Learning in vivo

ePortfolio more than a digital ring-binder, lever-arch file, or handbag

“The eportfolio as a 'digital handbag' which uses digital tools to document, store and organise information provides an appropriate alternative to the paper portfolio” say McDermott and Gallagher (2011: 96). Several years ago, during a monitoring visit as industry-based coordinator of workplace-based learning (WPBL), I noticed that the trainee accessing a gym-bag, explaining that he gathers sample documentation from the workplace, and keeps these in order to complete his learning programme assignments and projects. Personally, as many others do, I’ve kept a lever-arch file for my notes and assignments for an online course, for which I had to submit a portfolio of evidence. However, it has been an ‘a-ha moment’ for me realising the role and value of eportfolios as alternative teaching tools.

It is generally recognised that “lengthy paper portfolio had become out-dated as it no longer reflected the needs” of learning environments, say McDermott and Gallagher (2011: 96) and cite the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) describing an eportfolio as “the new generation of the old 3-ring binder”. ePortfolios are “dynamic and flexible tool[s] for collecting and presenting information about students’ learning and development”, and vehicles “for achieving asynchronous and non-geographical opportunities for sharing and providing guidance in the process of reflection which is an essential element in developing learner autonomy”. ePortfolios also offer opportunities to showcase the ‘evidence of learning’ of “students and their work to a variety of audiences such as prospective employers”. Carter (2021: 463) states that “higher education graduates are expected to provide evidence demonstrating a complex skill set as they transition to employment, and ePortfolios are a potential tool with which to do this”.

“Work-integrated learning (WIL) is an umbrella term” says Carter (2021: 463), who describes WIL as “the intentional practice of integrating traditional academic learning with applied learning for and in the workplace, with the intention of the student making connections between and deriving greater meaning from both contexts” and is based on “the underlying principles of constructivist education”. However, there exists tension between practicing or gaining workplace experience and evidencing for assessment or proving employability. This tension (or gap) can be mitigated “by integrating electronic portfolios, or ePortfolios into the curriculum”. McDermott and Gallagher (2011: 96) explains how eportfolios are integrated into a workplace-based learning (WPBL) or a cooperative education (co-op) programme, as forms of WIL. Students are allocated an academic and a work-based supervisor. The first “assures academic rigour and advises on placement choice” and “also supports students with the development of the learning agreement which articulates the learning aims and outcomes the student hopes to achieve in the placement”, while the second “mentors each student in the development of their employability skills during a 150 hour placement”. The summative assessment of students entails a “reflective portfolio based on their co-op experience”. Majola (2023) says an eportfolio is “an electronic collection of evidence that shows the learning journey over time and documents student learning by providing evidence of their knowledge, competencies, and skills”. Carter (2021: 464) says that in addition to eportfolios “as tools for authentic summative assessment” they prove valuable for “formative learning experiences, and rehearsal of demonstration of life-long learning and professional identity”.

Modise (2023) says that “eportfolios are about people, [about their] learning journeys, rather than about technology”. McDermott & Gallagher (2011: 97) say that “in an eportfolio, learning is achieved through‚ continuous building and amending of previous structures as new experiences, actions and knowledge are assimilated and accommodated to involve a process of individual transformation”. They add that through the process (or journey) of engagement with their eportfolios, students learn more about themselves, and that this self-awareness is the gateway to their development of effective reflective skills. ePortfolios are perceived as a significant “instrument in the pedagogy of student-centred learning and student-directed development”. Fragmented pieces academic learning, experiences in the workplace and personal activities are channelled “into a trajectory of their educational and professional development”. Metacognitive skills are developed which “enable students to become active investigators and problem solvers”. Through eportfolios higher order thinking ability is developed, as well as learning at a deeper level and learning autonomy encouraged.

It is evident that “are becoming increasingly popular as a digital collection of artefacts collating the student experience” says Carter (2021: 465) and provides the following definition:

“Digital portfolios are dynamic collections of digital artefacts including work samples, learning resources, records of skills and accomplishments, which may be created by an individual, a group, a community or an organization. Digital portfolios can have multiple purposes, such as demonstrating learning achievements (assessment), recording a learning process (journaling) and demonstrating skills (profiling)…Digital portfolios can serve multiple purposes such as support, documentation and assessment of learning, counselling and career preparation, credential documentation and accreditation. (Buchem, 2016, p. 343-344)”

There are many types of evidence contained in eportfolios, such as documenting of observations, reflections, and research; samples, images and videos; feedback from supervisors, mentors and/or peers. “Artefacts can relate to student demonstration of skills and competencies, assessment, learning journey transformation and reflection, personal and professional identity, learning engagement and employability” says Carter (2021: 465). Additional benefits derived from the use of eportfolios include “acknowledgement is often made of the that can be seen, such as enhancing technological, communication and organizational skills; student awareness of their learning journey and how their understanding has changed over time; identification of strengths and gaps in student understanding; demonstration of theory in practice, and recognition and evidencing of soft skills, personal attributes and other career-readiness traits”, she says.

Carter, S. (2021). ePortfolios as a platform for evidencing employability and building professional identity: A literature review. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 22(4), 463-474. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_22_4_463_474.pdf.

McDermott, K. & Gallagher, S. (2011). Integration of eportfolios into cooperative education: Lessons learnt. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 12(2), 95-101. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_12_2_95_101.pdf.

Modise, M. & Majola, X.M. (2023). Presentations in ‘All matters e-portfolios: The role and value of e-portfolios as an alternative teaching and assessment tools in distance education’, during the UNESCO Chair on ODL 2023 Research Webinar Series, 10 July 2023. Intranet recording set to expire https://mylifeunisaac-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/sibayn_unisa_ac_za/EW5kdegJVMlLuF_Amt-MUGoBigscXm-im8vwhTU4zGLGXg.

The ‘e’ in eWIL representing entrepreneurial or embedded (work-integrated learning)

While doing literature searches on electronic work-integrated learning (eWIL), came across:

• Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning (EWIL)
• Supervised Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning (sEWIL)
• Embedding Work Integrated Learning (EWIL)

It used to frustrate me how authors coin terms without apparently considering or recognising existing meanings, often giving total new meanings to concepts in use. The word coin, in this context, means “to make; invent; [or] fabricate” an expression or phrase (Dictionary.com). Coin originates from Latin (cuneus), French (cuigne) and Middle English (coyn(e), coygne)—a stamping die to emboss a piece of metal to be issued by an authority, such as government, for use as money.

Eisenstein (2022: 2) indicates that experiential learning is preferred as pedagogy for entrepreneurship education; that work-integrated learning (WIL) in particular is gaining attention across higher education; and that “nine types have been identified: apprenticeship, Co-operative education, internships, entrepreneurship, service learning, applied research, professional/clinical practicum, field placement, and work experience”. Eisenstein (2022: 1) further indicates that there is “an increasing interest in entrepreneurship education across the disciplines, engineering programs included”, where “entrepreneurship education is delivered through the application of work-integrated learning pedagogy”; with “Supervised Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning (sEWIL) is a particular modality of EWIL”. Eisenstein (2022: 1) explains that “engineering students learn about entrepreneurship through participation in a start-up working environment, where students directly observe and participate in the entrepreneurial working environment”. Tacit entrepreneurial knowledge is acquired through an authentic real-world learning environment and purposeful reflection, says Eisenstein.

Embedded Work Integrated Learning (EWIL) is explained by Doolan, Piggott, Chapman & Rycroft (2019: 91) as a specific model of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) where “students work with industry in small blocks of time at regular intervals throughout semester focussing on reflective learning in authentic work environments”. The structure and purpose of WIL and EWIL differ and “one cannot be substituted for the other”, say Doolan et al (2019: 92). WIL placements are often experienced by students as an intense time of day-to-day practice and obligations with little distance for detailed reflection on own learning. In contrast, “Embedded Work Integrated Learning (EWIL) strategically threads learning and reflection together over time”, which allows for deeper reflection and improvements of practices.

Doolan et al (2019: 93) present a case study of a degree which make use of both WIL and EWIL, “one where students spend a significant block of time working directly with industry partners … and another, where the WIL placement is strategically threaded or explicitly embedded into a subject throughout a semester and into subjects throughout the degree”. The inclusion of Embedded Work Integrated Learning (EWIL) “provides a slower more controlled approach to the practice of critical reflection guiding the practical application of skills”. EWIL is deemed “an effective pedagogical strategy to ensure students develop employability skills”, by Doolan et al (2019: 105), in “that all stakeholders benefit”. Students become more employable, industry gains highly skilled potential workers, and the reputation of universities is enhanced. However, the relationships between tertiary institutions and industry partners are crucial to successful EWIL.

Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/coin

Doolan, M., Piggott, B., Chapman, S., & Rycroft, P. (2019). The Benefits and Challenges of Embedding Work Integrated Learning: A Case Study in a University Education Degree Program. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v44n6.6

Eisenstein, A. (2022). Engaging Engineering Students with Engineering Entrepreneurship and the Start-Up Working Environment through Supervised Entrepreneurial Work-Integrated Learning. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.vi.15845

Significance of the I in WIL

The noun interrelation [in-ter-ri-ley-shuhn] is defined by Dictionary.com as “reciprocal relation”. It means the “state of things being closely connected to each other and maybe affecting each other”, and “the verb interrelate means to be connected in this way or to cause things to become connected in this way”. The adjective reciprocal originates from the Latin reciproc(us), meaning returning, “given or felt by each toward the other”, expressing a mutual relationship, explains Dictionary.com.

The ‘I’ in work-integrated learning (WIL) pertains to integration of workplace experiences into the learning curriculum. The International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning (IJWIL) defines ‘WIL’ as "an educational approach that uses relevant work-based experiences to allow students to integrate theory with the meaningful practice of work as an intentional component of the curriculum. Defining elements of this educational approach require that students engage in authentic and meaningful work-related tasks, and must involve three stakeholders; the student, the university, and the workplace/community." (emphasis added to highlight the interrelation). Examples of practice given by IJWIL “include off-campus, workplace immersion activities such as work placements, internships, practicum, service learning, and cooperative education (Co-op), and on-campus activities such as work-related projects/competitions, entrepreneurships, student-led enterprise, etc. WIL is related to, but not the same as, the fields of experiential learning, work-based learning, and vocational education and training.”

The Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) of the Department of Higher Education and Training (South African Government 2014: 17) states that the incorporation of work-integrated learning (WIL) into the curriculum is characteristic of vocational and professionally-oriented qualifications. The HEQSF includes the following higher education qualification descriptors:

• Advanced Certificate programmes (NQF Exit Level 6, p. 28), which typically include a work-integrated learning (WIL) component.
• Diploma programmes (NQF Exit Level 6, p. 29), which typically include an appropriate work-integrated learning (WIL) component; and further states (p. 30): “Candidates who complete the 240-credit Diploma may enter an Advanced Diploma upon successful completion of a work-integrated learning component or a combination of work-integrated learning and coursework equivalent to 120 credits that is approved and accredited by an education provider and/or a professional body and a QC.”
• Master's degree (Professional, NQF Exit Level 9, p. 38): “In some cases, a professional master's degree may be designed in consultation with a professional body or fulfil all or part of the requirements for professional registration or recognition, and may include appropriate forms of work-integrated learning.”

The incorporation of WIL as outlined above requires interrelation and reciprocity. The latter, reflected as the last letter (R) in a mnemonic about the essence of cooperative education, as former Technikon education philosophy: INC-CEL-FAR, standing for IN (industry needs) + CC (continuous consultation) + EL (experiential learning) + FA (faculty abreast) + R (reciprocity) = Cooperative Education.

The HEQSF further, in §34 (p. 17, emphasis added), differentiates various forms of work-integrated learning (WIL), namely:

• simulated learning [also known as simulated work experiences (SWEs)]
• work-directed theoretical learning [WDTL]
• problem-based learning [PBL]
• project-based learning [PjBL]
• workplace-based learning [WPBL] — Three Council on Higher Education publications (CHE: 2004 & 2014) provide criteria with regard to work-based learning (WBL). These criteria do not necessary apply to the other forms of WIL than work-based learning.

In §35 (p. 17, emphasis added) of the HEQSF, it is stated that where the WIL component “takes the form of workplace-based learning, it is the responsibility of institutions that offer programmes requiring credits for such learning to place students into appropriate workplaces” and adds that “such workplace-based learning must be appropriately structured, properly supervised and assessed”. Note that the institution’s role is not limited to ‘placement’ but extends to structured learning, proper supervision (mentoring), and assessment (both formative and summative), which suggest good interrelation (or reciprocity).

The South African Council on Higher Education, as independent statutory body and Quality Council for Higher Education (CHE: n.d.), published (CHE: 2011) a ‘Good Practice Guide’ towards work-integrated learning which deliberated the various modes mentioned above. The CHE recognises that “arrangements for work-based learning will likely be more complex in distance provision due to the more distributed nature of students and the geographic footprint of distance programmes which may even extend beyond national borders” (CHE: 2014, Criterion 15, emphases added), but states that “appropriate arrangements will be needed for placement, mentoring and supervision for a more distributed student body to ensure an equivalent learning experience across a wider range of contexts” and reiterates the “coordination of work-based learning must be done effectively, including adequate infrastructure, effective communication, recording of progress made, monitoring and mentoring”, including the following:

• Learning agreements or contracts implemented through which the student, the higher education institution, the employer (workplace-based learning provider) and mentor negotiate, approve, adhere to agreed roles and responsibilities, and assess the objectives and outcomes of the learning process
• Regular and effective communication taking place and good working relations are maintained between the institution, students, mentors and employers involved
• System (both at the institution and at the place of workplace-based learning) in operation to regularly and systematically monitor and record the progress of each student’s learning experience
• Mentoring system that enables each student to recognise his/her strengths and weaknesses, to develop existing and new abilities, and to gain knowledge of work practices

In addition to these generic statutory requirements, qualification-specific statutory bodies such as the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP), South African Nursing Council (SANC), and the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), and vocational bodies do specify additional criteria.

CHE (Council on Higher Education)

Council on Higher Education (n.d.) Legislative and policy mandate. Electronically accessible from https://www.che.ac.za/about-us/legislative-and-policy-mandate

Council on Higher Education (2004). Higher Education Quality Committee. Criteria for Programme Accreditation. Electronically accessible from https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/che2020-c5efd.appspot.com/o/website%2Fyxqlkgy7gwo1.pdf?alt=media&token=c1ea5d6e-2e05-463d-9f2b-bbf92d4b402b

Council on Higher Education (2004). Higher Education Quality Committee. Criteria for Institutional Audits. Electronically accessible from https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/che2020-c5efd.appspot.com/o/website%2Fjh3xgy9ub11.pdf?alt=media&token=aa1b8117-5414-4e70-a363-50dc924a7d42

Council on Higher Education (2004). Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). Criteria for Institutional Audits. https://www.che.ac.za/publications/criteria/criteria-institutional-audits

Council on Higher Education (2014). Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Programme Accreditation Criteria, pp. 81 – 107. In Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Good Practice Guide. Electronically accessible from https://www.saide.org.za/documents/CHE_-_Distance_Higher_Education.pdf

International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning (IJWIL). Home page. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/

Workplace mentors to model resilience and adaptability in dealing with the fluid state of 21st century reality

Globally, resilience and adaptability are sought to deal with the fluid state of 21^st Century reality, say Usher (2019: 113), who indicate that “Learning as a finite suite of knowledge and skills at university to prepare for a static career is now anathema, with industry demanding constant new insight and innovation to meet the needs of an ever-changing global society”.

The word ‘anathema’ originated in 16^th Century via Church Latin from Greek from anatithenai, meaning dedicated (to evil) or something accursed (Dictionary.com). ‘Anathema’ means a person or thing detested, loathed, accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction. Also ‘a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication’, or ‘any imprecation of divine punishment’.

The ability of graduates to use their acquired knowledge and effectively develop their selves within their chosen field “depends on the extent to which they have internalized learning as a set of values and dispositions; that is, the extent to which they developed a learning identity of their own” say Usher (2019: 114).

The noun ‘disposition’ refers to ‘the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude’ (Dictionary.com). It pertains to a person's usual temperament, or frame of mind, inclination, or tendency, or state of mind regarding something. Legally it means the final settlement of a matter. Usher (2019: 114) correlates effective teaching and the student’s “conscious learning identity, positive learning attitudes and dispositions”.

The significance of effective cooperative work-integrated education (CWIE) largely rests with the modelled practice of the workplace supervisor (or mentor) as powerful and explicit learning tool for the intern, say Usher (2019: 114) and suggests that “action is needed to sustainably develop supervisors as positive role models or providers of quality explicit instruction for practicum students wishing to enter the profession”. However, the extent of such collaborative development is dependent upon the extent the workplace organisations provide space and enable the supervisor to engage purposefully in the required complex learning relationship.

“The workplace has rightly been identified as providing a rich and rewarding source of learning for students” say Usher (2019: 115). However, “critically reflective dialogue as a medium for ongoing and developmental feedback” is deemed needed as “integral part of effective workplace learning or work-integrated learning”. Furthermore, is involvement from all stakeholders of significance.

Usher, A.S. (2019). Modeling resilient and adaptable work-integrated learning practice: The importance of learning dispositions in initial teacher education. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 20(2), 113-126. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_20_2_113_126.pdf

Enhancing graduate employability through work-integrated learning could be a risky business

Extensive research has been done about how work-integrated learning (WIL) could enhance graduate employability, indicate de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 497). However, despite the apparent benefits it can be “… a risky business for universities’ due to the strategic, financial, legal and reputational risks it presents, particularly in being able to guarantee a sufficient supply of high quality work placements” say de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 502). Including prerequisite WIL may “result in a significant increase in administrative responsibilities for higher education institutions” they caution. Furthermore, “because students on work placement are not employees and therefore are not subject to many of the statutory protections employers are obliged to provide to employees”.

“Successful work placements depend on a strong tripartite relationship between the student, the WIL workplace, and the university”, which “needs to be based on a common understanding of the learning goals of the placement” and requires “careful management of both student and employer expectations of placements”, remark de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 502). Furthermore, “close communication between the university and host organization, including an honest appraisal of the placement student’s needs, abilities, and weaknesses, so that the placement program can be built around addressing or managing the impact of these” is needed. “Host employers [further] need to understand universities’ resource limitations … and must be prepared to provide appropriate on-the-job training and supervision if a student is to benefit from the work placement”. For WIL to succeed, “universities must be prepared to take a proactive role in negotiating with employers on their responsibilities as WIL workplaces”, as well as “to review partnerships with employers who have had repeated complaints raised against them”. The aforementioned “can only be achieved via a high level of institutional oversight, particularly in screening the suitability of potential WIL workplaces”. It is also necessary, say de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 502) to educate “students about their workplace rights and responsibilities prior to placement”, as well as “providing appropriate complaints mechanisms for students to voice concerns regarding their placements without fear of reprisal”.

Different forms of WIL are distinguished. “A useful typology for distinguishing between types of work experience conceptualized along two key dimensions: the degree of participatory discretion and the purpose of the experience” is, for example, reflected in Table 2 (from de Zwaan & Grant-Smith, 2022: 498). Completion of a work placement (also labelled an internship) as part of a degree programme normally counts as credits towards the qualification. Supervised work placements involve application of learned theories at a host workplace, and the development of skills. The duration varies depending on the discipline, and the registration or accreditation requirements of the profession, ranging from a few notional hours up to extended periods. There is furthermore significant diversity regarding how work placements are organized and monitored. In fields such as education, nursing, or health sciences with long traditions of clinical training (or ‘WIL’) and relatively large numbers of students; high levels of institutional oversight (including identification, accreditation of suitability of sites, and entering into agreements) and the matching of students with suitable opportunities, take place. However, many do require that students actively engage (like recruitment practices) in the process of securing a placement where the institution would advertise available placement opportunities and students apply, involving somewhat of a competitive application process. Some institutions, however, require that students take direct responsibility for securing and negotiating their own placements.

Although “unpaid work placements are increasingly being positioned as an employability panacea … recent research has shown that students participating in work placements can experience significant levels of psychological stress, social isolation, study/life imbalance and be exposed to exploitative or unlawful work practices”, state de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 500). ‘Panacea’, the ancient Greek goddess of healing, originates from panákeia equivalent to panake-, stem of panakḗs ‘all-healing’ (pan- ‘all’ + akḗs ‘a cure’). Unpaid internships, however, do not necessary take into consideration the “potential negative impacts on participants’ social, psychological, and economic wellbeing” say de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 500). “Financial stress and hardship can also impact students’ emotional and physical health and general wellbeing as students who are struggling financially experience more stress, anxiety, and depression”, they add. Work placements furthermore require significant time commitments from students, as well as significant risks of conflict with regard to the various roles of students.

Diversity in student populations may present several challenges regarding equity in high-quality work placements, “particularly for women, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and [also] international students” say de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 501). Often women are “disadvantaged due to their caring responsibilities”, and “placements during normal working hours can increase childcare costs or require alternative care arrangements to be made”. “When placements are located far from home the transport burden can be greater for women based on their mobilities of care”, as well as possibly safety concerns. “Students who are financially independent of their parents” or relatives; or “relying on paid employment to survive” or taking care of siblings; may incur considerable financial stress. These inequalities “means that students who possess significant financial capital or parental support may be more likely to be able to afford to undertake extended placements or engage in placements away from their local area”, which in turn may further impact post-graduation employment opportunities”. “Cultural differences, language skills and racism” may adversely impact international placements.

Service learning is proposed by de Zwaan and Grant-Smith (2022: 503-4) as a practical alternative to work placements. By providing services to disadvantaged individuals and non-profit organisations while supervised offer important learning opportunities and client interaction. “Service learning is distinguishable from volunteering or pro bono work in that its primary focus is on reciprocity and learning while meeting the needs of a community”.

de Zwaan, L. and Grant-Smith, D. (2022) More than mandatory work placements: The role of work-integrated learning in preparing financial planning graduates for the professional year. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23(4), 495-508. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_23_4_495_508.pdf.

Dictionary.com https://www.dictionary.com/browse/panacea

A taxonomy of undergraduate work-integrated learning practices

The constructed taxonomy (Figure 1 below) is derived from examples and suggestions obtained from four stakeholder groups, say Neall, Cooney and Oppert (2022: 518). The taxonomy maps a range of practices in accordance two axes (or principles for effectiveness); namely vertically ‘task authenticity’ (how closely a task resembles professional level challenges) and horizontally ‘proximity to industry’ (how closely the context resembles a professional environment). The mapped practices may “be conducted virtually, practically and on an individual or group level depending on the resources available”. The four main stakeholder groups include (a) psychology graduates, (b) industry leaders, (c) higher education work-integrated learning staff, and (d) psychology accreditation council staff. The aim of the research had been to better support undergraduate psychology students to successfully enter into meaningful employment.

A cohort of Australian psychology graduates were struggling to make successful transitions to field-specific employment. Although there exists a growing demand for mental health/psychological support, there is also a deficit of appropriately trained professionals. These psychology graduates are a unique allied health cohort in that the undergraduate programme includes understanding of human physical and emotional behaviour and cognition. Graduates may enter a wide range of industry sectors, such as promotion of health, marketing, human resources, coaching, policy making, and community services. However, graduates often struggle to gain meaningful employment. Neall, Cooney and Oppert (2022: 509) believe that a “systematic integration of authentic WIL [work-integrated learning] into undergraduate psychology degrees may offset this lack of industry exposure”. They indicate that WIL has proven to develop of a range of professional and personal outcomes, including increased employability and work readiness through theory-to-practice application and professional skill development, among others.

Work-integrated learning (WIL) encapsulates a wide range of practice-based and experiential learning models and modes, such as work-based learning, project-based work, service learning, volunteering, internships, clinical placements, simulations, fieldwork, and practicums. The quality of WIL is dependent on robust industry partnerships, adequate preparation, active and authentic engagement, sound supervision, feedback, debriefing of students in order to improve work readiness in students.

Neall, A.M., Cooney, O. & Oppert, M.L. (2022). Enhancing employment outcomes for psychology graduates: Developing a taxonomy of work-integrated learning. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23(4), 509-525. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_23_4_509_525.pdf

Work-based working in tandem with long-arm or off-site supervisors

A tandem is generally known as a bicycle for two riders, with two sets of pedals and two saddles, one arranged behind the other. The word originates from Latin, meaning at length or finally.

For quality assurance purposes, it is a requirement of practice learning in Social Work, “that students must be taught and assessed by a qualified social worker” (Henderson, 210: 491). However, “many agencies are unable to comply with these requirements and so withdraw from the pool of available placements, thus reducing the quantity” of opportunities. To overcome the challenge, the off-site model of practice learning has been developed. “This model traditionally involves both a work-based supervisor, who may not be a social worker and is not qualified in practice teaching, and an ‘off-site’ practice teacher, who is a qualified social worker” says Henderson (210: 491, emphasis added). Willing agencies, especially small voluntary agencies with human resource or infrastructure constraints; and those with multi-disciplinary teams; which do not have a pool of available on-site social workers, or practice teachers, utilise the ‘off-site’ model. A tandem bicycle may serve a metaphor for the model.

Varied nomenclature (or terminology) leads to confusion. New or different terminology is often as result of changes in roles and practices; but also as result of new concepts introduced, or new perspectives. In the literature on practice teaching and learning in Social Work, a range of terminology exists, indicate Henderson (210: 490). Examples of terminologies used for work-based supervisors include on-site supervisor, link supervisor, work-based assessor, practice teacher, and practice assessor. Furthermore, “different terms [are] used for practice teachers who are not situated in the placement [but] are ‘long-arm’ and ‘off-site’”, such as off-site practice teacher. Henderson (210: 491) conveys that the Kingston “university practice learning handbook defines the role of the work-based supervisor as ‘the student’s main support within the placement—who should be responsible for the day to day supervision and accountable for the student’s practice’. The role of the off-site practice teacher is to ‘plan practice learning with the student to meet the learning outcomes, provide teaching and take overall responsibility for the assessment’. There is an expectation that both parties will liaise regularly and hold three-way meetings at the beginning, middle and end of the placement.” (emphasis added).

Henderson (210: 493) remarks that some literature evidence suggests that work-based supervisors are perceived as the neglected or ‘unsung’ partners in practice learning. “Some supervisors have commented on having less status, recognition, financial reward and power than off-site practice teachers” she says. Some supervisors observe that the power imbalance is perpetuated through communication essentially with the off-site practice teacher, which result in some work-based supervisors disengaging. The Kingston university handbook does provide guidelines about the roles and responsibilities, and specify that the work-based supervisor should be contributing to the final assessment report and give feedback on the student’s performance. However, roles are not entire clear about the writing of the final report of students.

Henderson, K.J. (2010). Work-based Supervisors: The Neglected Partners in Practice Learning. Social Work Education, 29(5), 490-502. Electronically accessible from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02615470903156352

The long-arm approach to supervision of workplace-based learning

A long-arm (plural long-arms) is a pole-like tool used for handling things too far away to reach. Also a long pole fitted with any of various devices, such as a hook or clamp, for performing tasks otherwise out of reach. Idiomatically it means to influence from a distance; to have far-reaching power; or ‘you can't escape the long arm of the law’, meaning the police will catch you if you have done something illegal. Also referring to a gun with a long barrel, such as rifle or shotgun. Furthermore, in the practice of law long-arm litigation is enabled through long-arm provisions, through long-arm statutes.

The Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, at Canterbury Christ Church University, is one example of many institutions experiencing challenges with regard to practice (or workplace-based learning) placements of students. Demands are continuously increasing, and students are requiring access a widening range and variety of practice areas, whereas opportunities diminish, and workplaces may not necessarily employ registered practitioners. As result, students might not receive appropriate supervision in relation to workplace-based learning (WPBL), which is in conflict to professional statutory body requirements. Similarly, the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of Chester found that “private, independent and voluntary organisations (PIVOs) are a valuable source of these types of practice placements”, but do not necessarily meet the regulatory requirements say Knight, et al. (2022). The solution both institutions introduced is an innovative long-arm practice supervision (LAPS) model. LAPS refers to the process where a suitably qualified supervisor is located at a distance to the practice learning area of the student. The LAPS takes responsibility for supervising and supporting the student, as well as assessing and confirming/verifying the student’s achievement of outcomes. The “model expands and broadens in scope the University’s placement capacity and structures engagement with its PIVOs” say Knight, et al. (2022). The Canterbury Christ Church University ‘Guidelines for Long Arm Practice Supervision’ specify a minimum of at least three (3) face-to-face meetings with the student, of which the specifics are outlined below:

Canterbury Christ Church University. (2018). FPLC 7: Guidelines for Long Arm Practice Supervision. Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Practice Learning Unit, Information for Students, Resources. Electronically accessible from https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/medicine-health-and-social-care/practice-learning-unit/docs/FPLC-7-Guidelines-for-Long-Arm-Practice-Supervision.pdf

Cambridge Dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/long-arm-of-the-law

Dictionary.com https://www.dictionary.com/browse/long-arm

Knight, K.H.; Whaley, V.; Bailey-McHale, B.; Simpson, A. & Hay, J. (2022). The long-arm approach to placement supervision and assessment. British Journal of Nursing, 31(4), 247. Electronically accessible from https://www.britishjournalofnursing.com/content/comment/the-long-arm-approach-to-placement-supervision-and-assessment

Wiktionary.org https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/long_arm#:~:text=long%20arm%20(plural%20long%20arms,as%20a%20rifle%20or%20shotgun

The design and implementation of problem-based internships in business education

A framework, “inspired by pedagogical action research to connect [problem-based learning] PBL international internships with international business”, is proposed by Hermann; Amaral and Bossle (2021: 205). They state (p. 206) that the “supervision structure, derived by the hosting organization, the partner university, and the students’ home university, creating a three-party collaboration with the student at the center of the learning process” is an important, if not essential, component of an internship, as learning device. Furthermore, illuminating that internships are resource-intensive, requiring besides supervision backup from the business school concerned, which “must help the student find a placement, offer networking activities for information sharing, provide recognition in the form of study credits, and fund or promote the activities”.

Over the past three decades, since 1994, international internships have been gaining increasing interest among international business education academics, along with a paradigm shift “toward learner-centered education and the enrichment of educational programs by practical knowledge gained through students’ interaction with actors external to the university”, say Hermann; Amaral and Bossle (2021: 203). Factors that fuelled attention include (a) “internships enhance employment potential” and (b) providing “students with intercultural communication, teamwork skills, and increased experience, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of their CVs after graduation”

Hermann; Amaral and Bossle (2021: 203) report on three areas of research pertaining ‘international internships’, namely (a) the global mind-sets and competences acquired by students who participate in such internships, the preferences of employers for candidates with such experience and personal traits, and how business schools can cultivate such through co-curricular activities; (b) “the role of support structures in the development of international internships” that are critical when students work abroad as part of their internship; and (c) “the pedagogical elements of the internship in international business”, initially the focus had been on problem-solving skills, and later on assessment, as well as “the duration and organizational aspects of internships that suit experience-based study programs”. The current debate and “research is concerned with the effectiveness of internships in enhancing the employability of graduates and thus reducing unemployment” (p. 204), the curriculum, and “how to integrate the internships into existing business and management education”.

Within contemporary research are a number of gaps, say Hermann; Amaral and Bossle (2021: 204), among others the “absence of teaching frameworks that can indicate how to organize international internships through a student-centered perspective while also considering resources and the perspectives of both students and hosting organizations”. They posit that by “connecting problem-based learning (PBL) as a potential pedagogical device to international internship design [it] could address this gap while simultaneously tackling a less-studied area – the relationship between the three building blocks of managerial education”, namely ill-defined problems, real-world character, and reflection. PBL promotes both active learning and a student-centred approach they indicate. “Students are introduced to an ill-structured problem that they must solve in groups, relying on their existing knowledge. As the teams work independently, they engage in self-directed learning. During the final phase of group work, the students present their solutions to each other”.

Hermann; Amaral and Bossle (2021: 209) “adapted the Identify, Think, Do, Evaluate, Modify, Disseminate (ITDEM’D) pedagogical action research methodology” for the methodological framework of their research. The circle in the presentation portrays the conventional action research phases, expanded to their version of six steps. The start entails “the [1] identification of an issue or problem that requires attention” (p. 210, number and emphasis added). Once identified, planning (or [2] thinking how) follows, whereafter action is taken ([3] doing). Systematically and ethically observing with the aim of reflecting and making sense ([4] evaluating) and to improve ([5] modifying future practice), whereafter ultimately [6] dissemination of findings.

The findings of the research emphasised the value and frequency of supervision (and coaching) throughout an internship period, and the opportunity to present work in progress and receive feedback thereon. Furthermore, the differentiation of the roles of host organisation supervisors (mentors) versus academic supervisors is significant. The problem-oriented collaboration dynamics is, among others, another significant finding.

Hermann, R.R.; Amaral, M. & Bossle, M.B. (2021). Integrating Problem-based Learning with International Internships in Business Education. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 32(3-4), 202-2. Electronically accessible from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08975930.2022.2033667

Developmental relationships do have an impact on internships

Internships often serve both as corporate talent acquisition strategy; and as opportunity for students to gain first-hand workplace experience, say Ali, Gardner and Edmondson (2022). Employers often use internship programmes to identify talent for full-time employment. It has been found that the support of supervisors may influence the decision of interns to pursue a job offer. Developmental relationships may impact early socialization and adaptation of interns. Internships serve as transition pathway from tertiary study, and as entryway to full-time employment.

“A mentor is uniquely distinct from a supervisor” indicate Ali, Gardner and Edmondson (2022: 338), who define a mentor as “a senior, experienced organizational member who helps more junior employees develop technical, interpersonal, and political skills”. Mentors fulfil “two functions to mentors in working with mentees, a career-related (providing sponsorship, coaching, challenging assignments, exposure, visibility and protection) and psychosocial (friendship, role modeling and counseling)”. Whereas a supervisor is generally assigned to the intern, mentoring is usually a more natural relationship, that develops spontaneously. Assigned supervisors, because sharing a workspace with the intern, is better positioned to serve as role model; there is a greater opportunity for interaction; and for performance-related guidance and development. “However, depending on the willingness of the supervisor to provide support, an intern may or may not receive the attention needed to develop”, and “may turn to other more senior organizational members who are more open to supporting them as mentors to fill this void” (Ali, Gardner and Edmondson, 2022: 338). In such a context the mentor buffers the detrimental effect of inadequate support by the supervisor.

Socialisation in the workplace is described by Ali, Gardner and Edmondson (2022: 336) as “the process by which an individual acquires knowledge, behaviors, and relationships necessary to participate and succeed in their initial assignments within the organization”. Both supervisors and peers help newcomers acquire skills and information. In Figure 1, Ali, Gardner and Edmondson (2022: 336) depict the key factors that may contribute to the socialisations of interns. They submit that the primary mechanisms underlying acceptance of a job offer are the “learning during the internship experience and the satisfaction gained from the internship”.

Ali, A.A., Gardner,P. & Edmondson, B. (2022). Developmental relationships matter: Examining the joint role of supervisor support and mentor status on intern outcomes. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23(3), 335-346. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_23_3_335_346.pdf

A community is required for workplace-based learning (‘it takes a community to offer’)

‘It Takes a Village’ by Jane Cowen-Fletcher (1994) is a colourfully illustrated story that portrays a proverb attributed to West Africa, namely ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.

Yemi's mother asks her to care for her younger brother and the girl is delighted at the prospect of taking on a grown-up task. The three of them set out to the village market [in Benin, West Africa], where Mama will sell mangoes. Yemi soon loses Kokou, but instead of the terrible things she imagines happening to him, the toddler is lovingly cared for by all of the adults he meets-he is fed, given something to drink, played with, and allowed to nap. Yemi discovers that caring neighbours have been watching them both all along.

The proverb ‘it takes a village’ means an entire community of people is needed to interact positively with children for those children to grow up in a safe and healthy environment. The origins of the proverb has been researched, but not pinpointed. It is believed to embody the spirit of several African cultures, for example (Wikipedia):

• In Lunyoro (Bunyoro) there is a proverb that says “Omwana takulila nju emoi,” whose literal translation is “A child does not grow up only in a single home.”
• In Kihaya (Bahaya) there is a saying, “Omwana taba womoi,” which translates as “A child belongs not to one parent or home.”
• Kijita (Wajita) has the proverb, “Omwana ni wa bhone,” meaning regardless of a child's biological parents, its upbringing belongs to the community.
• In Swahili, the proverb “Asiye funzwa na mamae hufunzwa na ulimwengu” means roughly the same: "Whomsoever is not taught by the mother will be taught with the world."

The notion ‘it takes a village’ has subsequently been adopted by several authors, applied to a multitude of scenarios, and other books pubished. The definition of work-integrated learning (WIL) of the Canadian body for Co-operative Education and Work-integrated Learning (CEWIL) cited by Nielsen, Livernoche and Ramji (2022: 139) accurately captures the essence of workplace-based learning (WPBL, as form of WIL). CEWIL defines WIL as “a model and process of curricular experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student's academic studies within a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences include an engaged partnership of at least: an academic institution, a host organization and a student”. The origins of WIL (and cooperative education) emphasised the close collaboration of academic institutions with the relevant community of practice, within the relevant industry that is involved, with regard to the necessary workplace experiences that form part of the curriculum. In addition, workplace mentoring by experienced practitioners, play a significant role in WPBL.

The Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) of the Department of Higher Education and Training (South African Government, 2014), which indicates that the incorporation of work-integrated learning (WIL) into the curriculum is characteristic of vocational and professionally-oriented qualifications. The HEQSF, §35 (p. 17, emphases added) states that where the WIL component “takes the form of workplace-based learning, it is the responsibility of institutions that offer programmes requiring credits for such learning to place students into appropriate workplaces” and add that “such workplace-based learning must be appropriately structured, properly supervised and assessed”.

However, work-integrated learning need not necessary involve actual work. The HEQSF differentiates, in §34 (p. 17), various forms of work-integrated learning (WIL), namely:

• simulated learning [also known as simulated work experiences (SWEs)]
• work-directed theoretical learning [WDTL]
• problem-based learning [PBL]
• project-based learning [PjBL]
• workplace-based learning [WPBL] — Three Council on Higher Education publications (CHE: 2004a, 2004b & 2014) provide criteria with regard to work-based learning (WBL)

The South African Council on Higher Education, as independent statutory body and Quality Council for Higher Education (CHE: n.d.), published (CHE: 2011) a ‘Good Practice Guide’ towards work-integrated learning which deliberated the various modes mentioned above. The CHE (2014, Criterion 15, emphases added) recognises that ‘it takes a village’, by stating that “appropriate arrangements will be needed for placement, mentoring and supervision” and reiterates the “coordination of work-based learning must be done effectively, including adequate infrastructure, effective communication, recording of progress made, monitoring and mentoring”, plus the following:

• Learning agreements or contracts implemented through which the student, the higher education institution, the employer (workplace-based learning provider) and mentor negotiate, approve, adhere to agreed roles and responsibilities, and assess the objectives and outcomes of the learning process
• Regular and effective communication taking place and good working relations are maintained between the institution, students, mentors and employers involved
• System (both at the institution and at the place of workplace-based learning in operation to regularly and systematically monitor and record the progress of each student’s learning experience
• Mentoring system that enables each student to recognise his/her strengths and weaknesses, to develop existing and new abilities, and to gain knowledge of work practices

Nielsen et al. (2022: 139-140) indicate “a range of WIL programs: co-operative education (co-op), internships, entrepreneurships, apprenticeships, service learning, applied research projects, mandatory professional practicum/clinical placement, field placement, and work experience”; and add that “strategic WIL placements in partnership with Indigenous groups also offer opportunities for capacity-building, cultural revitalization, and community development”.

CHE (Council on Higher Education)

Cowen-Fletcher, J. (1994). It Takes a Village. Scholastic Press. [Information about accessible from https://janecowen-fletcher.com/it-takes-a-village]

Council on Higher Education (n.d.) Legislative and policy mandate. Electronically accessible from https://www.che.ac.za/about-us/legislative-and-policy-mandate

Council on Higher Education (2004a). Higher Education Quality Committee. Criteria for Programme Accreditation. Electronically accessible from https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/che2020-c5efd.appspot.com/o/website%2Fyxqlkgy7gwo1.pdf?alt=media&token=c1ea5d6e-2e05-463d-9f2b-bbf92d4b402b

Council on Higher Education (2004b). Higher Education Quality Committee. Criteria for Institutional Audits. Electronically accessible from https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/che2020-c5efd.appspot.com/o/website%2Fjh3xgy9ub11.pdf?alt=media&token=aa1b8117-5414-4e70-a363-50dc924a7d42

Council on Higher Education (2011). Work-Integrated Learning: Good Practice Guide. HE Monitor No. 12, August 2011. Pretoria: IeCommunications. Electronically accessible from https://www.che.ac.za/sites/default/files/publications/Higher_Education_Monitor_12.pdf

Council on Higher Education (2014). Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Programme Accreditation Criteria, pp. 81 – 107. In Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Good Practice Guide. Electronically accessible from https://www.saide.org.za/documents/CHE_-_Distance_Higher_Education.pdf

Nielsen, J., Livernoche, R. & Ramji, K. (2022). The Indigenous Work-integrated Learning Resource Hub: A needs-based approach to addressing barriers and opportunities for Indigenous students. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 23(2), 139-152. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_23_2_139_152.pdf

South African Government (2014), Department of Higher Education and Training, Government Notice No 819. Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework. Government Gazette No. 38116, 17 October 2014. Electronically accessible from https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201410/38116gon819.pdf

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_takes_a_village

The relevance of #DataMesh to work integrated learning

Good data management of various aspects of work integrated learning (WIL) is important and may include, for example:

• Contact details of stakeholders, decision-makers, influencers, key role players and members of the relevant community of practice in general
• Established providers of experiential learning opportunities and mentors at such
• Registered students, including their academic progression
• Actual placements of students, including the provider and mentor details, and the learning agreement of each student
• Capturing of the learning activities of students
• Records of mentoring or supervision, especially if a professional or statutory requirement
• Records of monitoring and progress tracking of students, and of communication that occur
• Records of facilitated reflection on learning (experiences) by students
• Formative assessments and summative evaluation of WIL

Generally, data such as mentioned above, are captured in a range of data bases, such as the institution’s official student administration system, and data bases of academic and administrative staff responsible for WIL modules in a variety of forms. What is deemed needed is integration of the various forms of data, which is where ‘data mesh’ is deemed relevant.

Zhamak Dehghani, while a principal technology consultant at Thoughtworks, coined the term ‘data mesh’ in 2019, say Christ, Visengeriyeva and Harrer (n.d.), who indicate that ‘data mesh’ is primarily an organizational approach, which cannot be bought from a vendor. Yuhanna (2022) remarks that “A data mesh offers the ability to optimise mixed workloads by matching processing engines and data flows with the right use cases. It interfaces to the event-driven architecture, enabling support for edge use cases.”

Dehghani (2019) found that many organisations are planning or building their third generation data and intelligence platform hoping to democratize data in order to provide business insights with the view of automated intelligent decisions. Proprietary enterprise data warehouse and business intelligence platforms, the first generation, mainly rendered tables and reports which only a small group of specialized people could understand with little positive impact on the business. Complex big data ecosystem with a data lake, the second generation, required hyper-specialized data engineers and similarly impacted little on the actual business. Unfortunately, data platforms that are streaming and analysing real-time data, the third generation, with cloud based storage and machine learning platforms, are addressing only some of the gaps of the previous generations. Dehghani (2019) recommends shifting from the centralized paradigm of a data lake (or predecessor ware house) and embracing a paradigm (data mesh) drawing from contemporary “distributed architecture: considering domains as the first class concern, applying platform thinking to create self-serve data infrastructure, and treating data as a product”.

Dehghani (2020) differentiates operational data from analytical data. Operational data has a transactional nature with regard to the applications running the business; whereas analytical data provide an aggregated view of the facts of the business over time. Analyses are often modelled to provide retrospective or future-perspective insight. Often existing technology, architecture and organization design reflect the divergence of these two data planes; integrated yet separate, two levels of existence. The divergence is causing fragility, as well as a need for continuous extract, transform, and load (ETL) activities; and ever growing complexity of labyrinth of data pipeline between the two planes, as illustrated below (Dehghani, 2020, Figure 1: The great divide of data).

The ‘data mesh’ paradigm “recognizes and respects the differences between these two planes: the nature and topology of the data, the differing use cases, individual personas of data consumers, and ultimately their diverse access patterns” say Dehghani (2020). However, she adds, the ‘data mesh’ paradigm entails an inverted model and topology based on domains. ‘Data mesh’ “offers a more holistic and efficient way to organise, process, and access data” says Cynozure (2022), and “is an approach to how teams and logistics are organised”. Dehghani (2020), Cynozure (2022) and Christ et al. (n.d.) specify four underpinning principles:

1. Domain-oriented decentralized data ownership and architecture — Splitting up the business goals into ideas and concepts within certain boundaries which smaller autonomous data teams can work on
2. Data as a product — The different data domains are productised. Yuhanna (2022) indicates that data as a service (DaaS) is also known as data as a product (DaaP), and that it “offers several business benefits, including supporting a common view of business and customer data using industry standard protocols”.
3. Creating self-serve data infrastructure — Dividing the different domains among smaller autonomous teams and making the self-serve data platforms
4. Federated computational governance — Creating a unified governance and helping to come up with ways for data to flow from one team to another

Gavish (2022) derived three key concepts pertaining a ‘data mesh’ to highlight how it differs from traditional data architectures.

• Domain-oriented data owners and pipelines — who are held accountable for providing their data as products, while also facilitating communication between distributed data across different locations. Domains are further tasked with managing ingestion, cleaning, and aggregation.
• Self-serve functionality — allowing users to abstract the technical complexity and focus on their individual data use cases
• Interoperability and standardization of communications — some data (both raw sources and cleaned, transformed, and served data sets) will be valuable to more than one domain. cross-domain collaboration is enabled by standardisation on formatting, governance, discoverability, and metadata fields, among other data features. Each data domain further define and agree on SLAs and quality measures that they will ‘guarantee’ to its consumers.

It appears a ‘mesh’ connecting the various data sources pertaining the WIL of qualifications is necessary.

Christ, J.; Visengeriyeva, L. & Harrer, S. (n.d.) Data mesh architecture from an engineering perspective. Electronically accessible from https://t.co/HCzrguXmrg

Cynozure. (2022). Data mesh as a framework for data-driven value at scale. Hub & Spoken, Episode 127, 7 April 2022. Electronically accessible from https://t.co/x8qnxRPyt1

Dehghani, Z. (2019). How to move beyond a monolithic data lake to a distributed data mesh. Martin Fowler articles. Electronically accessible from https://martinfowler.com/articles/data-monolith-to-mesh.html

Dehghani, Z.. Data mesh principles and logical architecture. Martin Fowler articles. Electronically accessible from https://martinfowler.com/articles/data-mesh-principles.html

Gavish, L. (2022) What is a data mesh — and is it right for me? HackerNoon, 15 April 2022. Electronically accessible from https://t.co/oMiqO99kBg

Yuhanna, N. (2022). Four emerging data integration trends to assess: To accelerate their performance in data integration, companies are evaluating and adopting a range of contributing technologies. Computer Weekly, 8-14 February 2022, 20-23.

Work integrated learning is a bridge for students between academic present and professional future

Work integrated learning (WIL) “is a bridge for the student between the academic present and their professional future”, say Martin, Rees, and Edwards (2011: 7). It “is a structured educational strategy, which aims to merge theoretical knowledge gained in academic studies to workplace experiences”, seeking “to provide graduates with a comprehensive industry skill set desired by potential employers”.

Chilvers, Hay, Maidment, and Tudor (2021: 436) cite Martin et al. (2011) who derived through research, from retrospective feedback and documentation, a template of good WIL practice, comprising six key factors, namely (1) organization set up, (2) student preparation, (3) supervision, (4) competencies, (5) pedagogies, and (6) assessment. Chilvers et al. (2021) explore the alignment of social work field education and work-integrated learning (WIL) pedagogy, and made three improvement contributions with regard to the WIL best practice framework, namely (a) preplacement preparation of both students and the field; (b) professional supervision approaches; and (c) ‘inclusion of service user feedback within student assessment processes’. There is much to be gained from more active dialogue and closer relationship between field education and WIL practices they recommend.

Chilvers et al. (2021: 433) indicate that both “social work education and work-integrated learning share a long history of helping students connect with authentic work-related learning opportunities in the context of engagement and partnership with organizations outside of the educational institution, using onsite mentoring”. Chilvers et al. (2021: 436) use the metaphor of a family tree, with different branches, portraying the origins and lines of theory development, of field education in Social Work, and work-integrated learning (WIL) in several other disciplines. Field education and WIL have clearly developed along different lines of the same family tree, only recently beginning to integrate, they observe. However, there are further several other branches to the tree, such as clinical training in Medicine; internships in Psychology; articles in Law; etc. Knud Illeris (2002) sketch numerous contributors to the learning theoretical field in the form of a triangle, between the three dimensions of content, incentive, and interaction. The three sides respectively represent (a) developmental psychology—this side also depicts institutional learning, (b) activity theory, between cognition and society the learning organisation and practice learning, and (c) socialisation theory illustrated between society and emotion, also reflecting collective learning.

Chilvers et al. (2021: 433) examine the tensions associated with aligning social work and WIL. They explore the pedagogical similarities. They discuss key tools and processes for strengthening the quality of field education in social work pertaining student supervision and assessment. Chilvers et al. (2021: 437) offer the following contributions from field education with regard to WIL:

Preparation of students similar to the requirement set by the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB)—"the regulatory body, which sets parameters around admission, governance, graduate attributes, staffing, stakeholder collaboration and field education”—that academic institutions must assess the professional suitability of applicants upon enrolment, which is generally repeated prior to each placement. The checks include criminal records, assessment of suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults, character references and health. A portfolio of evidence is accumulated to demonstrate the professional suitability of each graduate. Those students that do not meet the requirements are suitably counselled. In addition to checks, intentional preparation of students prior to placement is deemed an important component to clarify expectations of what might be encountered and to reduce anxiety. This includes clear articulation of the roles and responsibilities, and role playing. Attention is given to matching the fit between student and field educator.

Field educator preparation aims to provide clarity around four domains, namely placement administration; teaching and learning; assessment; and quality (p. 438). Relationships between institutions and field educators are dependent upon reciprocity and understanding of the roles and responsibilities. It is firmly believed that those who facilitate field education require specialist preparation and training

Professional supervision is deemed under-explored and inadequately-theorised in the body of literature pertaining WIL. In contrast, it is regarded a key contributor in social work education where students are supported during placement to engage in knowledge and skill development. Chilvers et al. (2021: 439) indicate that “development occurs through exposure to genuine practice opportunities with service users, by fostering critical reflection, providing feedback, and facilitating a broad range of experiential learning activities in a safe environment”. Students are socialised into a professional group by their field supervisors.

Student assessment with the view of demonstrating to the SWRB (the regulatory body) that core competencies were acquired during field placements. A broad range of forms evidence collection could be considered for WIL, such as direct observation of student practice, team meetings, consultations with agencies, written appraisals, case notes, client assessment reports, email communications, referral letters, and documentation associated with conducting research and policy or procedural development. Other ways of teaching, learning and assessment include “the use of process recordings to provide students with an opportunity for a detailed ‘think aloud’ about a particular interchange with a client or team member” (Chilvers et al. 2021: 441); the writing or presenting of a deconstruction of an event or interaction that happened; and compilation of a digital learning portfolio.

Chilvers, D., Hay, K., Maidment, J., & Tudor, R: Contribution of social work field education to WIL. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 2021, 22(4), 433-444. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_22_4_433_444.pdf

Illeris, K. 2002. The three dimensions of learning. Malabar, Fla: Krieger

Martin, A., Rees, M., & Edwards, M. (2011a). Work integrated learning, a template for good practice: supervisors’ reflections. An Ako Aotearoa publication. Electronically accessible from: https://ako.ac.nz/assets/Knowledge-centre/RHPF-c43-Work-Integrated-Learning/RESEARCH-REPORT-Work-Integrated-Learning-A-Template-for-Good-Practice-Supervisors-Reflections.pdf

A template for good practice of work integrated learning (WIL) in programmes

In a research report Martin, Rees, and Edwards (2011a: 6) present a template of key good practices, for each of the six common areas, of in work integrated learning (WIL), outlined and schematically (2011b: 3) as follow:

1. Organisation set-up

1. Placement requirements and support
2. Placement selection and location
3. Risk management issues

2. Student preparation

1. Pre-requisites and theoretical basis
2. Careers interview skills and CV preparation
3. Readiness for practice

3. Supervision

1. On campus academic supervisor and mentor
2. Work place employer
3. Work place university staff

4. Competencies

1. Self-confidence
2. Communication and people skills
3. Teamwork
4. Professional standards

5. Pedagogies

1. Scenario based learning and project work
2. Theory lectures and labs
3. Oral presentations

6. Assessment

1. Learning contract
2. Reflective journal
3. Final report
4. Industry based competency checks
5. Oral presentations

Martin et al. (2011a: 9) state that “there are specific components, which when melded together, define an optimal WIL activity through the tripartite partnership between the employer, the teacher, and the student”, and if “done well, WIL benefits each stakeholder within the tripartite relationship”.

Martin et al. detail (2011a: 12-18, 2011b: 4-5) several aspects concerning organisational set-up, from precursors that influence what is done; to placement selection and location considerations; industry networks as key feature; and risk management issues. They address placement requirements and support; the importance of “developing and maintaining ongoing good relationships with industry” (p. 17) and network support; support required by students while in the field; resources for supporting workplace supervisors (or mentors); as well as administrative and online support needed.

Student preparation is an important aspect, indicate Martin et al. (2011a: 19-21, 2011b: 6-7). It is of foundational importance to ensure students demonstrate both the theoretical knowledge and skills for successful placement experiences; as well as in some instances scaffolding during early work experience. Guidance with CV preparation, interview skills and techniques, and also provision of career and employment services are of significance. Students should be properly prepared in order to be ready for practice experiences. Student resources should provide students with clear expectations.

Martin et al. (2011a: 22-23, 2011b: 8-9) emphasise the importance of formal supervision (and mentoring) with regard to teaching and learning. The learning goals and expectations must be clarified.

Competencies, say Martin et al. (2011a: 24-27, 2011b: 10-11) “are the qualities or extent to which the students develop the necessary ability or knowledge to do something successfully”. The five mentioned competence areas are discussed.

Martin et al. (2011a: 28-31, 2011b: 12-13) outline a number of pedagogies involved, such as (i) mentoring, which requires close supervision and is both time consuming and resource intensive; (ii) oral presentations providing opportunities to reflect on action; (iii) scenario based learning (SBL), which is “based on the concept of situated cognition, which is the idea that knowledge cannot be fully understood independent of its context” and therefore WIL within specific contexts, situations or social frameworks; (iv) the theory taught through lectures and laboratories should be purposefully aligned to the learning outcomes of the programme, and is distinct from experiential learning; (v) and project work, which “is a particular strength of the WIL approach”.

“Informal formative approaches [of assessment] could include the use of technologies such as emails, blogs or other e-journals. More formal [assessment] approaches are the use of a reflective journal and supervisor/mentor, as part of the overall course assessment plan.” say Martin et al. (2011a: 32-36, 2011b: 14-15) and elaborate on a number. The learning contract not only describes the work activities and project focus prepared by the student and negotiated with the host organisation (where after approved by the academic supervisor), but also the bases for assessment. The reflective journal is not meant to merely capture the tasks performed by the student, but also reflections on all the activities throughout the practicum experience. It ought to include revisiting of feelings, re-evaluation of experiences, linking of theory to practice, and planning of future action. “A common feature of the assessment of WIL is the submission of a final report”, say Martin et al. (2011a: 34), which is often orally presented to a panel. It incorporates all formative reflection and summative outcomes of the overall experience; and is either signed off by the workplace supervisor, or in some cases a formal report required. Monitoring of the experiential learning students undergo and industry based competency checks form part of good practice. Some professionally and statutory accredited programmes require specific competency based assessment.

Martin et al. (2011a: 37, 2011b: 16) conclude with a number of further considerations deemed important for resourcing effective WIL programmes.

Martin, A., Rees, M., & Edwards, M. (2011a). Work integrated learning, a template for good practice: supervisors’ reflections. An Ako Aotearoa publication. Electronically accessible from: https://ako.ac.nz/assets/Knowledge-centre/RHPF-c43-Work-Integrated-Learning/RESEARCH-REPORT-Work-Integrated-Learning-A-Template-for-Good-Practice-Supervisors-Reflections.pdf

Martin, A., Rees, M., & Edwards, M. (2011b). Work integrated learning, a template for good practice. Ako Aotearoa. Electronically accessible from: https://ako.ac.nz/assets/Knowledge-centre/RHPF-c43-Work-Integrated-Learning/RESOURCE-Work-Integrated-Learning-A-Template-for-Good-Practice.pdf (booklet)

Beyond ‘panic-gogy’ to adoption of innovative WIL pedagogies and practices

The “COVID-19 pandemic has provided a sudden and significant driver for rapid change and adoption of innovative online WIL pedagogies and practices” say Dean and Campbell (2021: 355). They argue for moving beyond the initial ‘panic-gogy’ to quality, innovative, and sustainable non-placement models of WIL. ‘Panic-gogy’ is a tongue-in-cheek term coined for the transitional online pedagogies pursued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baker (2020: 1) quoted Morris who says “the term being batted about on Twitter … referring to this idea of just grasping at straws, trying to figure out what you could possibly do … suddenly forced to go online and experiencing that kind of panic”. Educators had been seeking pedagogies to bridge the gap, to retain some kind of normality, a pedagogy of resilience, of kindness, very flexible and human-centred.

Dean and Campbell (2021) indicate that the disruptions caused by COVID-19, accelerated many emerging changes with the required rapid move to online and/or distance learning models. The “value of alternative forms of work-integrated learning (WIL), in spaces other than physical workplaces, has been realized“, they observe. After the initial state of ‘panic-gogy’, with rife experimentation, purposeful design of ‘non-placement work-integrated learning’ (NPWIL) now requires attention. Experiences shown that different models and approaches can provide authenticity of work practices.

The ways of working, as well as where work is undertaken, are evolving. “Work is no longer simply completed within the confines of a bounded office and constraints of time periods”, observe Dean and Campbell (2021: 355); with for example, “remote work settings, fluid time constraints and continuous connectivity” becoming common practice. However, there is not consistency across the economy with regard to the changing nature of work. Changes tend to be industry and sector specific, as well as piece-meal, often driven by organisational specific goals.

Dean and Campbell (2021: 357) postulate that “with both the constructs of work and learning evolving rapidly as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic it is an inevitability that WIL, which connects these two worlds, also has to transform”. They remark that over the past two decades WIL models have been steadily experiencing innovation and a range of alternative models of WIL have emerged. Furthermore, as result of the changing world of work graduates needed to develop diverse and transferable skills.

Dean and Campbell (2021: 357) mention WIL models such as micro-placements, hackathons, competitions and events; including models beyond workplace-based experiences or requiring extensive time in workplaces, such as engaging students through short, authentic activities; and partnering with, or creating small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop entrepreneurial skills. They observe that the notion of the building of SMEs spurred the development of start-ups, consultations and incubators. WIL models further are increasingly multi-disciplinary within industry contexts, as well as engaging students from across disciplinary areas through interdisciplinary WIL. The location of WIL is further broadened beyond local contexts, with global mobility. Some WIL models are moving beyond physical constraints, by using technological platforms, online projects, virtual placements and various forms of online simulations.

Challenges such as teaching to large cohorts, resource limitations or scalability, and needing to provide access to all students, emphasise the need for one-to-many WIL models (i.e. replacing the one workplace supervisor or mentor guiding the work of one student or small group of students, “with multiple staff across an organisation working with, guiding and coaching large cohorts of students”), say Dean and Campbell (2021: 357). An increased agile curriculum, which allow for increased variability in student experiences, is required. Hopefully, such shorter, less resource intensive WIL models, would result in increased willingness of industry and also community, to partner with higher education institutions.

The COVID-19 pandemic induced ‘pivot online’ may, ponder Dean and Campbell (2021), be the catalyst to move towards more inclusive WIL approaches, such as opportunities for students in regional and rural settings; bespoke activities or partnership experiences, and/or scaling WIL through novel, collaborative, virtual platforms. Higher Education institutions “need to enquire into the needs of industry and community and explore how we can work together, think outside-the-box, and design authentic experiences for student cohorts” say Dean and Campbell (2021: 358). “Placements are not the only solution to authentic work practice when work practice itself continues to shift and is enabled by technology, they argue (p. 360).

Dean, B.A. & Campbell, M. (2021). Reshaping work-integrated learning in a post-COVID-19 world of work. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 21(4), 355-364. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_21_4_355_364.pdf

Baker, K.J. (2020). Panic-gogy: A Conversation With Sean Michael Morris. The National Teaching& Learning Forum, 29(4), 1-3. Electronically accessible from https://doi.org/10.1002/ntlf.30239

Designing ‘WIL’ placements to improve student employability

There are six (6) aspects pertaining curriculum design that matter with regard to work-integrated learning (WIL) placements that would improve student employability, say Smith, Ferns and Russel (2016: 200). Table 1 below reflects six WIL placement curriculum factors which empirical evidence suggests are important:

Smith, Ferns and Russel (2016: 197) indicate that the notion ‘work-integrated learning’ (WIL) “is a very broad rubric for a variety of educational activities” that intends to deliberately integrate theory with work practice and thereby provide students with exposure to ‘real-world’ work experience.

The term ‘rubric’ commonly refers to a set of guidelines, for example, an assessment protocol for how portfolios would be assessed and marks allocated. ‘Rubric’ originates from Latin rubrīca, meaning red ochre or red lettering to set it apart. Something written or printed in such a way as to distinguish it from the rest of the text. A heading, or title, or direction of mode of conduct or procedure; protocol.

Smith, Ferns and Russel (2016: 198) observe that the term ‘curriculum’ is not used consistently with within literature. They qualify their use of the term ‘curriculum’ to mean those activities organised for students to experience whilst on a work placement. Their premise is that workplace supervisors should deliberately orchestrate learning experiences; and that the quality thereof assured by academic or professional staff charged with designing ‘WIL curricula’.

Smith, C., Ferns, S. & Russell, L. (2016). Designing work-integrated learning placements that improve student employability: Six facets of the curriculum that matter. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 17(2), 197-211. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_17_2_197_211.pdf

Making use of Moodle to interact with workplace learning supervisors or mentors

Students that are completing prerequisite workplace-based learning as part of the curriculum of their qualification are generally required to be supervised (or mentored) by suitably qualified (and often registered) practitioners. The Council on Higher Education (n.d.), as independent statutory body, states criterion 15 pertaining ‘coordination of work-based learning’ (2014: 104), among others, that “regular and effective communication takes place between the institution, students, mentors and employers involved in work-based learning [and that] good working relations are maintained between the various parties involved”. Moodle is proposed as potential means towards this end.

Hay and Dale (2014) report that Massey University, in New Zealand, introduced Moodle in 2009 in order to provide students with an internet-based, engaging, rich-media environment that is innovative, flexible and relevant. Social Work students, among others, are required to undertake practicums with social service agencies with the aim of meeting the relevant learning outcomes. During such practicum students are supervised and supported by registered social workers. However, such practitioners may have had zero or minimal training for the role as supervisor; neither does standards for accreditation as field educators exist; nor are there requirements of training prior to becoming a field educator, supervisor, or mentor. Although training is encouraged, workload commitments and/or geographical location may hamper. Such individuals may well lack in confidence, have specialized knowledge or demonstrate pedagogical skills. Practicum, or workplace learning materials include guidelines to supervisors, the learning outcomes, as well as monitoring and assessment templates, but field educators are largely isolated from the university.

Based on past experience of positive relationships between the university and workplace sites, including clear understandings of expectations, resulting more likely in quality practicums; the use of online technologies, more specifically Moodle, had been considered. In 2011 a meta-Moodle site had been developed at Massey University. Workplace supervisors were invited and had to accept in order to access Moodle. Asynchronous modes of communication were utilised. Any participant may send a message or initiate a discussion with other users of the Moodle site. Articles, written materials relevant to the workplace learning context, recorded audio resources, podcasts, and relevant university documentation are made accessible. In addition to serve as news forum, Moodle is also used as forum to provide feedback and encouragement to field supervisors; as well as connecting with each other with the view of developing a community of practice, sharing ideas and strategies. Moodle facilitates on-line learning, developing of insights, broadening of professional perspectives, and strengthening the profession.

The lead author of the article responded to an enquiry, affirming that “Moodle is now the primary learning management system at Massey” University. She “currently teach only distance/extramural courses and so Moodle is [her] only form of communication with [her] students. This works well as [her] messages go straight into their email and they can respond to [her] either by email or in the Moodle site.” However, “The field education site [they] discussed in the article is now not being used. Over time [they] had less and less interest in it from field educators (supervisors) in the placement agencies. While it was easy to access many organisations now do a lot of online training and have good online professional development repositories and so [she] think field educators didn’t necessarily want or feel the need to go into another one. Instead, [they] email every field educator a digital handbook based on frequently asked questions when they agree to take on a placement student.” They further “talk with them by phone and [they] offer training for them in different parts of NZ.”

Council on Higher Education (2014). Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Programme Accreditation Criteria, pp. 81 – 107, Criterion 15, p. 104. In Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Good Practice Guide. Electronically accessible from https://www.saide.org.za/documents/CHE_-_Distance_Higher_Education.pdf

Council on Higher Education (n.d.). Legislative and policy mandate. https://www.che.ac.za/about-us/legislative-and-policy-mandate

Hay, K. & Dale, M. (2014). Moving through Moodle: Using e-technology to enhance social work field education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 15(2), 119-128. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_15_2_119_128.pdf.

Developing a meta-Moodle-site for supervisors of workplace-based experiential learning

“The development of a meta-[Moodle]-site for” the workplace-based learning part of work-integrated learning“ enables greater connections between the university and the” workplace supervisors/mentors, found Hay and Dale (2014: 119).

The work-integrated learning (WIL) refers “to a broad range of experience-based education models and curriculum approaches where students engage with industry and community organizations, for example, service learning, work-based learning, community engagement, cooperative education … as well as internships, teacher practicums, clinical placements, engineering sandwich courses, virtual projects, simulations, fieldwork etc.” (Winchester-Seeto et al, 2016: 101). “WIL enables professional development in experiential learning environments.” say Richardson et al. (2013: 28) and “The WIL experience requires students to apply discipline knowledge gained in the traditional university environment to a work context.” (p. 29). However, they say that there is a “lack of understanding of the nature of learning in the WIL environment – what is being learnt and how. Learning in the workplace is influenced by personal, interpersonal, institutional, social and historical factors”. Richardson et al. (2013: 29) emphasise “the importance of preparing industry supervisors for their role”. “Universities often spend considerable resources in developing relationships with employers but fewer resources in ensuring that these employers are equipped and confident in fulfilling their role.” they observe.

The learning spaces differ. Richardson et al. (2013: 27, emphasis added) indicate that “Traditionally, in disciplines that have strong vocational intent such as medicine, accounting, law and architecture, universities have taught the necessary discipline content, while professional practical skills have typically been taught on the job in the graduates’ capacity as trainees within hospitals, law firms, government departments and accountancy firms. Involvement of employers in the training of graduates into the practices of work has been the norm.” The term host supervisor is often “used to refer to anyone responsible for supervising the experience of students who are undertaking a placement or other WIL activity, and includes workplace supervisor, mentor, preceptor and guide.” Say Winchester-Seeto et al (2016: 101). “The value of industry supervisors [Descriptors for industry supervisors include industry mentors, industry supervisors, industry advisors and workplace supervisors.] in providing feedback to students in situ has been found to be significant in facilitating students’ professional development (Footnote from text inserted, Richardson et al., 2013: 29). “Supervision of students, both by the university and at the placement site, is acknowledged as playing a critical role in Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programs … and is a key factor underpinning their success” say Winchester-Seeto el at (2016: 101).

Skinner et al (2021: 89) emphasise the “importance of a coordinated approach, with clear guidelines to ensure supervisors and students have a shared understanding”; as well as “structured and organized placements, with a coordinated approach and clear guidelines for all stakeholders as to the aim and focus of the placement” (p. 92). The Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (South African Government, 2014: 17) specifies that “workplace-based learning must be appropriately structured, properly supervised and assessed”. Two of the four criteria stated by the Council on Higher Education (2014: 104), with regard to work-based learning, include (i) regular and effective communication and good working relations; and (ii) a ‘mentoring system’. Hay and Dale (2014: 120) remark “From experience, positive relationships between the university and agencies as well as clear expectations and understanding of the field educator role are more likely to ensure quality practicum”. “In practicum, students are, in the main, supervised and supported by a registered” practitioner (Hay & Dale, 2014: 119).

Field educators communicate directly with academic staff during the planning stage of the practicum, they are visited approximately mid-way through the practicum by an academic staff member, and they may choose to phone or email staff if any concerns arise. Prior to the practicum the field educators also receive a handbook which covers the key requirements and expectations of the practicum, the templates for the assessment components and material on supervision. Apart from these contacts the field educator is largely isolated from the university. (Hay & Dale, 2014: 120).

Traditionally, the learning pack of WIL modules included a mentor guide, a set of guidelines aimed at equipping the workplace supervisor for her/his role. The content may vary, but essentially meant to outline what the student’s learning outcomes are, what exposure the student requires, what the supervisor need to assess, etc. “Given the time and resource constraints on both academic and” workplace supervisors, Massey University, New Zealand, which already made use of Moodle, questioned “whether online technologies, and specifically Moodle, can be used more effectively for the benefit of” workplace supervisors, reflect Hay and Dale (2014: 120).

“Moodle is an acronym of Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It is an internet-based e-learning environment used for educational purposes. As an online environment it is intended to be connected, innovative, flexible and relevant to” students (Hay & Dale, 2014: 119).

The work-integrated learning “Moodle site that had initially been established for practicum [WIL] students was redeveloped so that it was more relevant and accessible to” supervisors (workplace mentors), indicate Hay and Dale (2014: 120). Access is offered to all supervisors, although acceptance of this invitation is required. Asynchronous modes of communication are utilized, including a news forum wherein any participant in Moodle can send messages, and initiate discussions with other users of the site. Articles and written materials relevant to workplace learning, as well as audio recorded resources or podcasts on facets of relevant professional or vocational practice are provided by academic staff.

Hay and Dale (2014: 120) further remark that Moodle has the potential to be used as forum to provide feedback and encouragement to workplace supervisors as students progress through WIL. Workplace supervisors can connect with one another thus developing a community of practice, where strategies can be shared. Such collaboration broadens professional perspectives and nurture development of insights. Academic staff made use of Moodle to guide workplace supervisors with regard to their “often challenging roles as educator, coach, mentor, supervisor and assessor”, and thus enhancing quality.

Council on Higher Education (2014). Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Programme Accreditation Criteria, pp. 81 – 107, Criterion 15, p. 104. In Distance Higher Education Programmes in a Digital Era: Good Practice Guide. Electronically accessible from https://www.saide.org.za/documents/CHE_-_Distance_Higher_Education.pdf

Hay, K. & Dale, M. (2014). Moving through Moodle: Using e-technology to enhance social work field education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 15(2), 119-128. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_15_2_119_128.pdf.

Richardson, J., Jackling, B., Henschke, K. & Tempone, I. (2013). Developing a collaborative model of industry feedback for work placement of business students. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 14(1), 27-43. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_14_1_27_43.pdf.

Skinner, K., Simpson, M., Patton, N. & Robson, K. (2021). Enablers and barriers to interprofessional work-integrated learning placements: A qualitative study of rural and regional allied health supervisors' perceptions. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 22(1), 83-96. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/IJWIL_22_1_83_96.pdf.

South African Government (2014), Department of Higher Education and Training, Government Notice No 819. Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF). Government Gazette No. 38116, 17 October 2014 — §35, p. 17. Electronically accessible from https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201410/38116gon819.pdf.

Winchester-Seeto, T., Rowe, A. & Mackaway, J. (2016). Sharing the load: Understanding the roles of academics and host supervisors in work-integrated learning. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 17(2), 101-118. Electronically accessible from https://www.ijwil.org/files/APJCE_17_2_101_118.pdf.

Criteria for good practice in work integrated learning

“There are no standardised criteria for evaluating WIL”, say Schonell and Macklin (2019: 1198), and add that they found a number of evaluative tools that have been used to determine the quality and effectiveness of WIL strategies. They integrated and synthesised three evaluation approaches, and presented in a table, refined categories and criteria.

Schonell, S. & Macklin, R. (2019). Work integrated learning initiatives: live case studies as a mainstream WIL assessment. Studies in Higher Education, 44(7), 1197-1208. Electronically accessible from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2018.1425986

Relationships between student and supervisor, within studio-based learning, have an effect on student learning

“With each ‘singular emotional episode’ the student learns about the supervisor and themselves” and with “repeated exposure these singular events can develop into ‘emotional stances’, which influence the student’s approach to learning”, say Belluigi (2016: 21) and adds that “such stances may be productive, reproductive or counter-productive depending on how power dynamics, affective concerns and discourses position and manage those involved”. She states (p. 22) that it “is important in education to recognise that teachers’ conceptions of their roles have an impact on student learning”, in that it may either undermine or support. Drawing from her art education research, she portrays constructions of the roles of supervisors and of students respectively, as well as resulting relationships.

Six constructions of the studio-supervisor (p. 23)	Four constructions of the student (p. 29)
The master (p. 23) Master–apprentice mimetic model, originated from the medieval guild workshop; apprentice making the master’s art; now obsolete and inappropriate for contemporary studio	The apprentice (p. 29) Hierarchical, ‘earning your stripes’, becoming a journeyman and then master; marked absence of student voice; in some cases a lack of concern for students’ aspirations
The atelier coach One-to-one ‘studio conversations’, arose from the 19th century Romantic French academy; constructive criticism of the student’s artwork as medium of learning; not sustainable under production and educational pressures	The emotional/intuitive artist-student Romantic artist genius and humanist notions of the artist as the ideal of fulfilled selfhood; believing morally superior and emotionally more sensitive than non-artists, and ‘pitted against a cold and corrupt society’
The reflective practitioner (p. 24) Observation and formative feedback; requires ‘sensitive, trusting and responsive teacher–student relationships; dependency because continually respond adapt to what emerges; reflection-both in and outside-action	The reflexive practitioner (p. 30) Reflexivity is essential to contemporary artmaking; fluidity between formal learning spaces and everyday life, theory and practice; fluidity between formal learning spaces and everyday life, theory and practice
The critical friend Students often intentionally use for alternative interpretations, and to situate themselves in community; model require caring, mutually engaging, partnership openness	The collaborator Postmodernist ‘co-constructivist’ concept ‘artist as collaborator’; interconnected with various different ‘knowledges’, experiences and communities; critical adult learning
The liminal servant (p. 25) Relating to the threshold (or point) beyond; both cognitive and social scaffolding; enthusiastic engagement and openness; empathy; and shared learning management
The analyst (and patient) Similar phenomena with therapy, within trust environment and sense of security, for student to explore widely and freely without constraints; play, awareness, mirroring, and transference; growth-promoting symbiosis

How the inherent differences of the respective roles and models are understood from within the constructions, is of significance and should not be overlooked.

Belluigi, D.Z. (2016). Constructions of Roles in Studio Teaching and Learning. The International Journal of Art & Design Education, 35(1), 21-35. Electronically available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jade.12042