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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT NOTES FOR THE BSc HONOURS
DEGREE IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
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NOTES ON INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT
All programmes at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) normally
include one academic year (8 months) of supervised industrial attachment or placement
approved by the Departmental Board, in the penultimate year of the undergraduate course
in Library and Information Science. The implementation of industrial attachment is
provided by Faculty Regulations. Following the regulations governing industrial
attachment: 1)
To obtain an overall pass. A student must pass both the Continuous
Assessment and the Final Assessment components of the Industrial
Attachment.
2)
A student who fails the continuous assessment component will be required to
repeat.
3)
The overall assessment shall be as follows:50 % Continuous Assessment and 50 % Final Assessment.
4)
The Departmental Panel of Examiners shall determine the continuous
assessment mark from the marks awarded by the industrial and academic
supervisors on the appropriate forms.
5)
The final Assessment Mark shall be determined on the basis of course
assessment 50% the final report assessment 40 % and oral presentation
assessment of 10%.
6)
Two copies of the final report in a form approved by the University must be
submitted to the Department of Library and Information Science within two
weeks of the end of the lecture period for the second semester of the academic
year.
7)
A student who fails to meet the required date for submission of the final report
will normally be considered to have failed the Final Assessment.
8)
A student who fails the final Assessment but has passed the continuous
assessment component may be allowed to resubmit the industrial attachment
report within two months, and be reassessed. Unless otherwise determined by
the Senate, the maximum mark allowable for such referred work shall be 45%.
9)
The General Regulations on repeat, discontinue and withdraw shall apply to
industrial attachment.
A student who fails the industrial attachment
Part shall not proceed to the final year of the
degree programme.
While the above are general regulations regarding industrial placement, the following are
(general) guidelines specific to the students: -
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1)
The student is subject to university regulations and the company regulations
during the industrial attachment.
2)
The student is expected to:  Conform to the company regulations, working time and discipline;
 Fulfill the supervisor’s instructions concerning the training process and
carrying out of the industrial research project.
 Write a logbook on a daily basis and submit a report to the Department of
Library and Information Science after finishing the training.
 Take part with educational purpose in mind according to the ultimate
instructions of the supervisor;
 Put his/her best efforts to acquire extensive knowledge and skills in order
to achieve required standard of training.
 Keep good relations with all the staff of the company.
 Promote the good name of NUST.
3)
The choice of a company for the industrial attachment will not be based on
any probable monetary benefits the students may stand to gain.
4)
The student must always bear in mind his/her conduct during the industrial
attachment period will reflect not only on him/her bust also on NUST and that
it may also affect considerably the future industrial attachment placements and
the relationship between NUST and the company.
Guidelines for the Industry on the Treatment of the Student during the Industrial
Attachment
1)
The student will be subject to the company’s regulations and is expected to
function like a full time employee of the company.
2)
The company is requested to provide the student every opportunity to function
like a full-time employee and permit him or her to actively participate in all
aspects of business including management and administration except where
confidentiality constraints may not permit his or her participation.
3)
Wherever possible, the company is requested to assist the
student by
providing welfare measures such as providing help in finding suitable
accommodation close to the company, access to canteen facilities, company
transport etc.
4)
If the company wishes to pay the student an extra allowance, the arrangement
is only between the two parties, that is the student and the company involved.
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General Notes
Generally, industrial attachment or placement is the same as fieldwork. Fieldwork on
one hand, covers work by observation (visits to Libraries and Information Centres, and
Documentation centres), on the other hand, it means work experience, professionally
supervised (paid or unpaid), that is, compulsory Library and Information Science work
experience required during a whole academic year, which is part of the university’s
normal required course of study. Industrial attachment provides an opportunity for the
student to relate himself or herself or others, whereby the results on library and
information services staff and users can be assessed.
Motivation
Motivation of a student is an important factor in learning. Industrial attachment is really
the only means where motivation can be monitored. Theory cannot teach the student
how to cope with pressure, frustration, etc. It is through work experience that can be
taught. A student is also most receptive to learning new skills when this is taught in the
performance of the actual task.
Library and Information Science work is a technical, social and communicative
profession. The practitioner has to deal with users, staff, information technology, and
governing authorities. The ability to perform these functions can only be learnt by
experience. Closely allied to social functions are those of communication. Library and
Information Centres collect, organise and disseminate information, which the practitioner
has to interpret and pass on intelligibly. These social and communicative qualities cannot
be acquired from textbooks and lectures; they must be learnt by experience. Industrial
attachment is therefore made up of two processes, that is:
 Observation and direct work experience where learning proceeds on two levels;
 Cognitive and effective development as is the case in all other educational
processes.
Cognitive objectives are those that emphasise remembering and reproducing something
which has presumably been learned as well as objectives which involve the solving of
some intellectual task for which the individual has to determine the essential problem and
then re-order given material or combine it with ideas, methods or procedures previously
learned. In summary and in relation to industrial attachment, cognitive objectives
include:
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To practice routines
To relate theory to practice
To practice ideas and concepts
To test own approach
To extend own experience
To test readiness to work
To obtain additional job references and to expose oneself to the profession
To practice report writing
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Affective objectives are those, which emphasise a feeling, tone, an emotion or degree of
acceptance or rejection. Affective objectives vary from simple attention to selected
phenomena and to complex but internally consistent qualities of character and
conscience. These objectives include:  To experience the work atmosphere and environment
 To develop private feelings towards the profession
 To extend experience and opinions
 To be supervised by ‘outsiders’
 To interact with staff to professional ends
 To practice social skills
 To develop the flexibility of the mind
 To receive a boost for morale
 To experience a different pace of work
 To be re-motivated
 To increase self-confidence
 To mature in attitude
To re-offer, by relating practice to subsequently theory
Journal
You will be required as stated earlier, to give some form of feedback to your supervisor
and lecturer(s) in the way of viva and a report. It is advisable to keep some form of a
record of your industrial attachment for your own benefit. A rough journal in note form
may be appropriate. Also, pick up as many facts as you can – statistics, reports, examples
of stationery and publications, annual reviews, etc. which can be fed as examples into
your report, viva, and studies.
Observation
It may be helpful to keep the following factors in mind (not all will be appropriate for all
situations):
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The community served. How are the needs identified and satisfied?
Relationship to governing body
Range of materials. How is it selected and organised?
Reference and information services. How are they organised and offered?
Classification, cataloguing, referencing and information appraisal systems. Are
they traditional generic?
Staffing adequacy, policy, i.e., professional, paraprofessional, internal promotion,
staff development etc.
Financial resources: adequacy, sources, how they are allocated, etc.
Accommodation and equipment
Cooperation with other agencies
The major strength and weaknesses of the organisation
Administrative structure
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Other Trivia
1.
If you are sick or otherwise absent during the placement please notify the host
Institution and Department.
2.
If something goes wrong and you are not happy notify the Department of Library
and Information Science and do not get into argument with the institution
yourself.
3.
You would be pleased to learn that in many instances, students get jobs at the end
of the course in the institutions in which they have undertaken practical
placement.
4.
You will be assessed by the institution during your period of placement and a
confidential report will be sent to the Department of Library and Information
Science 5.
Punctuality. Friendliness, willingness to learn, etc. are important.
On this can depend the Department’s chances of future placement.
6.
Finally, you will remember the host institution’s opinion of you while on
placement affects not only you but also the reputation of the Department and the
University as a whole. You will be judged by your behaviour.
E Maisiri (Mrs.)
Chairperson