational credit”. Brayne, Duncan and Grimes (1998) identify both advantages and disadvantages with regard to externships. Potential advantages include “lower costs, variety of opportunities, work experience, service to the community, and flexibility”. As far as disadvantages are concerned, the main one identified is the potential “lack of control over the quality of the educational experience”.

Brayne, H; Duncan, N & Grimes, R. 1998. Clinical legal education: active learning in your law school. London: Blackstone.

Stuckey, R & Others. 2007. Best Practices for Legal Education. United States: Clinical Legal Education Association. Retrieved 2 November 2011 from: http://www.cleaweb.org/best-practices -- note the hyperlink to the best practices blog at the bottom of the web page.

Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships now open access

JCEI access for individuals is now open to the public at no charge! Vol 45 Issue 01 has just been published:

Topic	Page
International centre of social science education and research in The Hague, The Netherlands.	5
Development of Learning Outcomes Assessment Methods for Co-operative Education Programs	11
Where’s WIL? Including work-integrated learning in descriptions of what it is that academics do	34
Comparative Curriculum Analysis of Mechanical Engineering Technology Programs at Purdue University and the National Taipei University of Technology	45
Mentoring Latinos in STEM: Transforming Struggling Co-op Students into Savvy Professionals	53
Developing an Online Learning Community for Engineering, Cooperative-Education Students: A Design-Based Research Study	67
Professionalising Accounting Education – The WIL Experience	80
Responding to Rapid Change in Higher Education: Enabling University Departments Responsible for Work Related Programs Through Boundary Spanning	94

JCEI is offered through EBSCO's library subscription for institutions. Request your university library to purchase subscription.

Three-prong implementation plan: Workplace learning and/or simulations

The point of departure ought to be the institutional Team Approach Framework to Curriculum and Learning Development (TAFCLD). This framework specifies with regard to both Step 1: Academic Review and/or Feasibility Study; and Step 2: Curriculum Planning; that the team involved ought to include occupational field representation. The inclusion of relevant industry; commerce; local, provincial and central government; relevant NGOs; relevant professional and/or vocational bodies; and potential employers is of particular importance should workplace learning be agreed upon as a curriculum requirement. The initial representation serves as spring board for further networking in order to secure sufficient workplace learning hosting partnerships.

Where to start procedures for cooperative and work-integrated education?

At collaboration! CWIE is about cooperative education and about integrating work in education. An educational institution cannot offer CWIE programmes in isolation. Partnerships/collaboration is essential.

Internationally, it is considered essential to work according to unambiguous standard operating procedures (SOPs) to maintain quality. A SOP is a “written procedure prescribed for repetitive use as a practice, in accordance with agreed upon specifications aimed at obtaining a desired outcome”.

Why integrate work experience in a learning programme? The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) defines a learning programme as “the sequential learning activities, associated with curriculum implementation, leading to the achievement of a particular qualification or part qualification”. The decision to include work experience in a learning programme is a curriculum decision—where curriculum “refers to all of the teaching and learning opportunities that take place in learning institutions including:

• purpose and values of the learning
• learning outcomes
• content, activities, methods, media
• teaching, learning strategies
• forms of assessment
• evaluation of delivery, moderation”

If workplace experience is considered necessary it is included. But who decided? Stakeholder representation in the decision making is essential for determining fitness of purpose. However, unless the perceived relevant workplace experience can be adequately replicated within the teaching delivery, partnerships with sufficient stakeholder hosts are an undeniable necessity.

The starting point for any qualification therefore is adequate stakeholder representation. If during such stakeholder deliberations about the curriculum of the qualification indicate that inclusion workplace learning is regarded necessary, then shared responsibility and stakeholder partnerships become a condition of the learning programme. This is how cooperative work-integrated education become part of the teaching strategy.

It is further important that the educational institution nurture and expand the stakeholder involvement and establish sufficient partnerships to have sufficient hosting opportunities for the credit-bearing curriculum part work experience.

The nature of the work experience; the learning content thereof; how the learning would be acquired; the methods of accumulation of evidence of such learning; and the assessment thereof forms part of the teaching and learning development that flows from the curriculum decision.

The methods of maintaining communication with stakeholders; the identification of students in need of placement; the facilitation of the selection by organisations as to which student/s will be hosted; the preparation of students for such selection; the placement procedures and contracting with host organisations; the monitoring of the required workplace experience and monitoring of the mentoring of the learning; the monitoring of formative assessment and the summative assessment of accomplishment; would all form part of the SOPs.

Mentoring continuum

Specific interventions over time to address specific situations, namely counselling, coaching and mentoring (short- and long-term):

• Counselling is generally regarded as remedial, but could also be a proactive means towards improving practice. It is about reflection on a job done, draws from the experience en enables improvement (reflective).
• Couching is more instructive in nature, icluding demonstration, modelling and/or clarifying expected compentence required.
• Mentoring goes beyond the task at hand, focussing on the mentee's development; in the short-term on preparing the mentee for an immediate furure job; whereas long-term considers the career and life of the mentee.

 
The source of this sketch is: Raven, G. 2011. Mentoring to support work-integrated learning -- a source book for strengthening conservative professional, practice and organisations. Cape Town: Cape Action for People and the Environment (C.A.P.E.) Capacity Development Programme. [Page 21] 

I experienced this sketch and explanations as wow!

Raven's (2011: 39) levels of mentoring, purpose thereof and suggested focus are further most useful:

 
The entire publication (of much better legibility quality) is downloadable.

Semester in-industry learning industry affiliates model

The semester-in-industry model is, according to Edwards (2007) a characteristic of the Australian undergraduate engineering work-integrated learning industry affiliates program. Engineers Australia, the Australian engineering accrediting body, advocates that a key differentiating element of a professional engineering degree from an applied science degree is exposure through work-practice. The industry affiliates program entail students work on a joint industry-university supervised project during the first semester of the final year. Edwards (2007) summarizes the roles and responsibilities of the three partners to the industry affiliates program as follow:

• The industry partner provides the resources for the project; technical supervision for the student; and a suitable workplace for the student similar to that provided for commencing engineers. Industry partners are not expected to pay students.
• The aim is to integrate the student into the professional culture of organization. The student manages the project and adheres to the dress and attendance standards of the industry partner.
• The university selects suitable projects (in consultation with industry partners); help match students to projects; and provides academic supervision of students by visiting student in industry placement to ensure the meeting of requirements.

 The schedule of a typical industry affiliates program model is as follow (Edwards 2007):

October (of year before)	Briefing of students and preparation of CVs
November	List of project topics released and student apply
December to January	Students interviewed and selected for projects
February	Pre-industry workshops; agreements signed between industry partner and student; and student prepares project milestones
February to June	Industry experience by executing an assigned project and regular monitoring of project plan by industry and university
June	Exhibition of projects and submission of thesis

Work-integrated Learning (WiL) is a term used by many Australian universities and internationally to refer to activities that integrate the work (or industry) experience with formal studies. Edwards (2007) points out that it can take multiple forms, such as periods of work experience, internships, site visits, industry based projects, case studies using industry experience, having industry experts provide guest lectures, etc.

Edwards, D. 2007. Integrating Work Integrated Learning. Presented at the International Conference on Engineering Education – ICEE 2007, September 3 – 7, Coimbra, Portugal. Retrieved February 10, 2011 from http://www.ineer.org/Events/ICEE2007/papers/226.pdf   

A systemic enabling environment for successful work-integrated learning

Distance education (DE) and work-integrated learning (WiL) appear to be incompatible to the minds of some higher education (HE) open distance learning (ODL) purists. Yet, WiL is supposed to occur in authentic learning spaces, for example the appropriate work-place.

The Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the South African Council for Higher Education (CHE) specifies imperatives, which might be foreign to DE academics that are used to purely theoretical teaching and that do not want to deviate from set resourcing models. However, the imperatives are not much different from those recommended for service learning (as a form of community engagement and outreach). Download Extract_Good_Practice_Guide+Self_Evaluation

One of the nine critical success factors the CHE highlights at module level is reciprocity, which entail a state of mutual exchange. A well coordinated collaborative effort, with clarity of roles and databases, are necessary in order to succeed with regard to the obligation of a higher education institutions (HEIs) to place students that need WiL as part of the qualification/programme registered for. Now reciprocity is a foreign concept for an advocate of academic freedom, which in an era of stake holder accountability got replaced by evidence of adequate consultation before the introduction of or changes to a qualification is approved by the CHE.

The people of the ancient world considered the universe to be constructed from the five elements of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, and Sky. During the past week a colleague sketched—illustrated below—her vision with regard to a WiL enabling environment, comprising fundamentally five elements with interaction in-between. Another colleague immediately picked up on the systemic nature. While looking on Internet for an illustration of five elements interacting, I came across the traditional Chinese philosophy of five elements; as well as the classical Greek five elements, Hinduism (Tattva), Buddhism (Mahābhūta), Japanese (Godai), Chinese (Wu Xing), Modern and Neo-paganism — fascinating!

We have scheduled a workshop to engage with the five fundamental elements, in order to produce a Procedural Manual on Experiential Learning, is a means towards a systemic enabling environment for successful WiL. Here are some of the triggers already generated.

Student — What is needed in order to enable students to successfully complete their WiL? For example:

• The students in need of WiL placements need to be known
• Unisa need to be know when and where such students are likely to be required to do their WiL
• Students need to know when first registering for a programme/qualification that contains one or more WiL modules that they would be required to complete such and what is involved
• Students need clear guidelines of what learning is required and what learning evidence must be submitted, e.g. portfolio or logbook.
• And?
•  

 Academic — What must lecturers do and/or provide to enable completion of WiL? For example:

• A vocational programme is designed, developed and offered in close collaboration with the fraternity/profession/industry it intends to produce qualified people for—a functional advisory committee with adequate representation of stake holder if critical. Collaboration is the second critical success factor of good practice identified by the CHE.
• The contact details of committed employers, willing to offer our students WiL opportunities, should be accessible on a central database
• The academic designs and develop suitable learning enabling material
• Academics provide guidelines to work-place mentors
• Academic management and lecturers responsible for programmes that entail WiL should continuously expand their networks and recruit employers that are willing to offer our students WiL opportunities
• Lecturers undertake monitoring visits and the summative assessment of the WiL evidence students submit, as well as their mentor assessments
• Where mentors/employers indicate that they are prepared to host other students for WiL, such details should be centrally captured, in order to be available to regional support staff.
• And?
•  

 Regional Support — What is it envisaged, how would regional staff support students regarding WiL? For example:

• Regional staff need access to various data bases:
  • Which students need WiL placements in a particular semester
  • Employers in the area that indicated willingness to take our students for their prerequisite WiL
  • The mentor agreements outlining the role of the workplace mentor (suitable remuneration for mentors need to be addressed)
  • The employer contracts, setting out roles and accountability
• Would identify potential employers in the geographical area concerned and endeavour to recruit such in conjunction with the academics concerned
• Would identify community service need/opportunities that could equate/substitute work-integrated learning and develop such in conjunction with the academics concerned
• Would facilitate preparation of students prior to selection by would be host employers
• And?
•  

Employer — What do employers need and what does the role of employers include regarding the WiL of students? For example:

• Both those of current employed students and those that host students for placements need clarity on the role of the employer, what is expected from the mentor (often the student's workplace supervisor), what the university expects the student to learn and to submit as learning evidence
• Need to be made aware of Sectoral Education & Training Authority (SETA) funding benefits accessible for offering our students workplace experience (SETA terminology) towards obtaining a higher education qualification
• And?
•  

Coordination — What is the expected role of a central unit and what services are expected? For example:

• A comprehensive database of the students involved, who need placements, etc.
• A database of employers that declared willingness to host students for WiL.
• And?

The other seven critical success factors of good practice identified by the CHE are: Needs assessment; Alignment; Student placements; Student orientation; Role clarification; Reflection; and Logistics

Workplace learning is learning-work

How is experiential learning structured for life in beta? In fast-paced realities the luxury of going into design-mode, to develop something, may not be feasible because the problem may have changed whilst not looking.

Simple work is outsourced and even complicated work automated. Holding onto best practices may result in falling behind. Emerging practices for continual changes requires knowledge-sharing. Complexity is often the order of the day, requiring problems-solving and continuous learning by probing. Learning is work.

The workplace learning part of educational programmes, I believe, should therefore be focussed on identification and solving of real-problems by applying knowledge gained from theoretical study and by making use of social-media to pool the expertise of others. Structured learning should entail the identification of a real complex problem in conjunction with a workplace mentor, not mundane recording of time spent in a logbook. Structured learning need not imply predetermined exposure and collection of a portfolio of evidence in this regard.

Curriculum design decision responsive to stakeholder needs

The inclusion of work-integrated learning in the curriculum of an educational programme is a design decision, in response to stakeholder needs.

Stakeholder undertaking with regard to supporting work-integrated learning is crucial for the success thereof.

An educational institution that fails to grasp these two points is likely to struggle, if not fail, to make work-integrated learning work.

An educational institution that disregards continued stakeholder relationships underestimates the importance thereof.

An educational institute must ensure adequate representation of stakeholders in the design and/or revision of the curriculum. Such a curriculum-design collaboration must conclude which parts (if any) of the curriculum would be best achieved through real-life experience, rather than any other learning-mode. The occupational-field representation must consider it feasible to provide the relevant real-life learning contexts and mentors and undertake to make it happen.

The curriculum design and/or revision must never be an isolated event. An advisory structure, with adequate representation of stakeholders, must guide the offering of the programme and in particular the various aspects that enhance work-integrated learning, such as:

• Learning materials that guide the relevant real-life experiences would bring about the relevant learning.
• Materials to orientate students upon entry into work-integrated learning and guidelines for work-place mentors.
• Materials that would facilitate reflection on work experiences in order to bring about learning.
• Specifications and guidelines with regard to learning evidence required for summative assessment of work-integrated learning.
• Guidelines for the monitoring of the progress of students during work-integrated learning and formative assessment purposes.

Definition of work-integrated learning and related terms

[Updated 27 April 2010, based on commentary received]

Work-integrated learning (WiL) is one of the tuition and learning components of Unisa students, registered for vocational and professional programmes offered by Unisa. Work-integrated learning:

· focuses on theory and practice in relevant authentic, work-based contexts

· helps the student socialise into the workplace environment

· is differentiated from laboratory and field practicals

· is aimed at developing specific competence that forms part of the overall curriculum

· relates to the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes -- in an integrated way; learning work practices; whole person and interpersonal relations development

· is achieved through the placement at and hosting of students by employer organisations

· is enabled by workplace mentoring, aimed at helping the student recognise her/his strengths and development needs

· is monitored by academic staff and assessed by both workplace practitioners and academic staff

· is ultimately an institutional responsibility, accountable to statutory, professional and/or vocational bodies

· is dependent upon a structured training relationship between Unisa, host employer organisation and the student, as illustrated below:

 

 

Download Wil definition - 1st notes by Prof Geertsema + Prof Hendrick + Dr Groenewald

Terminology in use and/or well known among stalwarts in the vocational and/or professional fields:

· Cooperative education	1. A form of education in which the educational institution and the occupational field co-operate in order to provide a joint educational programme, which includes workplace experience 2. A strategy where students undergo in-service training and gain work experience as integral part of their curriculum. The experience complements and supplements the academic learning to produce employment ready graduates. The experience must be well planned and supervised.
· Employer organisation	A host organisation that receives students and provides services, resources, etc. in aid of a student’s learning: welcome, orientate, dwell and sent forth.
· Experiential/in-service training or learning	The in‐occupational field experiences described as a process of placing students in the workplace for hands‐on experience. A workplace activity linked to the formal academic programme for purposes of experiential performance and to allow the student first‐hand experience. The process must allow for abstract conceptualization, experimentation, real and concrete experience and reflective observation. Is typically done in terms of a log book with supervision by a workplace mentor. Students apply their knowledge gained and by doing and experiencing the daily routines.
· Experiential learning grant (ELG)	A Sectoral Education & Training Authority (SETA) grant that caters for studnets who need in-service training as a requirement for the successful completion of a registered qualification.
· Laboratory or field practical/practicum	It is a form of tuition where activities and/or experiments are done with required apparatus in order to illustrate theory and give students an opportunity to gain supervised experiences. It is differentiated from work-integrated learning in that it forms part of the theory tuition, but undertaken in a suitably equipped laboratory, which could be in nature.
· Field based training	A model of distance education for teaching the conceptual material and enabling students located throughout the country to be trained largely in their home-based contexts, with the focus on professional development work. This comprises fieldwork practice and supervision in home locations.
· Mentoring	A competent and suitably qualified practitioner (the mentor), fostering, helps and guides the student’s (the mentee) growth and development—normally not done for personal gain.
· Monitoring	On-site monitoring by academic staff is done with the following specific objectives in mind: ·    To gather evidence regarding the learning of the student ·    To detect the student’s progress towards attaining the learning outcomes ·    To obtain the workplace supervisor’s (mentor) evaluation about the performance and conduct of the student ·    To mediate discretely regarding problems identified ·    To aid the student to reflect on experiences, in order to optimise learning
· Placement	1. The site where a student undergoes experience 2. The process of facilitating the student’s application and interview process as may be required by host organisations after short-listing
· Workplace learning	Many higher education programmes consider workplace learning to be a valid learning experience for students. Most professional training programmes include a ‘practicum’, which can vary from a few weeks to a few years of practical experience at a site of professional practice. This model can be strongly or weekly integrated into the formal learning programme, depending on how it is supported, supervised, and assessed. In such programmes, the workplace is present, both as a learning resource and as a benchmark of practice

Download Glossary of Terms related to work-integrated learning (WiL)

Raw learning materials and learning tools

Sweitzer & King (2004:4-5) differentiates between classroom and internship learning with regard to two dimensions. I am adapting their description to distance education:

	Distance theoretical learning	Internship learning
The raw learning materials	Study guides, reading, tutorial letters, exercises, on-line discussions & tutorial sessions	Intellectual, physical and human experimental interactions—full of feelings and struggles. These emotions are not just a backdrop to the real-work experience, but every bit as real and important. Mastery of psyco-motor skills may also apply.
The learning tools	Memorise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate.	Experience must be processed and organised; reflective dialogue with self and others is a primary tool for learning; and relationships are the medium of internship.

Please note that Sweitzer & King (2004:3) use the internship to refer to a range terms of that entail an academic credit for experiences, for example field work/experience, cooperative/field education and practicum (terms they indicate no consensus exists on about the meaning).

Sweitzer & King (2004:6-7) further clarify the following terms (Download Sweitzer+King-terms):

• Placement or site—refers to the place where the student is working (gaining experience).
• Intern—refers to the student or volunteer who is working.
• Supervisor—person assigned by the placement site to mentor the student.
• Instructor—the academic staff member that oversees the student's placement.
• Coworker—refers to other people working at the placement.

Sweitzer, H.F. & King, M.A. 2004. The successful internship—transformation and empowerment in experiential learning, 2^nd edition. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole—Thompson Learning.

Commentary e-mailed by a peer:

"Thomas, my comments:

Perhaps consideration be given to differentiate between and internship and experiential learning/work integrated learning. Internship specifically refers to students after a qualification has been achieved, whilst experiential learning/WIL is while the student is busy with its qualification.

The principle of experiential learning applies to both however there might be a difference. I do recognize a difference since the one is part of a qualification and the students is perhaps less mature than a graduate (intern) who is more mature and is a graduate. Time is an important factor. Maturity in terms of cognitive, emotional, social skills  etc

Wrt internship, I would recommend the integration of the theories of learning which will explain many of the emotional, social and cognitive processes of the learner, in terms of EL/WIL which can be related to an intern as well.

Wrt Terminology:  

I prefer using a workstation instead of a placement site,

Instructor I am a bit uncomfortable with, I would rather use a term like a supervisor or mentor.

Hope this was of value Thomas!

Marius"

Three key dimensions of work-integrated learning

When work-integrated learning is considered a necessary part of the curriculum of a qualification, it is important to systemically link three key dimensions, namely: teaching, marketing & counselling.

Two of the Ps of marketing are important considerations. Firstly, product—educational institutions are obliged to consult the relevant occupational field in the curriculum design of a qualification. Adequate representation of stake holders (including statutory, professional and/or vocational bodies) is important, not only for relevancy, but also for buy-in and support—an institution cannot offer a qualification that includes work-integrated learning, without sufficient host organisations willing to take students for real-life experiences in accordance with the curriculum outcomes. It follows logically that if there is good support within the occupational field that work-integrated learning is an important aspect of the curriculum, then less marketing (place, another P) efforts would be required to secure sufficient host organisations for students to undergo experience. It further follows logically that to ensure continuous relevance of the qualification and the support of the occupational field, continuous consultation is necessary—the formation and regular gathering of an advisory committee is therefore advocated. Advocates of academic freedom resist the idea of consumerism; however, public higher education institutions are accountable to its public and the state. Institutions might as well reap the benefit of sound marketing—satisfying the needs of the occupational/professional field the qualification intends to serve.

Teaching involves many aspects. It is among others very important to design a curriculum of a qualification as a whole and develop the learning of each part of the curriculum with the overall outcome in mind. Work-integrated learning as part of the overall curriculum requires special attention because students are generally removed from the institution—the learning takes place in a environment that academia do not have control over, yet the institution is ultimately responsible to ensure the learning outcomes were achieved. Orientation of students to the desired learning and a learning design that would bring about the desired learning is important. The workplace mentor needs to be given guidance in order to facilitate the relevant learning. The learning design includes the design of the appropriate learning evidence that will serve as substantiation that the student mastered the required learning outcomes. Formative assessment and summative evaluation of work-integrated learning also forms part of the teaching. In the South African context the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council for Higher Education (CHE) determined a number of criteria towards good practice with regard to work-integrated learning.

Students come from various contexts; some are better prepared for entry into the world of work than other. Those underprepared students need counselling-type interventions to aid their development. Often higher education institutions offer a range of career and counselling services, such as CV writing, business writing, life skills, assertiveness, communication skills, etc. In the South African context the Department of Higher Education & Training gazetted that institutions that offer qualifications that include work-integrated learning are obliged to make sure that students are placed for such learning. It is advisable that those institutional support staff responsible to secure willing host organisations work together with the career and counselling staff in preparing students for the selection for work-integrated learning placements. It should be evident that the marketing aspect outlined in the first paragraph is crucial to the gazetted placement obligation.

Revised 17 August 2010: What I omitted, in error, from the above is the organisational perspective of talent growth through programmes that include work-integrated learning. The entire dimension of succession planning, people/talent development and the facilitation of organisational learning.