How would you design a “learning
environment” (the term environment being taken in its broadest possible sense)
that prepares individuals to be able perform optimally in a particular
workplace environment? You may wish to consider some of the following notions:
types of knowledge; sociocultural contexts; nature of professional work; issue
of transfer. Support your design concept with references to the existing
literature.
-
culture of learning at uni values personal achievement, goals, rewards, is at
odds with learning in the WP, where team achievement, goals, results vital to organisation
success.
- need
to have L envmt that ‘cluster a combination of subject‐specific skills and knowledge, generic intellectual skills,
generic process skills, competencies and personal attributes’
- strong knowledge base does
not guarantee job - ‘graduate attributes’ (teamwork, communication, critical
thinking, adaptability etc.) perceived to determine success - emphasizing
ability to transfer and apply knowledge/skills more important
-
students' ability to integrate and demonstrate generic skills linked to
development of confidence in application to new contexts (workplace) -
consequently increases their employability
- Thus
generic skills (teamwork,
leadership, ethical standards, etc.) central for effective workplace performance and development of the whole
person.
-
development closely associated with being given responsibility/decision making
in WP = most important factors for effective learning; most important source of
employee learning derived from challenges of work itself and interaction with
others
-
collaborative learning (interactive group work, one-on-one interaction, structured
formal, assessable teamwork exercises or group projects) is most effective way
to develop generic skills so uni must maximize opportunities to develop and
integrate into learning objectives. This incl development of
personal/professional skills which occur during uni by living away from home,
travelling, voluntary or community work, participating in clubs.
Concept of transfer
-
generic skills learned in uni context, provided students made aware of
importance and given opportunities to practice in authentic setting – then transfer
of these between contexts occurs when facilitative teaching of ‘meta‐skills’ of transfer occurs -
(eg “learning how to learn from experience”, awareness of context, capacity to
move between views, critical self‐reflection)
-
Transfer requires: situated learning + multiple authentic activities, full range
learning resources, generic nature and higher-order skills made explicit,
supportive climate (peers, supervisors), community of discourse, ensuring LLL
skills/disposition.
Competent teamwork teaching
-
well‐structured processes for
teaching how to work collaboratively = single most important factor in ensuring
development generic skills - supported by comprehensive staff development
opportunities and teaching resources.
-
teacher should make connections between various parts of curriculum more
explicit, makes stronger links between what students learn in class and its
practical application (eg by using authentic examples).
Credited work placement
-
greater emphasis on practical, work placement learning/‘employer defined
projects’ offer valuable preparation for kinds of problems employees encounter,
opportunity to reinforce and identify relevance of knowledge plus apply theory
and personal/generic skills learned in classroom in work context, valuable
networking, ID and
develop attributes required in WP, awareness of WP cultures, nature of work,
career plans and strategies.
-
allows valuable feedback from industry, allows student ‘systematic reflection’:
to deliberately reflect critically on/analyse learning experiences at uni and
in broader social context - with both academic and WP supervisors, strategies
for improvement = model of good practice, supports principles of LLL, situated or
transformative learning. (Eg structured debriefing and reflection sessions at
university, monitoring quality of outcomes)
Work placement quality
- linked to provision and
mutual support of both academic and workplace supervisors, maximizes opportunities/facilities/attitudes
for development and transfer of skills.
-
ensure adequate interaction with a mentor during placement, group/teamwork
activities, active participation in WP meetings and decisions.
-
staff liaison between uni and industry, to ensure supervisors provide
‘meaningful work’ and ensure collaborative learning opportunities structured
into learning objectives and supervision process, and must negotiate formal assessment
by uni of learning outcomes - because practicum offers opportunity to apply knowledge, test theory,
modify understanding, require assessment methods such as journals, analytical
papers, oral exams which allow for exploration and insight (cf
knowledge-based).
-
ensure as graduates become aware of WP expectations, do not ‘become
demoralised’ – ensure employers set realistic expectations, are clear in own
minds about expectations
-
need student responsibility for managing placement as part of their
professional development - staff encourage students to seek out and negotiate
opportunities for skills development, to formalize feedback from industry
supervisor. Academics need to make clear to WP supervisors the need to provide
such opportunities.
-
benefits of ensuring employer/industry involvement in all aspects (curriculum
development and delivery; reviews, teaching and assessment) allows ‘real‐world’ multidimensional
problem-setting, involving ethics and knowledge. - emphasis not just on
student’s needs but also organization's and the client's needs.
- questions
major justification for teaching theory in education setting being transferability/generalizability;
education should discuss how theory relates to practice so relevant theory
assembled, also alerts students to implications -
but believes
learning environment should be more integrated, with nature/importance of
transfer recognized and supported.
- must
discourage only surface approach to learning, so rather than pursue grades and
seek rewards, pursue learning goals and learning for own sake.
- WP performance
typically involves holistic integration of several forms of knowledge with
reliance of tacit knowledge (incl how formal/explicit knowledge is used) rather
than analytical knowledge favoured in education – requires knowledge acquired
through experience, working in context.
- Situational
based learning (PBL, authentic learning) helps liberate codified academic
knowledge so it is ready for transfer = “learning process involved when person
learns to use previously acquired knowledge/skills/competence/expertise in a
new situation”.
- PBLs
bridge the cultural gap between education and WP – should have broad scope of
cases to orientate students towards significance of wider range of theory,
theory embedded in practice, ensures cover scope of academic content
-
knowledge maps taught in practice setting in real-time useful for hidden
aspects of practice.
-
importance of reflective practitioner model with seminars whose prime purpose
is to link theory with reflections on personal WP experience, skills workshops,
simulations, work experience – reflection/evaluation so practice can be
justified and remains under critical control.
- role of generic skills in
developing effective, adaptable graduates fit for a changing workplace is
responsibility of education
-
development highly context-dependent, influenced by experience, shaped by the
discipline within which skills are conceptualized and taught
-
Learning/teaching environment enhance skill development through active
learning, teaching for understanding, feedback, teacher–student and
student–student interaction
-
curriculum must provide opportunities to practice generic skills in range of
contexts. Curricular design must include explicit and integrated generic skills
learning objectives against which can monitor students progress.
-
Assessment and feedback = valuable reinforcements of importance of generic
skills to both learner and teacher, encourages students to self-evaluate and
take responsibility for their own development.
-
The continual need for students to modify their practice in response to changes
in environment and requirements of their roles will help them develop ability
to transfer.
-in ever-changing workplace must be competent in skills that support
LLL - only then will one be able to adapt to changes in knowledge, update their
practice in line with changing evidence, continue to contribute effectively to
society.
What is the relationship (if any)
between the generic skills referred to in Crebert et al’s study, and the
capacities considered by Candy that graduates need to develop in order to work
in knowledge-intensive organisations?
- Need
for grads to be LLLs, scholarship of integration so can incorporate new
knowledge into real-world setting.
- in knowledge
economy, WPs features = non-standardization, creativity, high dependence on individuals,
complex prob solving.
-responsibility
of uni to provides framework for development of attributes expected of
graduate.
-
teaching how rather than what
-
teaching must stimulate active not passive learning and encourage students to
be creative critical thinkers.
- Capacities
that graduates need to develop in order to work in knowledge-intensive
organisations:
à LL personal/professional development
à independent disciplined inquiry
à apply what they know to the solution of non-recurrent
problems and betterment of society
à bring to bear insights and methods
à explain what they know
-
differentiates knowledge as something that can be acquired, preserved cf
“know-how” involving prob solving, info processing, how knowledge used
-
distinction between creating and applying knowledge blurred – may apply existing
knowledge to current problem by re-interpreting and analyzing previous
experience.
References
Candy, P. (2000) Knowledge Navigators and Lifelong Learners: Producing graduates for the information society, Higher Education Research & Development, 19(3), 261-277, DOI: 10.1080/758484346
Crebert,
G., Bates, M., Bell, B., Patrick, C.-J., & Cragnolini, V. (2004). Developing
generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment:
Graduates' perceptions. Higher Education Research &
Development, 23(2), 147-165.
Eraut,
M. (2004). Transfer of
knowledge between education and workplace settings (Chapter 12,
pp. 201-221). In H. Rainbird, A. Fuller & A. Munro (Eds.). Workplace
learning in context. London: Routledge.
Murdoch-Eaton, D. & Whittle, S. (2012).
Generic skills in medical education: developing the tools for successful
lifelong learning, Medical Education,
46(1), 120-128, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04065.x
No comments:
Post a Comment