Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
Learning Outcomes.......................................................................................... 2
Module Topics.................................................................................................. 2
Leadership Approaches to Managing the Delivery of Fieldwork ...................... 3
Academic Leadership: Transactional and Transformational Leadership .......... 4
Key Stimulus Questions ........................................................................................ 6
Using a Risk Management Approach to Guide Actions ................................... 6
Key Stimulus Questions ........................................................................................ 6
Strategies to Use in Planning ........................................................................... 8
Ishikawa Diagram .................................................................................................. 8
Gantt chart ............................................................................................................ 9
Practical Activities .......................................................................................... 10
Required Reading .......................................................................................... 10
References..................................................................................................... 11
Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Delivering an Effective Fieldwork
Program
Introduction
Hello and welcome to Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
In this module you will explore some leadership principles and tools to assist you in your role as
fieldwork coordinator. In particular, the tools provided here will support you to develop effective
structures to get the job done. By looking critically at these functions through an academic leadership
lens you will be provided with opportunities to enhance your abilities as deliverers of fieldwork
education, both to improve the quality of your delivery as it relates to the goal of student learning and
potentially create space to build other more strategic functions.
Figure 1: Deliver role from the Integrated Completing Values Framework
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module participants will:
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Apply a risk management framework to support workplace-learning programs.
Identify what structures and processes are needed to deliver an effective workplace learning
program.
Module Topics
The topics we will cover are:
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Introduction to the Deliverer role
Leadership approaches to managing the delivery of fieldwork
Academic Leadership: transactional and transformative.
Planning the delivery of fieldwork to minimise reactive and time consuming tasks
Responding to challenging situations in fieldwork
Using risk management approaches to guide actions.
Introduction to the Deliverer Role
The Deliverer role is used to ensure that things are running smoothly and that the things that need to
be done are done. The delivery of fieldwork coordination consumes much of the time of the fieldwork
coordinator. This role encompasses the day to day activities of ensuring that students are placed in
workplaces and that all the structures and processes are in place to ensure the successful
completion of the placement. Many of these activities become ingrained in our work, so much so that
we cease to acknowledge the skill set needed to fulfil this role. This role also includes the activities of
coping with unexpected events that occur day to day. Much of the work day can be consumed by
‘putting out fires’ or handling mini crises. Many fieldwork coordinators would feel that this is an area
that they are most experienced in. It is also the area that claims much of the time that could otherwise
be given to other roles. People who are strong in the Deliverer role can feel quite comfortable dealing
with the day to day task focussed internal activities and miss opportunities to build skills other areas.
When using the Deliverer role you will be:
 Managing across schools, departments and external WIL providers.
 Managing projects.
 Setting clear goals and objectives for yourself and others.
 Organising work to be done.
 Productive, getting the job done.
 Managing your time and stress.
 Coordinating activities needed to deliver the fieldwork program.
 Motivating others.
 Maintaining and providing structure.
 Maintaining control.
When you overuse or inappropriately use your Deliverer role there will be:
 Perpetual exertion.
 Human exhaustion.
 Undiscerning regulation.
 Ironbound tradition.
 Little progress.
 Offence to individuals.
 Lack of cohesion.
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Leadership Approaches to Managing the Delivery of
Fieldwork
The delivery of fieldwork involves many different processes to successfully place a student in a
workplace learning experience. If we focus on the task of delivering students to a placement it often
involves a cycle through the following processes:
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Planning the placement activities and the placements required to meet the student’s learning
objectives.
Ensuring that the number of placements for each student is appropriate to their needs.
Ensuring students and supervisors have been prepared for the placement.
Collaborating with other team members e.g. admin staff.
Coordinating the allocation of students to the placement.
Monitoring the placement to ensure that the placement is progressing according to the
objectives.
Supporting placement providers during the placement by regular communication.
Supporting students during the placement.
Trouble shooting issues that arise during the placement.
Follow-up after the placement to collect grades and evaluation sheets.
In this cycle, described above, problems often arise for fieldwork coordinators and it is natural to feel
that you would need to urgently identify an appropriate solution. Typically, these issues or problems
are what give the fieldwork coordinator the feeling they are constantly putting out fires and,
consequently, managing in a reactive way. However, rather than focus on how to manage problems
in this module we will identify the factors that contribute to these situations occurring, risks associated
with issues and proactive structures and processes that can be implemented to limit the likelihood of
problems arising.
Cooper et al. (2010, p. 166) identified three categories of problems most typically managed by
fieldwork coordinators. These are:
1. Student’s having personal issues.
2. Complaints about the workplace.
3. Student’s behaviour.
You may find that there are additional problems that you commonly have to manage.
Steven Covey (1994) in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has identified 4 quadrants that
people’s daily activities fall into. You may recognise that your initial response to putting out fires as a
fieldwork coordinator falls into Quadrant 1, where you are dealing with a mini crisis that needs
immediate action. Covey would argue that most of your time should be spent in Quadrant 2 if you are
to be the most effective. This quadrant is the quadrant of quality and personal leadership.
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Figure 2: Covey's Four Quadrants (fieldwork coordinators tend to spend most time in
quadrant 1)
Academic Leadership: Transactional and
Transformational Leadership
Using academic leadership in the Deliverer role involves planning and implementing strategies to
predict and manage situations. Transformation and transactional leadership approaches are useful
frameworks with which to explore the Deliverer role. Transformational leadership is about being
inspiring, visionary, adaptive and paying close attention to team members’ potential whereas
transactional leadership invests in more control oriented systems to gain compliance and ensuring
that the team meets its performance targets (Bass et al., 2003). Situations such as putting out fires
typically require both transactional and transformational responses. It is easy, however, as mentioned
before to focus only on the transactional aspects of fieldwork coordination. Another way to think
about these ideas is that transactional responses tend to be reactive whereas transformational can
be more proactive.
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Table 1: Transactional versus Transformational Leadership
Transactional
Transformational
Getting the job
Finds a solution quickly to
Builds on the need
Sees this situation in the
done
ensure the site and you
for meaning
broader context of
know how to handle the
managing a fieldwork
student and the future of
program and how this
the placement is
reflects on the overall
determined.
success of the program
Swamped in daily
Responds to the phone
Transcends daily
Recognises the frequency
affairs
call as it comes in, adds
affairs
with which these activities
this situation to the list of
occur and the pattern of
activities that need to be
response. Is able to build
dealt with. Drops other
into schedule time for
activities off in response to
managing these scenarios
the time taken to manage
and has a plan for
this situation
responding.
Confuses causes
Focuses on finding a
Separates causes
Analyses the situation to
and symptoms and
solution that will meet the
and symptoms and
see what has happened,
is concerned with
demands of the individuals
work prevention
why it has happened and
treatment
in the situation
can implement strategies
that deal with underlying
problems
Relies on human
Uses skills in liaising with
Makes full use of
Identifies the opportunities
relations to oil
students, head of school
human resources
for the empowerment of
human interactions
and partners to calm the
others in the situation to
situation and reassure
assist in the problem
everyone that you will find
solving. Knows who key
a solution
people are who can
advise with difficult
situations.
Follows and fulfils
Refers to current
Designs and re-
Recognises that certain
role of expectations
processes and policies for
designs jobs to
processes were not
by striving to work
appropriate response.
achieve over-
working effectively and
arching goals
designs processes and
effectively within
current system
policies to guide future
practice.
Adapted from Vilkinas, T., Leask, B., & Ladyshewsky, R. (2009). Academic leadership: Fundamental
building blocks. Strawberry Hills, New South Wales: Australian Learning and Teaching
Council.
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Key Stimulus Questions
Using these principles of transactional and transformative leadership described above we can
explore some questions related to our own practice. Think of a recent issue that has arisen in your
fieldwork program and answer the following questions. These questions ask us to think at a
transformational level:
1. How does your situation reflect on the overall management approach you are using in your
fieldwork program?
2. How often do situations like this occur? Is it likely to happen again?
3. What might be the causes of your situation/issue?
4. Who is impacted by the situation and who can assist you with a solution?
We can also consider our knowledge and capacity to respond to situations. How well are we
developing a body of knowledge that helps us to know how to react in these types of situations?
Using a Risk Management Approach to Guide
Actions
Cooper, Orell & Bowden (2010) support adopting a risk management approach to managing
fieldwork placements. A risk management approach is particularly suited to the Deliverer function.
These authors note that fieldwork is inherently associated with risk for its stakeholders. However,
before we consider risk management in relation to fieldwork we must clarify what is meant by risk and
risk management. Below are some definitions from the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS
4360:2004: Risk Management:
Risk – ‘the chance of something happening that will have an impact upon objectives’ (AS/NZS
4360:2004)
Risk Management — ‘the culture, process and structures that are directed towards realizing
potential opportunities whilst managing adverse effects’ (AS/NZS 4360:2004)
Risk Management Process — ‘The systematic application of management policies, procedures and
practices to the tasks of communicating, establishing the context, identifying, analysing, evaluating,
treating, monitoring and reviewing risk’ (AS/NZS 4360:2004))
It is important to note that risk refers to the chance of something happening. Fieldwork education is
associated with rich learning opportunities to prepare students for their professional work. By its
nature, however, fieldwork education is associated with risk. Factors such as the potential impact and
likelihood of different risks need to be considered. For example, in fieldwork coordination a risk can
be the cancellation of a placement. This may have a low-mod-high impact (depending on the
availability of alternative placements) and may be not very likely through to occur (depending on the
discipline and type of placement).
A useful way to analyse risk is to consider the categories of risk and the risk appetite. The risk
appetite of an organisation reflects their willingness to take risks to achieve the benefits of the
program. Categories of risk can be given different priorities as may the risk appetites be different for
the different partners involved in fieldwork education. In the following interlinked questions consider
the category of risk and examples related to fieldwork education.
Key Stimulus Questions
1. Who are the stakeholders and whose needs are the most vulnerable in fieldwork education?
2. What were the risks in your fieldwork program?
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
3. For each risk what is the likelihood of a problem occurring and its potential impact on the
participants in the program?
These questions lead us to consider risk from the point of view of the consequences of the situation
itself and its impact (current issue) and from the perspective of the risk associated with how
effectively we manage the problem (future relationships).
Table 2 maps the usual key stakeholders in fieldwork programs across the horizontal axis against the
categories of risk considered by organisations on the vertical axis. You may be able to add to this
table from your knowledge of your placement program.
Table 2: Fieldwork Stakeholders and Categories of Risk
Stakeholder
Student
Partner
Fieldwork
coordinator
University
Client/service
user
Health, safety
Physical,
Health and
Own well-
Health and
Physical,
and
emotional and
well-being of
being
well-being of
emotional and
environment
Values, Ethics
and
Institutional
Reputation
mental health
Codes of
conduct
Future work
opportunities
Rights as a
student
Ability to
secure
placements to
complete
education
Quality of
education
employees
Reputation
as an
educational
institution,
relationship
with partners
Duty of care
to students
Ability to
provide
courses
mental health
Rights as a
receiver of
services
Business
Continuity
employees
Reputation as
a service
provider,
relationship
with partners
Duty of care
to clients and
students
Ability to
provide
service
Quality of
student
education
Costs of
running
program
Statutory and
Common law
Quality of
service
received
Costs of
receiving
service
Statutory and
Common law
Equal
Opportunity
Law
Reputation,
relationships
with
communities
Duty of care
for students
Physical,
emotional and
mental health
(cultural safety)
Right to have
culture valued
and respected
Category of
risk
Quality
Financial
Compliance legal and
statutory
requirements
Cross-cultural
Cost of
attending
placement
Police checks
Immunisation
Student
registration
Common law
Physical,
emotional and
mental health
(cultural safety)
Right to have
culture valued
and respected
Quality of
service
Costs of
students to
business
Agreements
Statutory and
Common law
Right to have
culture
respected
and valued
Duty of care
to clients and
students
Personal
values,
professional
codes of
conduct
Duty of care
to student
Ability to
provide
fieldwork
education
program
Quality of
student
education
Performance
management
Agreements
Statutory and
Common law
Personal
values, duty
of care to
students,
clients and
their
communities
Access to
services
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Strategies to Use in Planning
Planning takes time but it is time well spent because through planning you can improve your overall
effectiveness and move your leadership into Quadrant 2 of Covey’s model (page 4) and toward more
a transformational leadership style. Below are two strategies to assist you in planning as a fieldwork
coordinator; the Ishikawa Diagram and the Gantt chart.
Ishikawa Diagram
Visit Wikipedia to find out about the Ishikawa Diagram
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishikawa_diagram). The Ishikawa Diagram is also known as the Fishbone
Diagram and is a pictorial method for illustrating perspectives on an issue and for deepening
understanding. It was developed by Kauro Ishikawa (1969). It is a useful method for investigating a
problem within a fieldwork program. The Ishikawa Diagram is a useful way for mapping potential
sources or causes of the problem, and then investigating each one in more depth, with the aim of
coming up with some resolution. Sometimes there can be benefits from completing this task in a
group as often a broader range of ideas are generated.
The problem is specified at the right end of the diagram or backbone. The possible causes of the
problem are drawn as bones off of the main backbone. The fieldwork coordinator can use the team to
brain storm possible sources/causes to build the bone structure of the diagram. As much information
is provided as possible in order to detail the problem.
The Ishikawa diagram has its roots in the quality movement and as such can be a useful problemsolving tool for fieldwork coordinators to improve outcomes for student learning. From the information
obtained from this analysis, a change process may then follow as the group works towards
implementing action to eliminate the root problem.
Figure 3: Ishikawa Diagram
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Gantt chart
Once you have identified the causes of an issue using the various approaches provided above you
are in a position to plan actions that will help you to manage the issue. One of the principles of a
leadership approach is that you will enact processes that will reduce the need for reactive responses.
Often generating these actions requires attention to the systems we use and our interactions with
others. These types of actions take time to address so we need to plan how we are going to achieve
them.
A Gantt chart is a kind of bar chart that illustrates a project plan, including scheduling of the project
milestones to enable the achievement of the desired outcomes. Visit Wikipedia to find out more about
Gantt charts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart)
You can also download free Gantt chart software. (http://www.ganttproject.biz/)
Figure 4: Sample Gantt chart
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Key
placement
management
activities
Visits and calls to
students on placement
When developing your chart you should map your planned activities, when they are to start and when
you hope to achieve the outcome by. You should also map the peaks and troughs in your workload
so that you can be realistic about when you will have time to work on your planned activities.
An important step in the process of developing a plan is to identify the outcome that you are trying to
achieve. Think about situations where you have planned an action but haven’t followed through to
see if the desired action had occurred.
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Delivering an Effective Fieldwork Program
Practical Activities
The case study presented is an example of a complex issue to manage as a fieldwork
coordinator and provides an opportunity to apply leadership skills to a problem. This
particular case was chosen because it represents one of the more common scenarios
that fieldwork coordinators are required to manage.
Using the case study provided below complete the four associated worksheets:
1. Worksheet 1: The table provided gives an analysis of this case as it relates to
the concepts of transactional and transformational leadership. Map how you
would respond to the scenario using the scale in the column ‘My response’.
2. Worksheet 2: Answer the first set of key stimulus questions in relation to the
case study.
3. Worksheet 3: Answer the second set of key stimulus questions in relation to
the case study.
4. Worksheet 4: Use the Ishikawa Diagram to analyse the issues raised by the
case study.
Case study
You are the coordinator of the fieldwork placement program for a Bachelor of Teaching
program. You have been in this role for about 6 months, having taken over from the
previous coordinator. In the yearly cycle of clinical placements the 2nd year students
are in the 2nd week of their 4 week placement rotations. In your plan for the week you
are going to contact the placement supervisors to ensure that the students are meeting
the placement requirements. As you are collecting the list of phone numbers you notice
an email in your inbox from the Faculty admin officer asking you to call a supervisor
running a placement in a large school that takes a large number of placements. Before
you can pick up the phone to call you receive a phone call from the Head of School
asking you to urgently contact the same site. The Head of School advises you that they
received a phone call from a supervisor who had been desperately trying to contact
someone from ‘The University’ for a couple of days. The supervisor had advised the
Head of School that the university contact people they had on their list were not
answering their phones.
Having reassured the Head of School that you will deal with it, you call the supervisor.
She tells you that she has received a report that one of your students has been acting
inappropriately with a Year 12 male school student. She feels that the behaviour has
exceeded the boundaries of acceptable professional conduct.
Required Reading
Cooper, L., Orell, J., & Bowden, M. (2010). Work Integrated Learning: A guide to
effective practice. London: Routledge. Read chapter 7, ‘Managing difficult
situations’.
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References
Bass, B. M., Avolio, B. J., Jung, D. I. & Berson, Y. (2003). “Predicting unit performance by assessing
transformational and transactional leadership.” Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(2), 207218.
Cooper, L., Orell, J., & Bowden, M. (2010). Work Integrated Learning: A guide to effective practice.
London: Routledge.
Covey, S. (1994). 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Provo, Utah: Covey Leadership Center.
Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand. (2004). Risk Management, (AS/NZS 4360:2004).
Sydney, NSW.
Vilkinas, T., Leask, B., & Ladyshewsky, R. (2009). Academic leadership: Fundamental building
blocks. Strawberry Hills, New South Wales: Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
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