scholarly journals Realizing Learning in the Workplace in an Undergraduate IT Program

10.28945/3359 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Venables ◽  
Grace Tan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Software Systems ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Workplace Experience ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
The University

Higher education programs need to prepare their graduates for the practical challenges they can expect to face upon entering the workforce. Students can be better prepared if their academic learning is reinforced through authentic workplace experience, where the link between theory and professional practice can be realized. Increasingly, such learning in the workplace is being seen as an integral part of the university curricula as evidenced through the implementation of the Learning the Workplace & Community (LiWC) Policy at Victoria University, Australia. This policy mandates a minimum of 25% content and assessment of all academic programs be related to work-integrated learning. Recognizing the need for authentic workplace experience in the IT undergraduate program, a review found that the existing work-related learning component accounted for only half the required 25% LiWC commitment. Currently, the LiWC component is an industry-based capstone project that spans two semesters in the final year of study. These projects allow students to work on real-life software development tasks where they experience the practical challenges of building software systems whilst appreciating the needs of a business client. In a search of the literature, campus-located industry projects were identified as one of the two most common work-related learning experiences in IT programs, the other being internships sited in the workplace. By retaining the current project-based component, it was decided to add an internship to the program to further bolster the student learning experience and graduate outcomes. This paper details the existing program structure and explores two possible implementations for the achievement of the LiWC policy. The first approach necessitates the addition of one academic year of cooperative education internship to be placed strategically between the current second and third years. Alternatively, the second proposal sacrifices several elective units to accommodate a final semester internship experience. The paper discusses both alternatives against various issues under consideration: staffing and administration, assessment, industry partnerships, professional accreditation and its impact upon differing cohorts of students.

Hospitality internship program insights

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
Arif Kamisan Pusiran ◽  
Yuzainy Janin ◽  
Sarimah Ismail ◽  
Lorna Jimi Dalinting
Keyword(s):  
Higher Learning ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Industrial Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Perceptions Of Students ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide some insights on current industry internship practices and the perceptions of students during their internship experience. This paper also highlights some issues pertaining to internship from the students’ and the industry’s perspective Design/methodology/approach The paper utilises qualitative research methodology using in-depth interviews. Findings The sources of conflict arising between the two parties need to be addressed carefully so as to create a win–win situation. The paper offers some suggestions for higher education institutions as to how to establish better guidelines for student internships as well as for industry operators.. Originality/value Internship, industrial training, practical training or work-integrated learning refers to the involvement of students, institutions and colleges of higher learning in the industry. Internship provides an opportunity for students to experience first-hand, a work-related learning process. Given this, the involvement of industry in accepting students onto well-designed internship programmes is very much needed, so as to ensure the completion of a balanced period of study for a career in hospitality and tourism.

When things go wrong: the implications for facilitators of work integrated learning placements in international destinations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Elizabeth Abery ◽  
Sam Schulz ◽  
Shane Pill
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Staff Wellbeing ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeInternational work integrated learning (iWIL) placements for university students are widely promoted within universities. However, they cannot be offered and sustained without a great deal of time and effort; most commonly the responsibility of an assigned university facilitator. Preparation and support are essential for a positive student experience and iWIL outcome. However, not all experiences and outcomes are positive, or predictable.Design/methodology/approachPersonal vignettes of university iWIL facilitators are used to create a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) of experiences and outcomes where placements have been affected by unexpected or unprecedented “critical incidents” and the impact incurred on these academics. The vignettes are analyzed according to the Pitard (2016) six-step structural analysis model.FindingsAnalysis of the vignettes identifies a resulting workload cost, emotional labor and effect on staff wellbeing. Due to the responsibility and expectations of the position, these incidents placed the university iWIL facilitator in a position of vulnerability, stress, added workload and emotional labor that cannot be compared to other academic teaching roles.Practical implicationsIt is intended through the use of “real life” stories presented in the vignettes, to elicit consideration and recognition of the role of the iWIL facilitator when dealing with “the negatives” and “bring to light” management and support strategies needed.Originality/valueResearch is scant on iWIL supervisor experience and management of “critical incidents”, therefore this paper adds to the literature in an area previously overlooked.

Rock Around the University - transplanted rock exposures for on-campus geoscience field skills training

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Curry ◽  
Tim Dempster ◽  
Cristina Persano
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Geological Mapping ◽  
Teaching Resource ◽  
Fieldwork Experience ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

<p>Rock Around the University (RAU) is a teaching resource made up of 16 large (~2.5m) blocks of “local” Scottish rock which have been transplanted and orientated into carefully planned locations and elevations between the buildings of the University of Glasgow to look like natural exposures. RAU mimics a real-life fieldwork experience, on-campus, with the aim of enhancing the learning experience of undergraduate geoscience students. </p><p>RAU allows progressive, reflective, and effective on-campus outdoor training of a wide-range of geological field skills and concepts, including: the description, analysis and measurements of rock features and structures; geological mapping; the use of structure contours to predict geological boundaries in terrains lacking abundant exposures; construction of cross-sections; and, the interpretation and reconstruction of 3D structure and geological history.  Students visit the RAU exposures both during timetabled supervised ‘lab’ sessions and in their own time, providing an authentic fieldwork experience in a controlled location where key geological skills can be developed at the optimal rate for individual students.  Being located on the campus means that there are no travel or expenses for students, fewer timetabling issues, and fewer general logistical complications and natural complexities than in remote fieldwork locations.  In addition, students benefit from receiving ‘instant’ on-site feedback from staff on the challenges, problems and pedagogic issues that they encounter.</p><p>RAU allows us to introduce rigorous field-based teaching at an early stage in geoscience courses and to stimulate and encourage reflective learning. Students locate, analyse and synthesise information in the field to provide effective solutions to problems and use RAU as a self-directed learning experience where they build confidence while working independently in a familiar environment. Hence the students reinforce their field skills before experiencing independent work in remote areas.  In effect RAU uses the campus as a sustainable geoscience teaching resource. </p><p>Experiences with all levels of undergraduate students over the eight years since RAU was established at the University of Glasgow have demonstrated that this on-campus resource is an ideal complement to the traditional programme of fieldwork classes.  Students are much better prepared for their first major residential fieldwork having completed the RAU programme, and are much more confident in their field skills. RAU has allowed us to address more effectively the disconnect between laboratory and fieldwork skills, and remote fieldwork classes are now more focussed on the application, rather than the development, of field skills.  RAU has also had the effect of enhancing the awareness of geoscience among the entire University community, due to the presence of students carrying out fieldwork on campus. </p><p>Rock around the University is also used in recruitment and outreach, and is open to schools, amateur geoscientists, and anyone interested in Earth history.  Printed leaflets are available and more information is available at https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/ges/community/rockaround/ .</p>

RESULTS OF A FULL-SCALE SURPRISE TEST OF SUN'S MAJOR SPILL RESPONSE PLAN

1983 ◽  
Vol 1983 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-231
Author(s):  
Leon J. Kazmierczak ◽  
T. A. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Delaware Bay ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
University Of Delaware ◽  
Important Benefit ◽  
Degree Of Confidence ◽  
Response Plan ◽  
Level Of Experience ◽  
The University

ABSTRACT The Marine Operations Division of Sun Refining and Marketing (formerly Sun Transport Co.), a division of Sun Company, Inc., has conducted a series of drills to assess the effectiveness of its response plan, originally published in 1976. The latest exercise, conducted in November 1981, was by far the most extensive and complicated. Papers presented at the 1979 and 1981 oil spill conferences described the plan, the rationale behind it, and the first test. This paper reports on the findings and experiences of this latest exercise. The test (as with the original) was known only to a few beforehand to simulate as real-life a situation as possible. Involvement by people and organizations was extensive and included about 40 people representing Sun, the U. S. Coast Guard, the Delaware Bay Cooperative, the University of Delaware, reporters, and a few others. A number of problems identified will be discussed in detail. Two of the more important were early confusion about assignments and reporting; that is, people arriving were not sure where to go or to whom to talk. In general, the test was a very positive learning experience for all involved. Probably the single most important benefit was that the Sun people acquired a level of experience which they can draw on with some degree of confidence in the event of a major spill.

scholarly journals Preparing Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Students for Work-Related Practice: A Clinical Education Initiative at One Australian University

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Adam ◽  
Jenny Strong ◽  
Lucinda Chipchase
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Education ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Clinical Learning ◽  
Prevention Services ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Clinical Educators ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Parametric Statistics ◽  
The University

Purpose: Despite increasing numbers of novice occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) entering work-related practice since the early 2000s, clinical learning opportunities are often limited due to legal and insurance issues. In response, clinical educators at The University of Queensland, Australia, developed an industry consultancy service to provide clinical learning for students in this field. Students delivered injury prevention services with supervision from experienced educators. This paper describes the program and an evaluation of student learning. Method: Twenty-six students (10 OTs and 16 PTs) participated voluntarily in an evaluation of the program during 2008 and 2009. Surveys pre and post-placement included open and closed questions that sought students’ knowledge of work-related practice and perceptions of practitioner roles. Knowledge was assessed with 20 questions on work-related practice. Differences in knowledge before and after the placement were analysed with non-parametric statistics. Open ended responses were subject to manual thematic analysis. Results: Students demonstrated a good understanding of the roles and tasks undertaken by practitioners in this field pre-placement. Their knowledge of work-related practice significantly increased following the placement (p< 0.05). Half of the students reported that their expectations for the placement had been met. Open ended responses provided students’ perceptions of the program, both positive and negative. Conclusions: This clinical learning experience in work-related practice for OT and PT students provided a novel practical experience. Students demonstrated a good understanding of professional roles in the field and post-placement increased their understanding of work-related practice. The model provided a valuable method that ensures OT and PT students experienced work-related practice prior to graduation.

scholarly journals PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN AN EFL SETTING – A CASE STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
Le Thi Chi Giao ◽  
Bich Dieu Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The University ◽  
Enhanced Learning

Teaching for enhanced learning experience has well-received great interest from many teachers and educators around the world. In the EFL setting, tremendous efforts have been recognized in taking students out of a conventional classroom to experience a new way of learning which stimulates interest and creative thinking, which improves communication and collaborative skills, and which exposes students to more meaningful real-life situations. Project-based learning (PBL) is an answer to this, and it has developed as an alternative to teaching a foreign language with a focus on enhanced learning experience and increased creative teambuilding and group skills through meaningful projects. This paper presents how PBL has been adopted at the University of Foreign Language Studies – the University of Danang (UFLS-UD). It revisits the significance of PBL, the structure of a PBL activity, and reports how PBL has been situated in the local context of teaching English to students majoring in English in Vietnam. The reflections reported here showcase the gains through the path of action research enacted by individual teachers who act as change agents or enablers of this innovative teaching and learning approach and whose efforts have been recognized by means of several adaptations made to bring real life and a sense of community into language instruction.

scholarly journals Crafting the community

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71
Author(s):  
Claire Lucy Barber
Keyword(s):  
Value Relevance ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The University

Purpose – Crafting the Community is a volunteering project run by the Textiles Department at the University of Huddersfield to promote and deliver textile craft activities to the wider community. The purpose of this paper is to explore how volunteering can be a powerful tool for enriching peoples’ lives while deepening students’ textile-related competencies through placing their learning in social and communal settings. Design/methodology/approach – Initially the paper will articulate how the project has been developed to bring innovation to the forefront of the curriculum, equipping students with tools for playing a meaningful and constructive role in society. Subsequently the paper will investigate how volunteering can be used to affect real-life changes in homelessness, archival threats and rural transport. Findings – The paper uses a case study approach to realise the vision of Crafting the Community that enables students to put into practice their learning while capturing the imagination of local communities. Social implications – As active players in society, staff, students and external partners create an engaged and interrelated learning experience as an evolving process, mimicking the repetitiveness and structure of the warp and weft of cloth itself. Originality/value – In response to emerging debates concerning the value, relevance and impact of cloth on societies today the project’s aim is to share the course’s own unique philosophy and insight into the importance of a practical and creative engagement with materials and processes in the wider community. This paper would be suitable for academics that who are interested in textile culture and emergent textile volunteering and socially engaged practices in the public realm.

scholarly journals Steps on the Path towards Decolonization: A Reflection on Learning, Experience, and Practice in Academic Support at the University of Manitoba

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Dumontet ◽  
Marion Kiprop ◽  
Carla Loewen
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Academic Support ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Indigenous Student ◽  
Canadian Association ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The University

This essay comes out of a panel presentation featured at the 2018 Canadian Association Writing Centres Conference entitled, “Steps on the Path of Decolonization” where representatives of the Academic Learning Centre and the Indigenous Student Centre from the University of Manitoba collaborated to discuss how our student support offices have made efforts at decolonizing our work. We three women of Canadian Settler, International, and Indigenous backgrounds reflect on how the journey on the path towards decolonization has been for us personally, and on how post-secondary institutions can move forward with the work of decolonization, particularly within Writing/Learning Centres. Key themes included the need for ongoing learning, the value of building collaborative relationships, and the importance of creating safe and inviting spaces. Our conclusions suggest that decolonization is a complex journey for individuals and for post-secondary institutions. To begin in a good way, the writers would like to acknowledge that we work at the University of Manitoba, which is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

scholarly journals Multi-Disciplinary Experience - A Key Learning Experience in Effective Education for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahendra Gooroochurn ◽  
Bhoomitra Toolsy
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
The University ◽  
Sustainability Principles

The key role of education for achieving sustainable development has been well recognized around the world and used as a powerful lever for transforming economies based on sound principles. Indeed universities are prime institutions which have the essential role to impart requisite knowledge and skills to learners so that they can stand to the challenges in their respective professions, which means universities have had to bring radical changes to their curricula over the past decade to integrate sustainability principles as well as come up with new programmes centered on sustainability. However, the multi-disciplinary nature of sustainability projects as they occur in real-life has meant that the education curricula cannot be developed in isolation for a given programme of studies, but need to have linkages and crossover with other disciplines to provide a platform for learners to nurture this all-important skill. The University of Mauritius has aligned this key ingredient of education for sustainable development (ESD) with the accreditation framework for engineers provided by the Washington Accord through its graduate attributes, specifically Graduate Attribute 8 which includes multidisciplinary work within the range statement. This paper describes the methods adopted to implement this cross-linking between programmes from different disciplines effectively.

Providing an authentic experience of laboratory accreditation processes in a final year microbiology unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Phillips ◽  
Julie Markham
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Laboratory Accreditation ◽  
Team Work ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Real World Learning ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Industry Experience

The value of gaining industry experience during undergraduate degrees is well recognised1,2 and there is much interest currently in the concept of work-integrated learning (WIL)3,4. Industry experience equips graduates with job-ready skills, but university staff have reported that time, resources, and availability of industry places are obstacles in setting up placements for students3,5. An alternative approach is to provide a ‘real-world’ learning experience within the university. In this paper we will describe an example of an ‘authentic’ learning experience that familiarises students with the procedures involved in laboratory accreditation, and enables students to develop skills that address issues identified by employers during recruitment. These issues include lack of team work, communication, understanding how industry ‘does business’, and lack of practical experience and laboratory skills2,6. Laboratory Quality Management (LQM) is a final year unit at Western Sydney University that addresses some of these issues.

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