‘Graduates for our Future’
enhancement theme:
Learning in Employment
Contents
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Introduction
The case studies
Aberystwyth University: Aberystwyth Opportunities Network
Aberystwyth University: Integrating employability into the curriculum
Bangor University: Learning in employment: an institutional approach
Cardiff Metropolitan University: Elevate Cymru: a high performance working net
work pan-Wales project
Cardiff and Vale College: Developing formal higher-level qualifications for learning support assistants employed in primary and secondary schools in the Vale of
Glamorgan and Cardiff
Cardiff University: Authentic research experience for students: the Cardiff Under
graduate Research Opportunities Programme
Cardiff University: Supporting the development of e-CPD
Coleg Llandrillo: The development of Learning in Action modules within Coleg Llandrillo-based foundation degrees
Glyndŵr University: Foundation degree development
JISC RSC: TELSTAR Open Educational Resources
Swansea Metropolitan University: Learning in work – Leisure, Events, Tourism
and Sport
Swansea Metropolitan University: Applied industrial placement
Swansea University: Introducing WBL to Health and Social Care
University of Glamorgan: Learning in employment: a critical evaluation by the Faculty of Business and Society
University of Glamorgan: ESF-funded pan-Wales Work-based Learning programme
University of Glamorgan: ESF-funded pan-Wales Foundation Degree programme
University of Glamorgan: Learning Through Employment: framework and resources toolkits
University of Glamorgan: HEA Change Academy: Learning Through Employment
University of Wales, Newport: Partnership projects in Sport
University of Wales, Newport: Flexible Learning in Employment and Community Scenarios (FLECS)
University of Wales, Newport: Skillset Media Academy Wales post-graduation facility
University of Wales, Newport: Strategic Insight Programme (SIP)
University of Wales, Newport: Enhancing learning in employment through exchange
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: LATERAL (Liberating Aptitudes through Technology-Enhanced Recognition and Accreditation of Learning)
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia: supporting the needs of dyslexic workers in Wales
University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership in Public Service: a collaborative approach to curriculum design and APEL
References
3
Defining ‘learning in employment’
Introduction
In response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy for higher education,
For Our Future (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills,
2009), representatives from all major higher education stakeholders agreed to a
focused enhancement theme for Wales – Graduates for our Future – built around
three major work strands: Learning for Employment, Learning in Employment and
Students as Partners. The work strands were officially launched in March 2011 and
the three groups set about discussing how they could best capture innovation and
practice from the sector. This publication represents the work of the Learning in
Employment work strand and comprises 25 case studies from further and higher
education and JISC RSC.
The first task of the group was to agree a definition of learning in employment
that would provide sufficient scope to encompass the many activities members
discussed. Our working definition was agreed as:
Learning in employment is the accreditation of part of or all of a student’s learning
programme through formal recognition of experience in the workplace.
We were fortunate to have such a broad definition as others have rightly pointed
to the complexity of defining learning in/through employment (Lemanski, Mewis
and Overton, 2011; Moreland, 2005; Yorke and Knight, 2006). In particular Laycock
(2011) provides a comprehensive outline of the multiple layers of work-based,
workplace and work-related learning approaches, each with their own particular
emphasis. The Learning in Employment collection of case studies touches on each
of these elements and our definition sought to provide an umbrella beneath which
all learning in employment activity could be collected.
Group membership
Emerging themes
Aberystwyth University – John Grattan
In our discussion, the group identified several themes emerging from the case
studies, these being:
Bangor University – Lindsay Jones
Cardiff Metropolitan University – David Lloyd
Cardiff and Vale College – Emil Evans
Cardiff University – Sarah Williamson
Coleg Llandrillo – Paul Roberts
Glyndŵr University – Trish Reid
JISC RSC – Lis Parcell
Merthyr Tydfil College – Maria Heffernan
Quality Assurance Agency – Anett Loescher
Swansea Metropolitan University – David Trenberth
Swansea University – Megan Rosser & Gail Mooney
The Open University – Rob Humphreys
University of Glamorgan – Karen Fitzgibbon (Work strand leader)
• learner experiences;
• employer experiences;
• assessment;
• alumni engagement;
• quality assurance.
As might be expected, reflections concerning learner and employer experiences
are contained in most of the case studies. Learner experiences in the case studies
are extremely varied and offer a rich picture of learning opportunities and models
across the Welsh HE sector. Employer experiences are offered in several of the
case studies, including those from Aberystwyth, Cardiff Metropolitan, Glamorgan,
Newport and Swansea.
The breadth of assessment mechanisms for learning in employment is vast.
Laycock (2011) alone offers 23 different methods. In the case studies presented
here, assessment is achieved through the use of portfolios (Swansea and Swansea
Metropolitan) and reflective portfolios (Trinity Saint David), while other cases
suggest a multiple approach to assessment methods (Cardiff and Vale, Glamorgan,
Llandrillo). The inclusion of alumni in engaging with learning in employment is
covered by Aberystwyth and Cardiff.
University of Wales – Andrew Jones
University of Wales, Newport – Jo Smedley
University of Wales Trinity Saint David – Liz Wilson
Wales Employment and Skills Board – Danny Saunders
4
5
Each of the case studies demonstrates the need for careful consideration of quality
assurance mechanisms. In some cases (Aberystwyth and JISC RSC) this is overtly
considered, while careful reading of the remaining case studies each point to the
underlying considerations of quality assurance requirements.
The use of a wide variety of pedagogical, andragogical and heutagogical approaches
is apparent, with most of the case studies having an identifiable underpinning in
relation to learning and teaching. It is particularly apparent that students as cocreators of learning, knowledge and assessment is an approach often used in
learning in employment – and this in turn helps to strengthen the ‘students as
partners’ agenda in Wales.
The case studies represent a snapshot of activity across the Welsh sector with
regard to learning in employment. However, this is only the beginning. The inaugural
Future Directions Conference in April 2012 will provide an opportunity to look
ahead and consider, in particular: the use of technology-enhanced learning in
employment; measuring impact of learning in employment; the use of transferable
learner credits; and the use of institutional change approaches to secure
opportunities for further development of learning in employment strategies.
The case studies
The case studies offer a range of implementation levels. Some were introduced
at award level, some across a faculty, and others at institutional level. As such, it
is possible to take the examples shown and up- or down-scale them to meet
the needs of individual practitioners or institutional teams. For guidance, the
implementation level is shown in brackets next to the name of the institution in
the body of the document. Some of the case studies are part of the Work-based
Learning programme or Foundation Degree programme, funded by the EU’s
Convergence European Social Fund, through the Welsh Government. Text within
the individual case studies will indicate this.
Case studies from participating institutions
6
Institution
Name of initiative
Contributor
Page
Aberystwyth
University
Aberystwyth Opportunities
Network
Institutional
(pilot phase)
Carolyn Parry
9
Aberystwyth
University
Integrating employability into the
curriculum
Award
Kate Bullen
11
Bangor University
Learning in employment: an
institutional approach
Institutional
Lindsay Jones
12
Cardiff
Metropolitan
University
Elevate Cymru: a high performance
working network pan-Wales project
Institutional
David Lloyd
14
Cardiff and Vale
College
Developing formal higher-level
qualifications for learning support
assistants employed in primary and
secondary schools in the Vale of
Glamorgan and Cardiff
Award
Emil Evans
15
Cardiff University
Authentic research experience for
students: the Cardiff Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Programme
Institutional
Sarah
Williamson
17
Cardiff University
Supporting the development of
e-CPD
Institutional
Sarah
Williamson
19
Coleg Llandrillo
The development of Learning
in Action modules within Coleg
Llandrillo-based foundation degrees
Institutional
Paul Roberts
21
Glyndŵr University
Foundation degree development
Institutional
Trish Reid
22
JISC RSC
TELSTAR Open Educational
Resources
Institutional
Lis Parcell
23
Swansea
Metropolitan
University
Learning in work – Leisure, Events,
Tourism and Sport
Faculty
Jacqui Jones
26
7
Swansea
Metropolitan
University
Applied industrial placement
Faculty
David
Trenberth
28
Swansea University
Introducing WBL to Health and
Social Care
Faculty
Megan Rosser
and Gail
Mooney
30
University of
Glamorgan
Learning in employment: a critical
evaluation by the Faculty of Business
and Society
Faculty
Julie Gould and
Lesley Long
31
University of
Glamorgan
ESF-funded pan-Wales Work-based
Learning programme
Institutional
Leanne Jones
33
University of
Glamorgan
ESF-funded pan-Wales Foundation
Degree programme
Institutional
Clare Naylor
34
University of
Glamorgan
Learning Through Employment:
framework and resources toolkits
Institutional
Heather
Skinner and
Peter Green
36
University of
Glamorgan
HEA Change Academy: Learning
Through Employment
Institutional
Karen
Fitzgibbon
38
• to raise career aspirations and achievement of Aberystwyth students and
graduates of all disciplines;
University of
Wales, Newport
Partnership projects in Sport
Award
Mel Tuckwell
40
• to raise access to international opportunities to counteract local labour market
limitations;
University of
Wales, Newport
Flexible Learning in Employment and
Community Scenarios (FLECS)
Institutional
Jo Smedley
41
University of
Wales, Newport
Skillset Media Academy Wales postgraduation facility
Faculty
Hannah
Raybould
42
University of
Wales, Newport
Strategic Insight Programme (SIP)
Institutional
Cheryl Moore
44
University of
Wales, Newport
Enhancing learning in employment
through exchange
Institutional
Martin
Edwards
45
• o
ver time to create a significant improvement in DLHE (destinations of leavers
from higher education) KPI outcomes.
University of
Wales
Trinity Saint David
LATERAL (Liberating Aptitudes
through Technology-Enhanced
Recognition and Accreditation of
Learning)
Institutional
Liz Wilson and
Elsie Reynolds
47
Description/approach:
University of
Wales
Trinity Saint David
Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia:
supporting the needs of dyslexic
workers in Wales
Award
Liz Wilson and
Elsie Reynolds
50
University of
Wales
Trinity Saint David
Postgraduate Certificate in
Leadership in Public Service: a
collaborative approach to curriculum
design and APEL
Award
Liz Wilson and
Elsie Reynolds
52
Case studies by institution
Aberystwyth Opportunities Network
Aberystwyth University (Institutional)
Key words: alumni engagement, enhancement of employability, enhanced employer
engagement, opportunity creation
Aim:
• to leverage alumni employment knowledge and provide additional resource for
careers education and development;
• to enable participants to develop career management skills, demonstrate
achievement and potential in job applications, and be mentored;
Current activity is provided through three elements:
• Inspiring people – chat-show style open audience interview series with
successful alumni to inspire students to take career action and build career
confidence while helping academic staff keep up to date on employability issues.
• A
lumni in the curriculum – sector/profession-related, departmental, curriculumbased workshops that simulate typical associated work activities enabling
students to understand career options better and build confidence in ability and
choice.
• W
ork opportunities – ranging from short vacation work to year-long placements
and graduate roles.
A fourth element is envisaged consisting of recruiting alumni to mentor students
and graduates.
8
9
Anticipated outcomes:
Integrating employability into the curriculum
• s ignificant improvement in student career management, decision making and
skills development, evidenced by improved DLHE KPI outcomes;
Aberystwyth University (Award)
• additional employer engagement;
• opportunities for additional joint academic/employer research projects.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Although a small number of workshops have taken place and ongoing work
opportunities are available, it is too early for impact on DLHE outcomes to be
observed.
Early outcomes noted are:
• v ideos of some workshops by major alumni employers have been made, which
are used in careers education sessions;
• a recruitment ‘spin-off ’ benefit of these as several are now featured in the
University’s virtual open day mini website.
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
Issues surrounding unpaid work placements have been addressed to ensure
relevant Government guidelines on National Minimum Wage are met thereby
providing inclusive opportunities for all regardless of, for example, widening
participation issues.
• Y
ear-long placement opportunities fit within the existing ‘Year in Employment’
scheme.
• T
he challenge of ensuring an effective match between candidate and employer is
met by a moderated pre-selection process.
• T
he mentoring element currently under development will need to provide a
mechanism to ensure quality of mentoring and suitability of mentee.
Reflection/impact:
• S tudents have responded very well to having ‘alumni in the curriculum’, with
significant increases in personal confidence/autonomy and career decision
making/action noted, e.g. by increased engagement with local scheme work
tasters provided through GO Wales and an increase in applications in this area
submitted for checking in Careers Service one-to-one sessions.
• T
he initiative will provide further opportunities for joint research activity linked
to existing University schemes, e.g. KTPs, KESS and ATMs, thereby potentially
enhancing University income and research outputs.
10
Key words: application of theory to practice, enhancement of employability
Aim:
Psychology degrees develop a range of skills in students. Currently, national
surveys such as that conducted by the British Psychological Society (BPS), report
that employers do not appreciate the skills of Psychology graduates and that
students do not adequately acknowledge the skills they develop throughout their
degrees. The overall aim of the initiative at institutional level was to incorporate
employment opportunities into the curriculum to enhance student compliance and
enhance awareness and development of graduate level skills. At discipline level, the
experience has been fed back to the BPS as evidence of an initiative to enhance
employability. The main target audience was students, all be it with implications for
external organisations.
Description/approach:
• T
o maximise participation employability was incorporated into the taught/
assessed curriculum.
• The aim was to overcome non-compliance with the voluntary PDP system.
• E mployability was introduced as a vertical theme in the BSc Psychology scheme
complementing the work of the Careers Advisory service.
• A
t Level 1 a ten-credit module on PDP was introduced to support the
development of the student portfolio and encourage engagement with the
development of skills to maximise employability.
• A
t Level 2 a 20-credit module, incorporating a 20-hour work placement, was
introduced. Employment could be paid or voluntary. Students were expected
to keep a reflective journal of experience and to complete coursework
demonstrating the role of psychology in practice during their placement.
• C
urrently a Level 3, 20-credit module in ‘Consultancy and Enterprise in
Psychology’ is being developed.
Anticipated outcomes:
• W
ithin the department evidence of increased engagement with the PDP
process is anticipated together with greater student awareness of the need to
develop and ‘showcase’ their skills for applications to future employers.
• In future, the department would wish to use employability statistics to
benchmark the efficacy of the employability initiative against national trends for
Psychology graduates.
11
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Description/approach:
Not currently applicable due to the early stages of the development of the initiative.
• W
ork-based learning portfolio: One particular area of note is our continued
support of the work-based learning (WBL) agenda. This has resulted in
applications for projects delivering training on: photonics; modern languages,
translation and language technology; professional and practical creative theatre
development; and a high-performance working network. Our participation in
this activity is projected to deliver CPD training between Levels 4 and 7 to over
2,000 participants over a three-year period. These WBL bids were developed
with input from Sector Skills Councils, local businesses and University academics
to ensure they are ‘fit for purpose’ and reflect the current needs of their sector.
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
The initiative is an awareness-raising exercise for students and potential employers:
• students: identification of skills and why/how to develop and use them;
• e mployers: understanding the skills base of Psychology graduates and
enhancement of the importance of ‘psychological literacy’ in employees even if
not employed directly in psychology.
The initiative has also provided opportunities for community engagement and third
mission activities.
Reflection/impact:
• Impact in hard terms is yet to be discerned due to the early stages of the
process.
• F or students there is softer evidence of increased awareness of the need to
engage in this process and the raft of skills they are developing.
• M
aking the skills obvious has enabled students to feel more confident in their
abilities of communication and through negotiation of placements, etc.
Learning in employment: an institutional approach
Bangor University (Institutional)
Key words: work-based learning, foundation degree, work placements, employer
engagement, employability skills, GO Wales
Aim:
Bangor University (BU) is committed to enhancing the quality of its learning and
teaching practice as well as the employability skills of its students. Learning in
employment is seen as key to achieving this.
In line with these aspirations, Bangor University offers its students vocational
courses and bespoke, tailor-made modules that address the needs of today’s
graduates and the current economic landscape. Some courses mentioned in this
case study are part of the Foundation Degree programme, funded by the EU’s
Convergence European Social Fund, through the Welsh Government.
12
• F oundation degree portfolio: In partnership with Coleg Llandrillo, a Foundation
Degree in Energy & Power has been developed as part of the University of
Glamorgan’s Foundation Degree programme funded by ESF.
• W
ork placements: BU offers work placements to students from across all
disciplines. Its Careers and Employability Service department host a GO Wales
team, which provide work placements as part of this pan-Wales project.
• C
ollege-specific work placements: In addition to the placements offered by GO
Wales, BU also organises college-specific work placements. The School of Law,
for example, organises placements at the start of each academic year, which all
students are free to apply for. These work placements offer a unique opportunity
for students to experience the type of careers they might wish to pursue, from
solicitors’ practices to local government.
• ‘Built-in’ work placements: Work experience is ‘built-in’ to numerous BU
undergraduate courses. For example, during the course of their three years
studying BSc Product Design, students are required to spend 24 weeks in a work
placement. These placements are organised into eight-week blocks during each
year and are overseen by experienced mentors and include site visits by the
students college link tutor.
Anticipated outcomes:
The improvement of graduate employability skills, their increased confidence in the
workplace and ‘real-life’ skills acquisition relevant to their discipline and anticipated
future career.
Increased collaboration between institutional staff and local employers and the
bringing together of the University and community.
Reflection/impact:
The ongoing commitment of Bangor University to the future of its graduates is
enhanced by the work done under the ‘learning in employment’ heading.
Time spent in the workplace increases student autonomy, confidence and
employability skills, thus empowering students to take a leading role in both their
personal and academic development. These enhancements compliment the learning
and teaching agenda at Bangor University and support the work undertaken by
academic staff.
13
Elevate Cymru: a high performance working network
Evidence of actual outcomes:
pan-Wales project
As the project will be delivering accredited courses from January 2012 it is not
possible at this stage to provide evidence of actual outcomes.
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Institutional)
Key words: bitesize learning, ESF project
Aim:
The Elevate CYMRU project is part of the Work-based Learning programme,
funded by the Convergence European Social Fund, through the Welsh Government.
This is a pan-Wales ESF project encompassing four HE/FE Hubs providing training
in the Convergence areas of Wales. The four Networks encompass North Wales,
West Wales, South-East Wales and the Heads of the Valleys. Cardiff Metropolitan
University (South-East Wales) is the Lead Hub.
The project supports businesses based in the Convergence areas of Wales and
sets out to upskill participating employees (students) with the aim of building a
pan-Wales approach to the leadership and management of the high skills needs
of micro, small and medium to large-sized businesses. Each Hub is required to
engage with 160 companies and deliver accredited short modules to 400 employee
participants. In total therefore there will be 1,600 employees who will have the
opportunity to gain new skills and through this learning process add value to the
future growth and sustainability of their employing company.
All academic material and coursework delivered will conform to QAA guidelines
and the awarding regulations of the university or FE college delivering the
accredited courses.
Reflection/impact:
It is not possible at this stage to reflect on the impact of the project, but the
programme will provide access to students who may never have had the
opportunity to engage with an HE/FE institution. There will also be the added
benefit that employers will be able to network and share current problems and
experiences. By upskilling the workforce for businesses in the Convergence areas
of Wales there should be a corresponding level of company growth, job protection
and creation, and improved levels of sustainability for all involved.
Developing formal higher-level qualifications for learning
Description/approach:
support assistants employed in primary and secondary
The needs of companies will be assessed and appropriate short modules at
Levels 4, 5 and 7 will be delivered to participating employees. The participants will
undertake their coursework usually at their place of employment and much course
content will be delivered as blended learning through the University’s intranet
virtual site. Lectures will also visit their students to conduct face-to-face training and
there will also be the opportunity for networking events where the employer and
student can share experiences and discuss current issues and challenges.
schools in the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff
There is also the opportunity for the delivery of course material through a ‘shell’
project module so students will be able to undertake research tackling issues
relating to the performance of their employing company with the aim of uplifting
future levels of productivity.
• to offer a formal academic HE qualification for learning support assistants (LSAs)
in post in local schools within Cardiff and the Vale.
Anticipated outcomes:
Barry College has offered the OCR Certificate for Teaching Assistants at Levels 2
and 3 for a number of years and these qualifications continue to be very popular.
Students are all in post in either a full-time or part-time capacity at local primary
and secondary schools and attend the college for two to three hours per week
from September to April to study modules related to supporting teaching and
learning in school settings. Over the past four years there has been an increasing
demand from successful students and their employers to develop professionally in
post to gain higher qualifications.
The project runs for an initial period of three years during which time it is
anticipated that the student participants will gain a minimum of one ten credit
module and up to a maximum of 60 credits per student. These accredited module
outcomes can then be used (through the APEL process) to allow an individual to
progress onto either a foundation degree or a Masters level higher degree. At the
same time the employer will benefit from having a better equipped workforce
capable of making a significant contribution to the future growth and sustainability
of their employing company.
14
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
Cardiff and Vale College (Award)
Key words: foundation degree, learning support assistants, primary schools
Aim:
Description/approach:
15
In order to facilitate the demand the College, in partnership with the School of
Education at UWN, developed a Foundation Degree in Learning Support. This
qualification is studied over two years with all evidence for all modules and final
dissertation gathered from experience in post.
Anticipated outcomes:
• S tudents qualify at Level 4/5 enabling them to apply for LSA Level 4 positions,
which supports the school financially in that PPA cover can be provided by the
LSA.
• W
ith the introduction of the foundation phase, LSAs need to acquire
knowledge and skills at a higher level in order to contribute to observations and
assessments.
• T
he development of these programmes provides a recognised academic/career
route that promotes the professional status of learning support assistants at this
level.
Authentic research experience for students: the Cardiff
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme
Cardiff University (Institutional)
Key words: research, CUROP, undergraduate research, internship
Aim:
• to give students a taste of real ‘live’ research and an understanding of the
academic research environment;
• for students to make genuine contributions to knowledge and experience
academic dissemination activity;
• to help students make an informed choice on future postgraduate and academic
research as a result of their experience.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Description/approach:
The first cohort of students completed their foundation degree in May 2011
and as of September 2011 a top-up BA (Hons) for LSA Education is in place for
successful students to complete a full degree. Five students employed in local
schools are currently enrolled on the BA with the full support of their schools and
will graduate in June 2012. All BA students complete an independent research study
undertaken within their schools which focuses on school improvement. Foundation
degree students also complete a research project, with the majority of schools
implementing the recommendations made as a result of their findings.
The Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (CUROP)
provides funding for undergraduates to participate in staff-led research projects
during the Summer vacation. The goal is to give students a taste of real ‘live’
research, make genuine contributions to knowledge and experience academic
dissemination activity.
As at October 2011 successful students on the foundation degree are being offered
promotion by their employers as a direct result of their higher-level qualifications.
Reflection/impact:
Learning support assistants with the foundation degree are now supporting less
experienced LSAs within their workplaces. Many are given autonomous roles in a
variety of curriculum areas in support of the children and staff. Level 4 LSAs attend
staff meetings to disseminate relevant information to the whole LSA team. The
higher-level LSA will attend further training in employment to implement initiatives
throughout the school. The foundation degree provides the opportunity for the
LSA to play a greater role in supporting teaching and learning.
CUROP is available to all disciplines through a competitive bidding process. Project
proposals must demonstrate that there is a clear and meaningful contribution
that a student can make and that the student will receive appropriate supervision.
Proposals are evaluated by a panel consisting of the PVCs for Research and
Education and Students, along with other members of the Learning and Teaching
Committee and Students’ Union elected officers. Student recruitment to projects
(generally students between their second and third years) is the responsibility of
project supervisors.
The CUROP scheme provides funding for undergraduates to undertake six to
eight weeks of research on staff projects, usually in the Summer vacation, with the
intention of giving students authentic experiences of academic research. In the initial
years, University funding of £25,000 per annum was allocated and this has now
increased to £60,000 per annum.
Anticipated outcomes:
The anticipated outcomes were that the research and education communities
would be brought together through a mechanism that would see great benefits
for both the students and for research. It was hoped that by undertaking CUROP
more students would be interested in following a career in academic research and
that Cardiff could support the growth of postgraduate research numbers both
internally but also throughout higher education.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Over 150 students have been involved in the CUROP scheme since its pilot
in 2007. Ongoing evaluation of the CUROP scheme has taken place each year
16
17
since its initial pilot. Feedback from students and staff involved with the scheme is
overwhelmingly positive:
I thoroughly enjoyed the CUROP experience and felt that it had a significant impact
on my decision to apply for a PhD this coming year.
It is useful personally as it gave me a taste of researching at an advanced level. We
had enough freedom to get a full experience but we knew that there was help
from our supervisors if we were unsure, which meant we were more confident. It
has given me confidence in myself and my teamworking abilities and allowed me to
pursue my interest in the subject matter.
The CUROP experience was really amazing as it gave me a chance to be exposed
to the research aspect of optometry. It also gave me an insight as to how research
work is. This experience has triggered my interest to work in the research field in
the future if possible.
Staff benefit from valued input into research projects and have reported that the
scheme can be an agent for forging new interdisciplinary coll aborations and for
establishing foundations for the application for further research funding:
Without the work that she completed, we would not now be planning a large grant
application based on the CUROP project – we simply could not have devoted 8
weeks full time to develop the pilot database.
Students and their project supervisors believe strongly that the CUROP experience
gives students insight into the research process and develops their research skills.
CUROP projects have enabled students to contribute to academic publications,
international conferences and broader dissemination activities. Learning while in
employment enables the students to gain a real insight into an academic research
career, and all students are given the opportunity to present their work via a poster
at the CUROP Presentation Day held each year.
Reflection/impact:
CUROP has exceeded our expectations. There is no doubt that both students and
staff benefit from this scheme. The most rewarding aspect is the excitement for
research generated in students being given an opportunity to be involved in real life
projects. Hopefully some will be sufficiently inspired to become researchers of the
future.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research
The implementation of CUROP has exceeded expectations, demonstrated by the
ongoing support the University provides to ensure the scheme continues to be
available. There is, however, the key issue of the limited number of students the
scheme is able to support, with significant funds required to place approximately
45 students each Summer. This can be mediated by external funding but is always
precarious, and several sources have recently disappeared in the last year.
Internally, however, CUROP goes from strength to strength. The direct support
from the Vice-Chancellor, who attends the CUROP Presentation Day and speaks to
each student, is seen as a real benefit to the scheme. The next step is to attempt to
quantify the amount of additional research funding coming into the University as a
result of the priming work carried out by the CUROP students.
18
Supporting the development of eCPD
Cardiff University (Institutional)
Key words: eCPD, e-learning, online delivery, flexible delivery
Aim:
• to provide expertise in the development of the online delivery of CPD learning;
• to enable staff to understand the range of options available for online learning,
and to train up staff so that they are able to further develop CPD learning for
themselves;
• to develop, implement and evaluate a new model of delivery of support for staff
in their e-learning and educational multimedia developments.
The initiative was available, via a competitive bidding process, throughout the
institution to any course that was delivering continuing professional development
(CPD).
Description/approach:
The eCPD project began in January 2010 and was established to offer support to
all those within the University delivering CPD to help assist with the development,
improvement and enhancement of their e-learning provision for CPD.
One of the project’s key aims involved developing and implementing a new model
of support, with staff bidding for the time of an expert e-training developer rather
than direct funds. This was so that any development of eCPD would align with
the University’s systems and be easily maintained, ensuring a more sustainable use
of resource. The e-training developer assisted staff in defining the requirements
of their project bid, providing projects that were achievable given the resources,
skills and time available. Proposers also had to demonstrate how their outputs or
approach could be reused for other learning opportunities. Standard for all projects
was the production of guidance and training on the developments, so that staff
could understand clearly what had been achieved and enable them to be able to
carry out future developments with similar requirements for themselves.
Anticipated outcomes:
The anticipated outcomes were that there would be greater availability of
eCPD within the University, that existing eCPD offerings could be improved and
enhanced, and that there were a greater number of exemplars of good practice
in online delivery for others to learn from. The new model of support would be
assessed to see whether this approach could work for e-learning developments at
undergraduate and postgraduate level, with a possible change to current funding
models within the University.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
In the first two years of operation of the eCPD project, ten projects have been
completed with a further four projects underway. The projects have produced
example material that has been used to highlight the opportunities available
through the use of eCPD to the University.
19
The eCPD project underwent an evaluation in Spring 2011 and its findings
indicated that this model of support for e-learning in CPD has been successful and
is considered, not just appropriate, but very useful and helpful for the academic
partners the e-training developer has worked with to develop eCPD. The results
clearly show that projects were developed more than satisfactorily for project
proposers, and that further support of this type would be appreciated, with the
majority agreeing that this model of support should be more widely available in the
University.
There were several important messages that can be drawn from the operation
of the eCPD project. Each eCPD project was individual and had different
requirements in their own right, with results showing that each project leader had
a very different response when asked what they wanted to achieve with their
project and what examples they could give for reusing materials and knowledge
gained during their project. This suggests that it might be difficult to train ‘subject
matter expert’ staff in using a generic set of e-learning technology skills with
the expectation that they will then be able to find the best approach for needs
themselves. This could help explain why this approach to support was so well
received by all the project leaders.
The project leaders made various comments about the value of having an e-training
developer at hand, helping to ensure eCPD developments were appropriate and
high quality. This suggests that a synergistic partnership, between developer and
academic, in developing eCPD courses is an effective approach. The findings also
show that academics appreciate and value the support, advice and help they get
from a project of this kind and this model of support.
Reflection/impact:
The findings from the evaluation provided a positive message for the University and
demonstrated that the aims of the eCPD project were successfully achieved. It gave
schools providing CPD provision the opportunity to directly benefit from support,
and many have gone on to develop further online learning for themselves utilising
the initial guidance and training from the e-training developer.
The eCPD project has helped the wider University to gain an understanding
of how this different model of support can be effectively used for e-learning
developments. It does appear to have been more efficient and cost-effective than
distributing direct funding to schools for e-learning developments, with more
projects being completed than would have been possible with direct funding. The
developments have all been undertaken using University systems or software that is
readily accessible, and so the ongoing maintenance and sustainability of the outputs
will be possible.
One last thought is about the short supply of people to take on the role of
‘e-training developer’. Finding people with technical skills and the understanding
of pedagogical/andragogical principles, who are able to apply this knowledge to a
range of subject disciplines, is very difficult. Many of our project leaders have been
so pleased to have someone with this skillset that they have offered funds to ‘buy
out’ the e-training developer to work on other projects with them!
The development of Learning in Action modules within
Coleg Llandrillo-based foundation degrees
Coleg Llandrillo (Institutional)
Key words: work-based learning, linking theory and practice, employer involvement
Aim:
All students enrolled on Coleg Llandrillo foundation degrees validated through
University of Wales (initially) and Bangor University (currently) undertake Learning
in Action modules as an integral part of their programme of study. The modules aim
to provide students with the opportunity to analyse and reflect upon how the new
knowledge and skills that they have acquired can be applied within the workplace
and how this benefits both them and their employers.
Description/approach:
Within all foundation degree programmes four modules comprise the vocational
practice element centred upon the workplace: a requirement of all foundation
degrees. Learners carry out a number of employment-related tasks, negotiated
jointly with employers and College-based staff, and log hours undertaken specific
to those tasks, which are then monitored and assessed by assigned tutors with
support from local employers.
The four employment-based modules are entitled ‘Learning in Action’ and require
students to reflect on their employment practices and make links between
theoretical-based modules and employment-based modules. Learning outcomes
are written generically so that evidence can be gathered and produced within all
curriculum areas.
Anticipated outcomes:
For the learners, assessment, which takes the form of portfolios, diaries, journals and
reflective accounts, leads to outcomes that enable them to:
• r ecognise how new knowledge and skills have enhanced their effectiveness
at work;
• engage more knowledgeably and effectively with processes at work;
• make enhanced contributions to working practices;
• integrate learning with the full range of employability skills.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Learner portfolios, diaries, journals and reflective accounts already demonstrate
the value of new knowledge and skills to learners at work. The modules provide
learners with the opportunity to recognise how each academic module impacts
upon their practice and enhances their performance.
Student and employer feedback on Learning in Action modules is positive as
both recognise the value of time, clearly articulated within a programme of study,
that requires learners to focus upon how learning enhances performance in
employment.
20
21
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
The foundation degrees are run in partnership with other educational providers.
Those led by Glyndŵr University are as follows:
Validation events present challenges. Panels are often unclear about how the
Learning in Action modules operate in relation to learning and assessment.
• C
reative Technology and Digital Media (in partnership with Yale College, Coleg
Menai, Coleg Powys and Bangor University);
Reflection/impact:
• O
utdoor Leisure and Management (in partnership with Coleg Llandrillo, Coleg
Menai, Coleg Powys, Coleg Harlech);
The Learning in Action modules epitomises the College’s approach to work-based
learning within foundation degrees. The common approach that the College has
taken ensures that equal opportunity is offered to all learners across all curriculum
areas in relation to assessment of learning outcomes.
A recent development has been the establishment of lead module tutors for a set
of common modules including Learning in Action. The purpose of these tutors is
to encourage the sharing of resources and disseminating good practice. A Moodle
presence has been set up with all Learning in Action module tutors added as
participants.
Foundation degree development
Anticipated outcomes:
The foundation degree development is intended to produce graduates whose
qualification equips them to progress in their chosen career and enhance the
business performance of their employers.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Over 140 students have now graduated with foundation degrees.
Glyndŵr University (Institutional)
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
Key words: foundation degrees, collaboration, demand-led, consultation with Sector
Skills Councils
The non-traditional methods of delivery and assessment of foundation degrees has
been challenging.
Target audience:
Reflection/impact:
Our target audience comprises those employed in the following specific sectors or
occupations:
There has been recognition by employers and SSCs of the appropriateness of
foundation degrees for their workforce, and increased collaboration between the
institution, employers and SSCs.
• creative industries or occupations;
• outdoor pursuits industry;
• automotive industry.
Description/approach:
HEFCW has given an allocation of One Wales funding for the development,
promotion and delivery of new part-time foundation degree provision. In our
region, North and Mid Wales, Glyndŵr University is the identified lead institution
for foundation degrees. We are involving employers and Sector Skills Councils as
part of the development process to ensure that the qualifications are relevant to
the needs of employers, their employees and the appropriate sector. This degree
programme is part-time and is targeted towards those in employment who wish
to gain higher-level qualifications to reflect their skills and experience. Delivery
will commence in September 2012, with a second intake in 2013, and the degree
programme will run over two calendar years.
22
• H
ybrid Vehicle Technology (in partnership with Coleg Llandrillo, Yale College,
Deeside College, Coleg Powys).
TELSTAR Open Educational Resources
JISC RSC Wales
This summary by JISC RSC Wales is drawn from a detailed project report
produced by staff at Cardiff Metropolitan University (formerly UWIC) as part of
the JISC Building Capacity Wales Programme. The full project report is available at
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/bcap/cardiff.aspx: it includes a total
of five case studies, extensive references and links to research into learning in
employment/work-based learning. As such it will be of value to anyone wishing to
explore the effective use of technology to enhance learning in and for employment,
and related topics.
Key words: technology-enhanced learning, workforce development, work-based
learning, learning in employment, learning for employment, Open Educational
Resources [OER]
23
The initiative was introduced: throughout the institution across a number of
vocational programmes including those in the Cardiff School of Management, the
UWIC Food Industry Centre, and the Mature Students Society.
Aim:
The TELSTAR Open Educational Resources project is one of a suite of sub-projects
carried out at UWIC under the banner of ENHANCE, the University’s contribution
to the JISC Building Capacity Wales Programme 2010-11. TELSTAR aimed to
identify ways of providing additional support for work-based learners on vocational
programmes, using online resources and expertise previously developed via a JISC
project at another institution.
The staff and students involved in the project were located in a range of vocational
programmes. The resources were used across several ENHANCE projects including:
Experience Through Work Webfolio, Online Mature Students Society and UWIC
Foodies Work-Based Learning Network.
Description/approach:
Through a range of methods such as the Student Withdrawal Survey, UWIC
staff had identified a need to address issues that were causing some students on
vocational programmes to experience difficulties with the work-based element
of their course and even, in some cases, to drop out altogether. It had been noted
that difficulties were encountered by students in relation to: expectations of the
workplace; mastering the skills needed to reflect on learning in the workplace
(for example, requirements to complete logs and reports for assessment); and
experiencing isolation from peers and tutor guidance. To overcome these difficulties,
additional online support was needed. This was where the JISC Building Capacity
Wales Programme came in.
The idea behind Building Capacity Wales (part of a wider JISC Building Capacity
Programme) was that institutions would: 1) identify a key strategic issue they wished
to address; 2) identify existing publicly funded resources and sources of expertise
(such as those funded through JISC projects) that might assist in addressing that
issue; and 3) apply those resources/expertise to the issue in question.
Once UWIC had identified one of their strategic priorities as being the provision of
additional work-based learner support, they set about identifying suitable resources.
What they came up with was a collection of Open Educational Resources created
at the University of Central Lancashire as part of their TELSTAR project funded by
JISC in 2009-2011. You can find out more about the original TELSTAR work on the
project website and on the JISC website.
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are resources that are designed to be shared.
The OER Commons website gives the following definition: “Open Educational
Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are freely available online
for everyone to use, whether you are an instructor, student or self-learner.” In
the last year or so they have started to attract more interest from the academic
community, partly thanks to the JISC-Academy OER initiative and the work of
JORUM, the UK’s teaching and learning materials repository.
24
The TELSTAR OERs evaluated by UWIC comprised 17 topics including, for
example: reflection; dealing with difficult people at work; and motivation at work
(see the full project report for a complete list). They included not only text-based
material but also multimedia, learning activities and presentations that could be
customised. The resources were initially obtained on DVD and evaluated by staff
before they were made available to students. Some tutors chose to select and use
materials as they stood, while others adapted them to suit their needs.
Anticipated outcomes:
The project sought to identify quality resources that could be reused to support
work-based learners during placements while saving staff time (high quality
e-learning material was considered to be expensive and time-consuming to
develop from scratch).
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The project reported some initial reservations by staff about using resources
created elsewhere. For example, there were fears concerning IPR and the perceived
quality of externally created resources. While these are commonly observed
barriers to the take-up of third-party resources, the staff at UWIC acquired a
deeper appreciation of copyright issues and were able to gain confidence in the
quality of the materials. Importantly, staff valued the fact that use of quality OERs
saved them time and inspired some pedagogical innovation.
Tutors and students who used the resources have responded positively, with
students reporting an increase in confidence. Building on this success, Cardiff
Metropolitan University are developing their own repository of materials to
support work-based learners, drawing on external repositories including JORUM
and UCLAN’s E-Evolve. Students will be able to access the materials via a
Blackboard module.
Reflection/impact:
The project final report includes details of impact (section 1.3 and pp. 48-49).
The following quotations are taken from that report:
These resources are of excellent quality, are up to date and are an invaluable
toolkit for learners during their transition into their new work placement
role/environment. The Reflection resource was particularly useful for
enhancing students’ understanding of the reflective process and for offering
guidance on reflective writing – a key skill required to complete the module.
The resources help students to be more effective within the workplace
by managing their expectations of work-based learning, supporting their
transition into work and enhancing their employability and management skills.
This also has benefits for employers as the students become increasingly
skilled, productive and proficient within the organisation. Due to the demands
of coordinating and supporting large numbers of student work placements,
I am left with very little time. By using the TELSTAR resources, I was able to
save time as I did not have to develop my own from scratch.
David Lloyd, Work-based Learning Co-ordinator
25
The TELSTAR open educational resources are first-class.
I think that a culture change has started. Staff are now beginning to recognise
the value of using open resources to supplement their own materials.
Open resources have the potential to spur pedagogical innovation through
introducing new ideas, materials, content and alternatives for effective
teaching and they can be modified and reused to promote collaboration and
participation.
Colleen Connor, Dean of Learning and Teaching
Additional information:
JISC funding opportunities for technology-based innovation are announced from
time to time on the JISC website and via a number of JISCmail lists and other
channels. If you are interested to find out about JISC funding opportunities, please
see http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities.aspx or contact JISC RSC Wales
support@rsc-wales.ac.uk for more information.
JISC RSC Wales would like to thank staff at Cardiff Metropolitan University for
permission to quote from their original project report.
Learning in work: Leisure, Events, Tourism and Sport
Swansea Metropolitan University (Faculty)
Key words: work-based learning, international industry collaboration, graduate
employability skills, empowerment, guest service skills
Aim:
• to provide work-based learning opportunities for undergraduates from all
disciplines within the international Leisure, Events, Tourism, Sport and Business
industries in order to improve their graduate employability;
• through the use of empowerment and guest service opportunities the
programme aims to create graduates with cutting-edge skills who are able to
quickly develop specialist management careers.
Description/approach:
The case study is linked to the Applied Placement for Leisure Events, Tourism and
Sports students (minimum 360 hours in work over 12 weeks minimum) and the
Sandwich Placement (minimum 1,200 hours work over a 40-week minimum),
which is accessible to all undergraduate students in the faculty. The initiative is
designed to develop graduate skills through work.
Students receive ongoing pre-placement support and guidance in order for them
to consider their learning needs and undertake a personal qualifications audit and
training needs analysis. This is designed to allow them to maximise the opportunity
for learning in work.
A range of international industry presentations, recruitment events and interviews
are organised to allow students to consider the skills required in the industry. They
are required to prepare a personal development plan and portfolio to provide
them with the opportunity to secure a suitable experience in the workplace to
meet their personal needs and career plans.
26
Students will be provided with ongoing tutorials in order for them to critically
evaluate the most suitable learning in work opportunities to meet their individual
career plans. The placement experience is designed on an individual basis in order
to provide the students with a rich eclectic mix of vocationally orientated skills as
well as experiencing business, management and cultural issues within work suited to
their personal situation.
Learning in work will allow students to develop their generic business, management
and corporate understanding as well as developing specialist skills. This will include
the ability to assess in detail resources, organisational, financial and motivational
issues as well as evaluating policies and procedure.
The assessment process has been developed over time in order to maximise the
learning in work opportunity. A detailed assessment visit including an employer/
student appraisal and in depth student viva allows students to analyse and discuss
work-based issues with the tutor’s guidance while development records and
innovative DVDs ensure the student’s reflect upon their learning experience, work
performance and industry skills.
On return to University from the work experience student will utilise their
experiences and knowledge to underpin their future studies. Vocational case studies
from work are used in final-year modules throughout the programme, while the
Organisational Consultancy/Dissertation modules allow the student to further
develop themes from the work-based learning experience.
Anticipated outcomes:
• a n improvement in graduate employability skills and students provided with the
skills required to succeed in the industry;
• g raduates gaining the required industry-specific skills, qualifications and
experience including empowerment, guest service standards and work-based
key skills;
• the development of closer working relationships with the international industry
in order to provide students with future graduate training opportunities.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
• the establishment of academic collaborative links with a range of organisations
including West Paces Hotel Group, especially their properties in Ireland, UK and
US;
• in 2011 three graduates were selected for graduate training programmes with a
key work-based learning employer as a direct result of learning in work;
• in Autumn 2011 two graduates and a placement student were selected to work
in strategic positions on the opening of a new luxury hotel as a result of the
General Manager’s involvement in the programme and their own learning in
work experiences;
• in 2011 one student who undertook a one-year sandwich placement was able
to move his degree classification up from a 2.2 to a 2.1 as a direct result of his
improved understanding of business and management issues within the industry
from learning in work.
27
Reflection/impact:
The impact of this initiative is that it has allowed students to develop their
understanding of empowerment through the practical and theoretical knowledge of
cutting-edge industry initiatives and encourages them to become more innovative
and creative in the roles and responsibilities they undertake in work.
Students have also developed the ability to reflect on their own learning
experiences in work and appraise management issues in order to further their own
employability and work-based skills.
Applied Industrial Placement
Swansea Metropolitan University (Faculty)
Key words: sandwich placement, applying knowledge of the workplace
Aim:
The Work Placement and the Applied Industrial Placement modules are designed
to reflect the increased focus on employability and work-based learning of both
the Government(s) and QAA, and provide students with a rich eclectic mix of
vocationally orientated skills.
Description/approach:
Swansea Metropolitan University has a long-established tradition of providing
vocational courses for students both locally and nationally, and Swansea Business
School, which is part of the University’s Faculty of Business and Management, has
revalidated its main Business portfolios (both undergraduate and post graduate)
building on this vocational ethos. The undergraduate portfolio for example is
designed to provide students with both an academic and practical approach
to business and business education, focusing on skills designed to enhance
student employability. This is reflected in the recognition the awards are given by
professional bodies.
The portfolio is designed so that students can either choose to develop their
interests in the key strands of management (for example, Finance, Human
Resources or Marketing) or to take a more industry-focused approach (for
example, Leisure, Sports or Tourism Management). The incorporation of Leisure,
Sports and Tourism Management awards into the Business portfolio has meant
that the Applied Industrial Placement module (of a minimum of 360 hours over
12 weeks and worth 40 credits at Level 5) is core to Leisure, Tourism and Sports
awards, and in addition a Work Placement (Sandwich) module (of a minimum of
1,200 hours over 40 weeks, with no additional credit value) is offered across the
board; those students who opt for either (or both) placement(s) will be engaged
in both learning for and learning in employment. This is not an exercise in ‘hot
wiring’ the placement, as it is recognised that different students have different needs
and requirements and that a placement may not be a suitable exercise for every
student. Also the vocational nature of a placement necessarily means that the value
of the exercise will be different from programme to programme. However, it is for
those students engaged in learning in employment that this wiki is concerned.
28
The Work Placement module enables students to undertake up to a year’s
placement with an organisation, allowing them the opportunity to apply the
theories, concepts and skills gained at Level 4 to a work-related environment,
and where possible to gain experience in a supervisory/junior management role.
Although there are no module credits given to the work placement, it is recognised
in relation to the degree as many students use the experience gained as the basis
for their final-year Organisational Consultancy project (20 credits at Level 6).
The Applied Industrial Placement (core for Leisure, Sports and Tourism
Management awards) focuses on employability and work-based skills, and is
supported by a range of approved key employers within the leisure, tourism and
sport industry both in the UK and oversees. The module is individually focused to
meet the personal needs of the students as well as the course aims and objectives,
and provides students with firsthand experience within the leisure, tourism,
sport and recreation industries. The learning outcomes of the Applied Industrial
Placement tend to be more industry specific (as compared to the Work Placement
module). Students on completion of the module will be able to: consider and
review a range of industry-related opportunities for personal and professional
development; undertake efficiently a placement within the chosen sector and
appreciate the importance of industry-specific, key work-based skills; critically
analyse and evaluate management performance within the workplace environment;
and discuss industry-specific and more general organisational issues/problems.
On completion of the placement a debriefing exercise is undertaken, which
enables students to reflect and assess their placement experience. The exercise is
student centred and allows for reflection on placement learning as recorded in the
placement logs, and the sharing of experiences with other students in the same
cohort and placement tutors. The individual placement student often uses the
experience gained from the placement and the debriefing exercise to help them
develop and focus their career plans, which may or may not be with the placement
employer or in the same line of work. In addition, students who have completed
their placements are encouraged to share their placement experience with future
placement students.
The learning outcomes to be achieved to complete the Work Placement
(Sandwich) module are as follows: to successfully undertake a one-year placement
experience demonstrating professional and personal development; to critically
discuss, compare and analyse in depth specific and generic management issues
affecting organisational performance; to critically assess in detail resources,
organisational, financial and motivational issues affecting the organisation; to critically
apply a range of theories in a work-based context; and to evaluate and discuss a
variety of industry-related issues and organisational policies and procedures. All of
which will be assessed via a placement visit, which will incorporate an employer
appraisal and a student viva. The students are also required to maintain a placement
log, recording their work-based learning throughout the period of the placement.
In common with all other placement modules, a range of procedures and
mechanisms are in place to support the student experience; these include a health
and safety checklist for each student/placement, and the use of Moodle, Skype and
the VLE for contact and support along with a list of emergency telephone numbers.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The placement modules as incorporated into in the revalidated Business portfolio
have proved to be successful; the students on the Leisure, Tourism and Sports
awards are able to undertake work-based learning that is recognised and valued
within their respective industries, whereas for Business award students the
placement is offered as an option from which they can gain relevant work-based
learning, which may or may not have relevant professional recognition.
29
Introducing WBL to Health and Social Care
Reflection/impact:
Swansea University (Faculty)
Students are more empowered by this approach to education and development,
and are enabled to make evidence-based changes in practice to the benefit of
themselves and their clients.
Key words: WBL programmes
Aim:
This initiative is aimed at individuals wishing to advance their own practice in their
professional sphere.
Description/approach:
Development
Initially data were gathered from visits to well-established WBL institutes. Then a
group of interested lecturers met to develop learning outcomes broad enough to
appeal to a wide audience, leaving two outcomes for each practitioner to identify in
order to ensure applicability to their own area and development.
Facilitation
The emphasis is tripartite between student, facilitator and lecturer to establish
learning contract. Students are supported by action learning and regular review of
their learning contracts.
Assessment
The work-based learning is assessed by portfolio prompted by development
and fulfilment of the learning contract, which informs development of a student’s
personal evidence base.
Anticipated outcomes:
• individualised approach to personal, professional and practice development;
• increased meaningful learning and relevance to practice.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
• p
ractitioners making changes in practice at personal and team levels and
teaching medical colleagues;
• increased numbers since introduced.
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
• e nsuring the student experience, quality of learning in workplace, time to think
and to learn;
• e vidence of great variety in approaches across the University – issues of
regulations, accreditation, awards, etc. – embryonic team to look at bringing
consistency where possible led by Gail P Mooney.
30
Learning in employment: a critical evaluation by the Faculty
of Business and Society
University of Glamorgan (Faculty)
Key words: work placements, employability
Aim:
The aim of the module ‘Critical Reflection on Learning in the Workplace’ is to
develop reflective practice among the learners, which can be used to enhance
the effectiveness of their contribution to the workplace. The module will develop
independent learning with student-centred learning based on their experience
of the workplace. The module is targeted towards the BA Business Management
students, including Enterprise, Human Resources, Marketing, Logistics and Supply
Chain Management, on completion of their second year of study and before
commencing their final year and graduating.
Description/approach:
All students are encouraged to take advantage of a paid work placement after Year
2. Our evidence suggests that students who complete a work placement achieve
higher degree classifications* and are more likely to leave university with a job offer.
Having successfully completed a work placement and producing a reflective journal,
students will be awarded the 20 credit Work-based Learning module at Level 6.
Work placements are for one year in a range of local, national and international
organisations, organised and managed by the Glamorgan Business School Business
and Employability team. Pre-placement preparation sessions are held at the
beginning of year two in conjunction with the University’s Careers Service, to assist
students with the competitive recruitment and selection stage of the process.
The placement year is regarded as a three-way partnership between the employer,
the student and the University. Although the University is not a party to the
contract of employment, students undertaking placements are enrolled as our
full-time students and we would expect to take any action necessary to ensure the
student is proving to be an effective, safe and reliable employee. Therefore, tutors
visit students and their managers, and regular contact is made by the team, to
ensure both students and employers are benefitting from the experience.
* 40% of Glamorgan Business School placement students gained a first class
honours compared to 13% of non-placement students (GBS undergraduate
students 2010-11).
31
Anticipated outcomes:
ESF-funded pan-Wales Work-based Learning programme
Upon successful completion of this module the learner should be able to critically
evaluate the workplace experience in relation to matching the skills and knowledge
gained with their other studies and become an independent learner by undertaking
a piece of critical work-based reflection of their own choice. Assessment is
required in:
University of Glamorgan (Institutional)
• r eflective diaries illustrating the process through which they developed their
independent learning, with appropriate evidence. This must contain sufficient
entries to enable the student’s development to be assessed. Satisfactory
references from both the employer and work practice supervisor are also
required (50%);
• a critical evaluation of the experience in the workplace, matching the skills and
knowledge gained with those gained through the related academic studies (up to
3,000 words) (50%).
Students that complete a work placement between years two and three will, on
successful completion of a reflective journal, be awarded a 20-credit Work-based
Learning module, and will not need to study the Employment Experience module
at Level 6.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
A student-centred approach will be adopted and the majority of learning will
take place through active and critically reflective engagement with work activities,
underpinned by the appropriate academic knowledge and skills. There will be no
formal delivery associated with this module, but students will receive a module
handbook and guidance from a work practice academic supervisor. Additionally,
students will have access to the University’s online learning environment.
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
This theme is consistent with QAA Subject benchmark statement: General business
and management (2007), which suggests students should have “preparation for and
development of a career in business and management” and that: “There should be
integration between theory and practice by a variety of means according to the
mode of delivery, for example, work-based learning, work experience or placement,
exposure to business issues including employer-based case studies, visits and inputs
from visiting practising managers.”
Reflection/impact:
The Graduate Market Report 2010 reports that graduate vacancies fell by 23%
between 2007 and 2009. Although both the Graduate Market Report and the
Association of Graduate Recruiters agreed that vacancies would increase in 2010,
both also agreed that competition for jobs will be fierce and they advise graduates
to enhance their skills through work placement, practical experience and thorough
preparation for interviews, assessments, etc. Those students who had undertaken
work placements had very positive experiences and strongly endorsed this aspect
of the course. To encourage additional students to participate, the 20-credit Workbased Learning module at Level 6 was devised to enable students to further benefit
from the rewards.
32
Key words: work-based learning, concise, bite-sized learning, demand-responsive,
employer-driven, career development, innovation, higher-level skills, collaboration
The European Social Fund (ESF) Work-Based Learning (WBL) programme funded
by the EU’s Convergence European Social Fund through the Welsh Government,
is managed by the University of Glamorgan, and rolled out on a pan-Wales
basis, which means HE and FE institutions can apply for funding for curriculum
development and delivery that can benefit the private sector in Wales.
Aim:
Through a collaborative partnership approach, the ultimate aim of the WBL
programme is to allow those living and/or working in the ESF Convergence area
of Wales the opportunity to access and gain university-level qualifications. Every
participant is able to achieve a WBL qualification while they are in either full- or
part-time work.
Each project must be designed in partnership with the Sector Skills Councils.
Projects are targeted towards filling the skills gaps identified within industries
across Wales’ priority sectors: energy; environmental management; telecoms and
ICT; bioscience; health (not public sector); financial services; creative industries;
automotive and aerospace; construction; and leisure and tourism.
The WBL programme will provide company employees with the opportunity to
access higher education learning, in a concise bite-sized format. The 60 credits
gained may even encourage the participant to continue their higher education
experience. Employers will benefit from their workforce being equipped with the
skills they need to enrich their organisations and help ensure that employees have
the skills for increased competitiveness in the labour market.
There are certain criteria in order for participants to benefit from the ESF support
available. They must be in private sector employment, living and/or working in the
West Wales and the Valleys Convergence area.
Description/approach:
The pan-Wales ESF WBL programme is a £34 million programme involving the
majority of Welsh HE and FE institutions. The programme will run until Summer
2015. The WBL programme aims to result in 7,600 private sector employed
students accessing WBL courses, of which 5,320 should gain HE credits at CQFW
Levels 4-7 (up to a maximum of 60 credits per learner via the WBL programme).
There are various modes of delivery, including direct delivery, work-based learning,
blended learning and distance learning, so students can study flexibly alongside their
day-to-day work. Completing a WBL course provides participants with a maximum
of 60 university credits, which could be used towards a full university qualification;
WBL is also a great way to meet CPD targets.
Anticipated outcomes:
The regional economy should be bolstered through the increased skills base of the
employees and the positive impact this will have on employers.
33
The HE sector and its key partners will achieve a step change in partnership
working with employers, to the benefit of the Welsh economy.
The relationships cultivated between HE, FE, SSCs and industry during the life of
the WBL programme will result in further and more meaningful co-operation after
the life of the project, ensuring that all future qualifications developed are done
so in a collaborative manner, keeping industry requirements at the forefront of
curriculum design.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
A mid-term and final evaluation will be undertaken for the programme. While
results are not yet known, early evidence suggests that this funding is encouraging
HE and FE institutions to work together more effectively, and that employers are
beginning to have more input into designing and developing curricula that meet
their future skills requirements.
Reflection/impact:
The WBL programme is highly innovative, effective and an easy way to access
higher education. Never before has the HE and FE sector attempted to co-ordinate
new curriculum design and development at a pan-Wales level.
The new links being forged with Sector Skills Councils are encouraging institutions
to put more thought into making their course provision more demand-responsive,
especially for those already in employment seeking to upskill.
This scheme will empower employees and employers to have more say in what
they need for a better skilled and more prosperous Wales.
ESF-funded pan-Wales Foundation Degree programme
University of Glamorgan (Institutional)
Key words: foundation degrees, work-based learning, demand-responsive, employerdriven, career development, innovation, higher-level skills, collaboration
The European Social Fund (ESF) Foundation Degree (FD) programme funded
by the EU’s Convergence European Social Fund through the Welsh Government,
is managed by the University of Glamorgan, and rolled out on a pan-Wales
basis, which means HE and FE institutions can apply for funding for curriculum
development and delivery that can benefit the private sector in Wales.
Aim:
Through a collaborative approach, the ultimate aim of the Foundation Degree
programme is to allow those living and/or working in the ESF Convergence area of
Wales the opportunity to access and gain a foundation degree qualification. Every
foundation degree has been designed to be achieved while a participant is in either
full- or part-time work.
34
Each foundation degree must be designed in partnership with the Sector Skills
Councils. Projects are targeted towards filling the skills gaps identified within
industries across Wales’ priority sectors: energy; environmental management;
telecoms and ICT; bioscience; health (not public sector); financial services; creative
industries; automotive and aerospace; construction; and leisure and tourism.
Through this initiative, students are given the opportunity to complete an
alternative qualification to undergraduate degrees and HNDs, while giving them
hands-on work experience and helping them develop practical skills to further
their personal and professional development. In relation to employers, the
programme provides them with a workforce with the skills they need to enrich
their organisations and helps ensure that students have the skills for increased
competitiveness in the labour market.
There are certain criteria in order for participants to benefit from the ESF support
available. They must be in private sector employment, living and/or working in the
West Wales and the Valleys Convergence area.
Description/approach:
The pan-Wales ESF FD programme is a £16.5 million programme involving the
majority of Welsh HE and FE institutions. The programme will run until Summer
2015. The FD programme aims to result in 1,330 private sector employed students
accessing foundation degree courses, of which 1,064 should gain a full qualification
(either a certificate of HE or the full foundation degree).
The FD projects within the initiative offer 240 credits made up of a suite of
modules, typically ranging from 10-30 credits per module. There are various modes
of delivery, including direct delivery, work-based learning, blended learning and
distance learning, so students can study flexibly alongside their day-to-day work. As
different institutions design each FD course, the entry requirements vary greatly
and can range from prior work experience to qualifications at Levels 2 and 3
(AS/A-level). In relation to progression routes, completing an FD will give students
the opportunity to progress onto a full honours degree or a Masters.
Anticipated outcomes:
The regional economy should be bolstered through the increased skills base of the
employees and the positive impact this will have on employers.
This ESF funding will ensure that the HE sector and its key partners achieve a
step change in partnership working with employers, to the benefit of the Welsh
economy.
Hopefully, the relationships cultivated between HE, FE, SSCs and industry during the
life of the FD programme will result in further and more meaningful co-operation
after the life of the project, ensuring that all future qualifications developed are
done so in a collaborative manner, keeping industry requirements at the forefront
of curriculum design.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The FD programme will benefit from a project evaluation exercise – results are not
yet known. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that this funding is encouraging
HE and FE institutions to work together more effectively, and that employers are
beginning to have more input into designing and developing curricula that meet
their future skills requirements.
35
Reflection/impact:
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The FD programme is highly innovative. Never before has the HE and FE sector
attempted to co-ordinate new curriculum design and development at a pan-Wales
level.
The Learning Through Employment framework
The new links being forged with Sector Skills Councils are encouraging institutions
to put more thought into making their course provision more demand-responsive,
especially for those already in employment seeking to upskill.
Learning Through Employment: framework and
• O
utline module descriptors – outline modules, including sample learning
outcomes, are offered in order that programme designers who may be less
familiar with a competency-based approach to assessment or indeed less
familiar with the accrediting of informal learning, may take these ‘off the shelf ’ to
incorporate into their programmes. Learning Through Employment modules may
also be used to accredit placement learning thereby embedding employability
into more traditional campus-based programmes that adopt learning for
employment.
resources toolkit
The Learning Through Employment toolkits
University of Glamorgan (Institutional)
A toolkit of support materials has also been developed by the University’s Centre
for Excellence in Learning and Teaching to provide practical advice, support and
guidance on the Learning Through Employment framework, with separate toolkits
targeted towards learners, employers and lecturers.
This scheme will empower employees and employers to have more say in what
they need for a better skilled and more prosperous Wales.
Key words: shell framework, outline module descriptors, resources toolkits
Target audience:
The target audience for this initiative is:
• a nyone who would like to gain a university qualification for their work (including
those who may not necessarily have formal qualifications but who have ‘the
ability to work at the relevant level’);
• a nyone who already holds relevant qualifications but would like a framework for
continuing or extending their development;
• a nyone who would find difficulty in attending a conventional full-time or parttime university course.
• Description/approach:
In order to facilitate higher levels of adoption of work-based learning, in 2009 the
University of Glamorgan’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT),
in partnership with the University of Glamorgan Commercial Services, developed
a work-based learning framework and an online toolkit of support materials that
articulates progression pathways from HE entry levels through to postgraduate
study. The framework and toolkit fits with the UK’s Qualifications and Credit
Framework (QCF) and Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)
and was developed in full consultation with faculty Heads of Learning and Teaching.
• Anticipated outcomes:
A framework for work-based learning and toolkit of support resources for learners,
employers and lecturers that could be adopted across the Glamorgan Group
in order to help address the employability and skills agenda for University of
Glamorgan students of all ages, on all modes of study, and at all HE levels, wherever
they are studying, on or off campus, in the UK or overseas, with student support
materials available on Blackboard, the University’s virtual learning
environment (VLE).
36
Full details on the framework and its implementation can be found on the
University’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching website (http://celt.glam.
ac.uk/Learning-Through-Employment).
• L earners’ toolkit – the learners’ toolkit is promoted on the University’s
webpages (http://celt.glam.ac.uk/Learning-Through-Employment/LearnersToolkit), with support material available via Blackboard. The learners’ toolkit
support materials interface with the VLE via the University of Glamorgan’s own
content management system (CMS) ‘GlamLearn’. The toolkit contains: guidance
on learning to learn with the toolkit and guidance on engaging with the CMS;
guidance on the framework and credits; guidance on the accreditation of prior
learning; guidance on preparing a learning contract; guidance on accessing the
University’s facilities (many of which are available online); full support materials
on how work-based learning can be assessed, including outlines of various
methods of assessment; guidance on preparing a portfolio for assessment (with
the integration of an e-portfolio tool within Blackboard to facilitate assessment
and personal development planning); guidance on reflection and review, making
presentations, and preparing work-based and research projects. This toolkit is
also accessible by University staff involved in the support of these learners. The
online learners’ toolkit offers a wealth of information including, for example, what
courses are available, how assessment takes place, guidance on accreditation of
prior experiential learning (APEL) and accreditation of prior certified learning
(APCL), and advice about research and learning styles.
• E mployers’ toolkit – the employers’ toolkit is available electronically (http://
celt.glam.ac.uk/Learning-Through-Employment/Employers-Toolkit) and is also
available in hard-copy format. This toolkit outlines some of the issues facing
employers considering supporting work-based learners, including the limit
and also extent to which employers can be involved, if they so choose, in: the
University’s discussions about skills, qualification and training requirements in
the industry; curriculum working groups; designing units of the course; delivering
units of the programme; offering students work-based learning opportunities,
projects, placements and work experience; assessing students’ work; and offering
representation on employer panels. The toolkit also outlines the additional
support employers can offer the University outside of any work-based
learning role, such as acting as a: visiting speaker/lecturer; contact for graduate
employment; host for day visits by students; and employer of students on a parttime basis during holidays and at weekends.
37
• L ecturers’ toolkit – the lecturers’ toolkit materials (available at http://celt.glam.
ac.uk/Learning-Through-Employment/Lecturers-Toolkit) also contain information
on managing work-based learning programmes, supporting work-based learners,
and assessing work-based learning in order to facilitate an equitable level of
support for work-based learners at all levels, independent of the individual tutor
support that may be variable across programmes.
Reflection/impact:
The employability and skills agenda is being driven by employers, Sector Skills
Councils, professional bodies and Government. In Wales, specific challenges
have also been translated into policies and strategies articulated by the Welsh
Government and HEIs have tended to articulate their own policies in response to
these drivers. However, the question still remains of how an HEI can better ensure
that it delivers in practice what it has articulated in policy.
Despite some examples of good practice in both learning for employment, and
learning through employment across the institution, real opportunities for learners
to gain accreditation for informal learning are not always available in practice for all
students at the University, although University policy does articulate the regulations
and processes for the accreditation of experiential learning.
The Learning Through Employment framework embeds the notion of programmes
that are designed in partnership with employers, so that specific skills needs may be
met that are relevant to the Welsh context, including opportunities brought about
by the creation of the Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHoVI).
The Learning Through Employment framework enables programmes at all HE levels
to be designed in partnership with employers, in order that specific skills needs may
be met that are relevant to the Welsh context. Validating the shell Learning Through
Employment framework and outline module descriptors facilitates the wider
adoption of work-based learning across the Glamorgan Group.
HEA Change Academy: Learning Through Employment
University of Glamorgan (Institutional – in two phases involving two faculties in
each phase)
Key words: organisational change, learning through employment
Aim:
• to encourage academic staff in the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science and the
Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries to build opportunities for learning
through employment into established course curricula using the validated Learning
Through Employment (LTE) framework.
Description/approach:
The University submitted a proposal to the Higher Education Academy Change
Academy team outlining our plans for bringing about organisational change in the
introduction of widespread opportunities for LTE. The University has a validated
framework of modules at all levels, which academic staff can use to include LTE into
their existing courses.
The Change Academy approach suggests institutions use a cross-section of staff
to bring an initiative into established practice and the University has created
an Operations Group led by the Head of Educational Development with a
mix of experienced academic staff: those relatively new to teaching in HE, one
Departmental Head and staff from the Centre for Excellence in Learning and
Teaching. In addition we are fortunate to have secured the time of a local employer
to be part of the Group. There is also a project Steering Group chaired by the DVC
Academic and Business Development and including the Deans of the participating
faculties, the Deputy Director of Human Resources and the project leader.
Engagement by academic staff in each of the faculties has been facilitated through a
call for proposals that outline how the Learning Through Employment framework
will be used in the programme of study. Proposals will be considered by the
Operations Group and successful applicants will receive a one-off payment for use
as part of their continuing professional development.
Anticipated outcomes:
The project team are hopeful that each faculty will put forward a number of
proposals and that staff will then work with one another to form a community of
practice engaged in LTE opportunities. In turn this group will provide a critical mass
of academic staff involved in the creation of LTE curricula.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
So far, 12 proposals have been received, detailing how learning through employment
will be embedded across 24 modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Specific quality assurance or quality enhancement challenges/opportunities
created by this initiative:
The LTE framework was validated as a set of shell modules that can be populated
with content depending on the discipline the learner engages with. The quality
assurance aspects of the framework are robust in that the programme received
a full validation event chaired by a senior member of the University staff. It was
considered vital that the framework was validated prior to its promotion with staff
and employers in order to be able to respond positively and effectively to employer
requests.
Reflection/impact:
At the present time the project is going well. The call for proposals has resulted in a
good level of interest with staff taking an innovative approach to the development
of LTE opportunities. Impact of the project will be evaluated in the next
academic year.
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39
Partnership projects in Sport
Organisation:
University of Wales, Newport (Award)
• c ontinuing collaboration with external employers in sport area, with employers
requesting more help across their initiatives.
Key words: relating academic theory to professional practice, work experience
Aim:
• to enable students studying Sport to apply their academic knowledge to realworld practice to enhance their professional skills and experience.
Description/approach:
The Sport team has been working with the local authority and national governing
bodies of sport to establish partnerships for students both through recognised
modules and real-life experiences.
An example is with the FAW Trust who currently offered four positions, for
which students applied through application and were interviewed. Consequently
four students were taken on into two key strands of work (inclusion and club
development) in the Gwent Valleys. These students range from two students who
are using this as part of their Level 5 Professional Practice module, to one current
second-year and one third-year student. The latter two are using this to gain further
employability skills, which hopefully will lead to a career in this area of work.
Another example is with Newport Local Authority who have recently advertised
and interviewed for nine placements with us ranging from Research and Monitoring
Officer (x3), to Sport and Physical Activity Team Sports Coach (x5) and Sport and
Physical Activity Team Marketing Volunteer (x1), offering our students a broad range
of employability skills.
Work experience is an important element of enhancing the student learning
experience and graduate attributes. The students were directed to organise their
own placement via our database or through their local contacts, therefore allowing
complete autonomy in their future direction and the area of employability they
were interested in. By engaging with partners we have seen an increase in our
students over recent years gaining fruitful employment while undergraduates and
on graduating. An example of success is one local authority sports development
unit where we have six out of 18 jobs filled with former students of the University.
Flexible Learning in Employment and Community Scenarios
(FLECS)
University of Wales, Newport (Institutional)
Key words: work-based learning, enhanced learning through technology
Aim:
• to enable enhanced access to an employer-focused modular curriculum through
flexible learning approaches.
Anticipated outcomes:
Description/approach:
Students:
The Leitch Report (2006) set a target of 40% of the adult population to be
qualified to Level 4 by 2010. A broader skills strategy response from the Welsh
Assembly Government (Skills that Work for Wales, 2008) stated that those already
in the workplace needed to gain higher-level skills. Subsequently, the Higher
Education Strategy and Plan for Wales (For Our Future, Department for Children,
Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, 2009) demonstrated the Welsh Assembly
Government’s intention to raise the skill levels of the workforce contributing to
individual, business and community developments.
• c ontinuing professional development in applying academic learning to real-world
problems in sport;
• o
pportunity to gain insight and experience of working in a sport-focused
professional environment.
Organisation:
• continuing collaboration with sport-focused employers in the locality.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Students:
• a chievement of students gaining work experience positions and successfully
enhancing their professional practice in an external environment;
• gaining paid employment from full-time to seasonal work.
40
Reflection/impact:
This background informed the development of a two-year project (2008-2010)
at the University of Wales, Newport, funded through the Graham Review (Welsh
Assembly Government, 2006). This involved external market research, gap analysis
and subsequent content-specific and reflective modules to progress an employerled, bite-sized curriculum using modern technologies.
Anticipated outcomes:
Validated in June 2010, FLECS outputs consisted of 22 validated modules of varying
credit worth across the University. This enabled the learning experience to be
offered flexibly with learning and assessment as separate components, providing an
additional accreditation aspect to short courses.
41
During 2011-12, FLECS is progressing to include 20-credit ‘shell’ modules at Levels
4 to 7 with validated learning outcomes enabling work-based learners to readily
apply their experiential learning into their validated modular curriculum. They
also offer opportunities for students to accredit additional skill-focused learning
developments, e.g. through part-time work or work-experience projects.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The FLECS initiative was the basis of an HEA evidence-based practice seminar in
October 2010 with an associated UK sector briefing paper.
Reflection/impact:
From a student perspective, the FLECS initiative enables work-based learners to
develop a modular curriculum to reflect their work needs. It also enables them to
apply their experience and relate this to academic learning through ‘shell’ modules.
From an organisational perspective, the FLECS initiative continues to develop
opportunities for work-based learners to engage with accredited higher
education learning.
Skillset Media Academy Wales (SMAW)
post-graduation facility
University of Wales, Newport (Faculty)
Key words: employability, skills development, lifelong learning
Aim:
• to fast-track the best Animation and Film graduates into the industry.
Description/approach:
An intensive six month programme of personal development for 26 graduates
(animation and film) which includes paid placements, personalised development
plans, career advice and an induction programme which is coordinated by Cyfle
through an SSAW staff member. This scheme ran in 2009-10.
The coordinator carried out a profile identifying skill strengths and gaps followed by
a training plan. The coordinator then created a plan for each graduate and selected
short courses appropriate for SSAW students to attend. They also created courses
that were bespoke for the scheme, in partnership with BECTU.
The coordinator liaised with industry companies with regards to placements and
internships. The PGF included a 3 week Induction Course. The coordinator arranged
monthly meetings with the graduates over the period of their course and arranged
for them to have careers advice sessions with the Skillset Advisors. The coordinator
also monitored the graduates’ progress on the placement.
Anticipated outcomes:
• increased employability of graduates as staff or freelancers in the Welsh creative
media industry;
• a number of placements and internships have been secured.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
There are multiple placements and examples of student engagement with the
scheme. Examples of roles held include:
• production co-ordinator, Boomerang Productions;
• floor runner, Casualty;
• freelance post-production expert, Envy Post, London;
• art department, Dr Who;
• editor, Dragon DI;
• freelance digital designer;
• animator, Beryl Productions;
• animator;
• runner, Time Team/C4;
• freelance production assistant.
Reflection/impact:
Reflections from one student who successfully engaged with the scheme:
Since graduating in 2008 from a BA (Hons) Media and Performance I have
depended on the support offered by the Screen & Media Academy to pursue my
chosen career path. With this support I have been able to attend master classes
and screenings followed by Q & As with industry professionals. These are always
great opportunities to network with potential employers or possible colleagues of
the future. Recently I attended the BAFTA screening of ‘Monsters’ – the Q&A was
particularly inspiring hearing the interesting and unique way of filmmaking.
I was lucky enough to be chosen for the Post-graduation Facility in January, 2010. I
was at a point in my career where I had got my first job but didn’t know how to
progress and get my feet firmly on the ground in the industry. The PGF was the
perfect solution to this problem. During the scheme I attended various courses,
including the Production Research course in the BBC Academy, and gained valuable
work experience with BAFTA Cymru. Since finishing the PGF I have been able to
find continuous work with production companies in Wales so I am positive it has
given my CV the boost it really needed.
The Media Academy is a great way for graduates to continue developing key skills,
to network and to have that community feeling needed in a freelance industry.
It has given me the support needed to pursue my chosen career. Without the
Academy I think I would have given up soon after graduating!
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43
Strategic Insight Programme (SIP)
Organisation:
University of Wales, Newport (Institutional)
• continued collaboration between organisation and staff;
Key words: relating academic theory to professional practice, continuing professional
development
• participation in follow-on funding applications and collaborative projects.
Aim:
• to enable staff to apply their academic knowledge to real-world problems to
enhance their professional practice and progress strategic-level employer links to
encourage continuing collaborative developments.
Description/approach:
Strategic Insight Programme (SIP) placements have been available to staff at the
University of Wales, Newport, Cardiff Metropolitan and University of Glamorgan
since 2008 to work with partner organisations outside education. Funded by
HEFCW, they have played an important role in supporting, encouraging and
stimulating the application of academic knowledge to the professional practice
environment, enabling a range of academic staff to gain experience of learning in
employment. Resulting collaborative links between academic staff and employers
have directly impacted on the further development of the student learning
experience through production of case studies, student live briefs and guest lecturer
input.
Anticipated outcomes:
Staff:
• c ontinuing professional development in applying academic learning to real-world
problems;
• keeping abreast of the fast-changing external environment;
• collaborative project developments involving academia and corporate partners.
Organisation:
• improved awareness of opportunities of applying theory to practice in practical
situations;
• stimulation of innovation.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Staff:
• c ompletion of Strategic Insight Projects with achieved outcomes for academic
staff member;
• continued collaboration between academic staff members in innovation activities.
44
• Reflection/impact:
A case study
Christian Hutter, senior lecturer in Fashion Design recently completed a SIP
placement at Timothy Everest (bespoke tailoring atelier) in Spitalfields, London.
Christian was keen to understand how bespoke tailoring survives in the early 21stcentury economy, where low-cost mass manufacture suits dominate the market, to
inform his teaching and research.
From their beautiful Georgian townhouse, a devoted and fanatical team at Timothy
Everest create timeless, hand-crafted clothing for the world’s most discerning
customers. They develop cutting-edge nanotechnology to design fit-for-purpose
functional, elegant and desirable products for the modern city lifestyle.
Christian was able to see first-hand the traditional methods used by master coat
maker Annika Caswell, providing three fascinating days of observation of all the
key processes involved. Christian was also afforded the opportunity to spend time
with the design team to see how Timothy diversifies the reputation of the brand
by innovating suiting for the rapidly expanding cycling clothing lines he is consulting
with.
Placement opportunities are now emerging for students on the Fashion Design
programme, with other fashion design briefs also in discussion – just another
example of how connecting with industry is both exciting and essential. From
an individual staff perspective, this initiative provided learning and continuing
professional development in a creative working environment and enhanced
awareness of the challenges faced by a successful organisation working in the global
marketplace.
From an organisational perspective, the experience gained and approaches adopted
have influenced and impacted on the continuing professional development of
academic staff. This is an important element of impacting on the student learning
experience and enhancing graduate attributes.
Enhancing learning in employment through exchange
University of Wales, Newport (Institutional)
Key words: enhancing professional practice, international learning
Aim:
• to enable employees to gain greater understanding of international learning
through engagement in exchange opportunities.
45
Description/approach:
LATERAL (Liberating Aptitudes by Technology-Enhanced
The twinning of Kutaisi and Newport goes back to the early 1990s. A great deal
of work has been done with regard to social, economic and cultural development.
In respect to education, the Universities (Newport and Akaki Tsereteli State
(also known as Kutaisi University)) continue to have a strong relationship and this
extends to the support services, such as the library.
Recognition and Accreditation of Learning)
The libraries at Newport and Kutaisi have well-established links, as in the past staff
from Newport have visited Georgia and, recently, Giorgi Chichinadze, worked at
Newport’s library (and the city in general).
Anticipated outcomes:
The exchanges provide a number of learning opportunities for staff and the
department, including learning about electronic resource use and promotion,
circulation service delivery and interaction with other departments at the
University.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
1.Newport’s electronic collection has developed in the last ten years and it was
interesting to have the opportunity to speak to Giorgi in person and appreciate
the methods of information delivery Kutaisi University are also currently
exploring (for example, they are using EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier). By
visiting the library, it was possible to investigate how they promoted their online
catalogue. It’s clear that the use of web resources and their promotion online is
becoming increasingly more important to students and more ICT resources are
being established.
2.First-hand experience was gained of how another university library service
delivers circulation and customer service work. Kutaisi has a number of individual
library rooms within the main campus, with some more modern than others.
Despite the use of an online catalogue, they have no circulation feature within
a library management system. Therefore, all circulation is still delivered by a card
index system. Despite this seeming quite an antiquated approach, it worked very
successfully.
3.By spending time with Kutaisi University’s Philology department, greater
understanding was gained of the relationships between the library and other
departments. It’s clear that there is a strong reliance on print-based materials
and the library supports this. This is reinforced by the library having dedicated
reading rooms to providing learning support for these students.
Reflection/impact:
The main library made use of individual study space, but was also developing its
IT area in order to meet two different types of learning needs. It was interesting
to note that the library service tried to support a range of learning styles
(individualised learning in one room, group learning in another and a dedicated
circulation desk in a third). The design of the main campus building lent itself to
parts of the library being situated close to academic departments and, hence, being
strong supportive spaces for learning needs. This made me reflect upon how we
consider service delivery at Newport. Should we be just a physical building people
visit or an electronic library students simply log into? Getting out, visiting and
working with academic departments may help us to identify the learning demands
students have and the teaching and research needs staff desire.
46
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Institutional)
Key words: accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL), reflective practice,
work-based learning, education theory, bilingualism
This initiative concerns the accreditation of prior experiential learning and is
specifically concerned with the development of an innovative, quality assured
approach to the achievement of advanced standing via APEL. It focuses on
structure, facilitated dialogue and employer and learner engagement via a
technology-enhanced learning environment that is flexible and supportive. It
specifically reflects the sociocultural and economic characteristics of Wales by
providing a bilingual learning environment that is responsive to the needs of the
work-based learner, while at the same time providing a supportive, collaborative
space and opportunities to widen participation to otherwise marginalised groups.
Some courses mentioned in this case study are part of the Work-based Learning
programme, funded by the EU’s Convergence European Social Fund, through the
Welsh Government.
Aim:
The aim is to develop, pilot and implement a bilingual technology-enhanced
learning environment to support the work-based learner in achieving accreditation
for their experiential learning through reflection. It is based on action research
through which a process was created to support learners in their claim for APEL
credit that can contribute towards a university-level award. It is also intended
to create implementation mechanisms that have a uniform application across
sectors/individuals/spatial plan areas/CQFW levels and to use ICT for employer
engagement and virtual learning environments.
Wales is a bilingual country in which both languages, Welsh and English, have equal
status. Thus the learner’s chosen language needs to be supported appropriately and
there are certain nuances that need to be understood in the planning for learners
who work in Wales.
The plan was to incorporate the ideology of APEL and the theories of WBL into a
process that would be accessible to distance learners in order that they could claim
appropriate credit for their WBL. They can then complete their award through the
Professional Practice framework, which was officially launched at Trinity University
College (now University of Wales Trinity Saint David) on 1 May 2009 by Andrew
Davies, AM. The aim of this framework is to provide student-centred learning
opportunities that are accessible, flexible and inclusive. This validated programme
provides each learner with the opportunity to proceed to gain a full award at the
appropriate level of study.
The proposed project will target employers/employees in the private sector in
West Wales. The group for whom recognition of experiential learning is particularly
relevant are those in the workplace, who have acquired high-level cognition and
professional practice through continuing personal and professional development.
The accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) based on work-based
development is currently negligible, although many higher-level staff development
activities are regularly undertaken. The fact that work-based learning and training
are frequently unassessed means that the learning achieved does not gain broader
47
recognition or credit. Therefore, although the value of APEL is accepted, in practice
it does not happen as often as it should, thus valuing learners’ practice-based
knowledge and experience which is work-based is not always translated into credits
at HE level. Where it does occur successfully is where learning is related to the
admission requirements of traditional institution-based courses in subject-specific
areas. Demonstrating a value by accrediting this work-based learning will directly
benefit learners and their employers and will also provide a forum to support
employers in work-based training activities.
Outputs
Number accessing qualifications
180
Completion rate
144
Description/approach:
Employers assisted
49
Participants can achieve accreditation for their prior experiential learning through
the process created and this credit can form part of an award at university level.
The maximum credit that can be gained via this process will be two-thirds of an
award and a compulsory component of the remaining credits will be a work-based
project. The accreditation of prior learning is not without its challenges and requires
a rigorous, quality-led approach tailored to the individual, yet consistent in its
application.
Participants accessing further learning
51
We have developed a framework through which APEL for work-based learning is
embedded within quality assurance mechanisms and builds on Quality Assurance
Agency (QAA) Codes of practice and Curriculum Quality Framework for Wales
(CQFW).
Extensive learning materials have been devised and developed in order to support
learners with their claim for credit for their prior learning.
An induction day is held for all learners at which they are introduced to the
content, structure, process and learning material. They are also provided with an
opportunity to engage with some of the theories that underpin practice. Learners
are introduced to their personal tutors, who are available throughout the day
to clarify content, support activities, guide learners through the virtual learning
environment (VLE) and agree an action plan. We have also incorporated regular
review days to which all learners are invited. Different activities are arranged for
review days and learners can attend as many as they wish. The content of review
days varies and is often in response to feedback from tutorial discussion and
induction day evaluations. In addition to induction, review days and access to the
VLE, each learner will receive three hours of individual learning support.
This project is cross-sectoral in nature; however, it will aim to meet the core/
enabling, strategically important and economically important sectors in the
Convergence area.
Anticipated outcomes:
Understanding APEL in WBL in order to claim general credit is what is achieved at
the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. This is not linked to modules/courses/
subject areas or specific qualifications. It is a part of a programme of learning/study
though which learners may gain an award in Professional Practice. The evidence for
all their credit is achieved through work-based learning.
48
People and Organisations Assisted
Evidence of actual outcomes:
By the end of February 2012, 61 students will have been inducted on to the
LATERAL programme setting them on their way to claim up to two-thirds of their
qualification. A further 15 have shown an interest and are ready to register on the
programme.
The majority of the students to date are registered on the MA programme proving
the excellent calibre of students and the high level of their work-based learning.
It is anticipated that many of these learners will graduate in the Summer of 2013.
Reflection/impact:
An unquestionable belief in the ideology of ensuring that work-based learners were
enabled to successfully claim general credit for their university-level learning was the
catalyst for this provision. It was also understood that work-based developments,
however quality assured, did not gain recognition beyond the workplace. Learners
are generally surprised that the learning they have undertaken experientially can be
translated into HE credit.
We are continually evaluating the infrastructure to ensure that work-based learners
receive a rewarding and equivalent experience for their learning. Quality assurance
issues are continuously being questioned as this non-traditional pathway to awards
is diverse and individual. All learning is thoroughly theory based.
IT systems continue to challenge. In addition, learners’ experience and knowledge
of IT needs to be considered. Programmes are flexible and do not adhere to
traditional academic terms. They can be individual and thus time-consuming.
However, it is also possible to organise cohorts. Planning is ongoing and material/
systems/processes/teaching and learning continue to be developed and adapted to
best meet the needs of this important group of learners.
49
Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia: supporting the needs of
dyslexic workers in Wales
This is assessed by a reflective portfolio containing an account of dyslexic indicators
in an adult, a discussion of two other learning difficulties and how they impact on
workplace performance and an evaluation of various dyslexia screening methods.
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Award)
Equality for the Individual with Dyslexia in the Workplace (ten credits at Level 4)
Key words: curriculum design, dyslexia, validation, workplace assessment
This module aims to enable the learner to gain knowledge and understanding of
the Equality Act 2010 in relation to dyslexia in the workplace. It describes and
demonstrates the responsibilities of the employer related to a range of reasonable
adjustments they can make. By the end of the module, learners should be able to:
Aim:
This initiative concerns the validation of a bespoke programme for Dyslecsia
Cymru/Wales Dyslexia of a programme to train assessors specifically to identify
and address the support needs of the dyslexic individual in the workplace.
Dyslecsia Cymru is an organisation with a strong foundation in working bilingually
for dyslexic people in Wales. The charity has an impressive record of in-service
training activities and was seeking an opportunity to collaborate in the design and
accreditation of a programme of training for workplace assessors. No current
accredited training existed at higher education level in England or Wales, and the
charity approached the work-based learning staff at University of Wales Trinity Saint
David as partners in this venture.
The aim of the accreditation was to meet the needs of both employers and
employees for appropriate support, having regard to the Equality Act 2010. These
needs were identified at a national conference on dyslexia in the workplace; an
interest was expressed by public and private sector employers and their employees,
and particularly union learning representatives.
Description/approach:
Working with the academic staff at Trinity Saint David, two trustees of Dyslecsia
Cymru, Barbara Horsfall-Turner (Chair) and Simone McNeill (Secretary) had a
series of five meetings where they drafted the programme and prepared this for
validation. Two modules have been developed and validated to meet these needs:
Introduction to Workplace Assessment and Dyslexia (ten credits at Level 4)
The aim of this module is to develop knowledge and understanding of the main
issues related to dyslexia in adults and how it affects their performance in the
workplace. By the end of the module, learners should be able to:
• demonstrate an understanding of dyslexia in an adult;
• identify other specific learning difficulties such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia,
dysgraphia, ASD (Asperger’s Syndrome) and ADD in adults, and co-morbidity;
• d
iscuss the importance of screening for dyslexia, know how to use an adult
screening test and interpret the results;
• w
rite a meaningful report suitable for both the adult screened and their
employer detailing their difficulties.
50
• identify and reflect on the issues, implications and impact of legislation, such as
the Equality Act 2010, upon employers’ duties and obligations towards dyslexic
individuals;
• identify and explain the reasonable adjustments that an employer should make in
response to their dyslexic employees’ difficulties;
• assess the needs of a workplace and provide a case study analysis.
This module is assessed by a reflective analysis of difficulties experienced by
a dyslexic individual in the workplace including any literacy and mathematical
difficulties, a summary report of screening results and the reasonable adjustments
suggested. Anticipated outcomes:
The outcome of the training programme will be well-trained and qualified national
Dyslexia Assessors for Wales who will be able to support dyslexic adult workers.
Learners who are successful in this programme may also count their learning
towards a HE qualification through progression into Trinity Saint David’s Professional
Practice framework, so it widens access to HE for non-traditional learners.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
The modules were successfully validated, and materials have been written ready for
a launch in February 2012. At an HEA conference on Learning in the Workplace on
7 December 2011, Barbara Horsfall-Turner, Chair of Dyslecsia Cymru, commented
on how straightforward the process of validation had been for them: “thank you
to the staff for making the process easy; we were guided and gently steered in the
right direction, and the two modules were created which meet the specific needs
of the dyslexic worker in Wales”.
So far, enrolments on the course have come from UNISON, Ceredigion County
Council, and the Vale of Glamorgan Heath Board, as well as small businesses.
Interest has also been expressed in the programme being delivered at venues
across Wales.
If readers of this case study would like further information they can contact
Christine Hall, Business Development Officer, Dyslecsia Cymru/Wales Dyslexia,
University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen, SA31 3EP, 01267 676629 (see
also: http://www.walesdyslexia.org.uk).
51
Reflection/impact:
The Professional Practice framework was officially launched at Trinity University
College on 1 May 2009 by Andrew Davies, AM, to provide student-centred learning
opportunities that are accessible, flexible and inclusive. The validation of this
programme is an important contribution to these aims and we are proud to work
with our colleagues in Dyslecsia Cymru. Much progress has been made to date
and we look forward to seeing how this programme will have an impact across
workplaces in Wales.
Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership in Public Service:
a collaborative approach to curriculum design and APEL
University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Award)
Key words: leadership, public service, accreditation of prior experiential learning
(APEL), curriculum design, collaboration
The Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership in Public Services (LiPs) is a regionalbased approach to cross-public-sector working, collectively focusing upon shared
outcomes for the citizens of Torfaen. The programme was developed from a
proposal by the Chief Officer Neighbourhood Services Torfaen County Borough
Council (TCBC) and validated in collaboration with the University of Wales Trinity
Saint David and IF Development.
Aim:
With greater expectations from citizens and budgetary constraints, public services
are forced to re-evaluate how they provide better value. The Welsh public policy
agenda requires the reorganisation of public services to an inclusive ‘citizen centred’
approach. Such an approach places the citizen at the heart of integrated service
design and requires collaborative, inclusive and flexible methods of service delivery.
Such a radical change needs to be pioneered by strong, well-informed, forwardthinking and open-minded leaders to ensure good practice is woven throughout all
public service agencies while working across boundaries.
This programme has been developed to promote the continuous professional
development of senior managers from partner organisations to achieve planned
and focused change. Prior to this validation training was reliant on traditional and
informal courses; rarely has any training focused on a specific area. Its delivery is
fundamental to the success of the realignment of public services. The launch of
the programme was attended by the Chief Executive for Torfaen County Borough
Council, the Aneurin Bevan Health Trust and the Deputy Chief Constable. Alison
Ward, Chief Executive of Torfaen County Borough Council marked the day as a
“landmark in the development of public services leaders across Wales, with Torfaen
leading the way”.
52
In developing the programme, senior managers across the Council, Aneurin Bevan
Health Trust, South Wales Police, the Welsh Government and the voluntary sector
were engaged and invited to attend. Uniquely, places were also offered to political
members across all political parties, forming a unique partnership between officials
from all public sector bodies and politicians. We have had one successful cohort of
learners, as detailed below. It is anticipated two new groups of potential learners
with managerial roles at various levels within the public service will be recruited
after the local elections in May.
Description/approach:
This postgraduate certificate comprises three 20 credit modules:
• Personal Leadership for Citizen Service;
• Political Context of Citizen Service;
• Delivering Citizen-Focused Outcomes.
Considering the experience and seniority of the learners, and taking input from all
parties, it was agreed that the programme would be a mix of practical elements,
work-based learning, coaching and action learning sets. Support is offered through
one-to-one coaching, and a virtual learning environment has been designed through
which all module and reference material is accessed. Individual and group blogs
allows learners to document their progress, communicate with each other and with
their academic tutors.
Delivery is undertaken by University of Wales Trinity Saint David, IF Development
and senior TCBC staff and a programme schedule has been developed.
Professionals working in the public service are invited as visiting speakers to
support current developments.
Anticipated outcomes:
The first cohort of 20 learners comprise senior staff from the partnership within
Torfaen public services. The health service, the local authority, the police, cross-party
politicians, from the Welsh Government and the voluntary sector are included.
Evidence of actual outcomes:
Nineteen of the 20 learners from the first Torfaen County Borough Council
cohort have completed the postgraduate certificate and one chose to leave after
achieving one module. Three learners had sufficient credit from APEL to graduate
with the full MA in July 2011, one has chosen to exit with the certificate, and one
with a diploma. The remainder are undertaking the Recognition and Accreditation
of Learning module and, if required, the work-based learning project, and one
is undertaking an Independent Study module to complete her award. This is an
excellent example of progression onto the Professional Practice framework. It is
anticipated that these learners will graduate with a full MA in Professional Practice
in the Summer of 2012.
53
Reflection/impact:
It is believed that this provision is unique bringing together services within one
authority, higher education and training providers. The collaboration is an example
of HE working with employers to recognise and disseminate good practice, as
reflected in the Beecham Report, Beyond Boundaries (WAG, 2006). The Chief
Executive of the Welsh Local Government Association, Steve Thomas, has described
the programme as “an innovative programme which captures the skills of today’s
public servant”. In addition, the Director General for Organisational Development
at the Welsh Government WAG, Bernard Gaulton, has described the programme as
“a leadership framework which can be extended across Wales”.
Improved confidence and differences in group presentation and style was
evidenced early in the programme. It is intended that the organisations will benefit
from empowered leaders, a motivated workforce, better staff retention, experience
of working across organisational boundaries, an organisation focused on delivering
a citizen-centred public service and the ownership of a tailor-made programme for
continuous professional development.
This positive impact will be maintained through continuous audit and evaluation.
Learning will inform further development, new programmes and participants,
further programmes at different levels of study and supporting the current cohort
to achieve a full Masters.
The results from evaluations show an excellent commitment to further professional
development through work-based learning. The progression rates from the Torfaen
cohort, for example, show that senior managers can be enthused by high-quality,
work-based learning opportunities.
References
Beecham, J. (2006) Review of Local Service Delivery: Report to the Welsh Assembly
Government. Beyond Boundaries: Citizen-Centred Local Services for Wales. Cardiff:
Welsh Assembly Government.
Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2009) For Our
Future: The 21st Century Higher Education Strategy and Plan for Wales. Cardiff:
Welsh Assembly Government.
Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2008) Skills That
Work for Wales: Response to a Consultation on the Skills and Employment Strategy.
Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.
Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (2006) Graham
Report: The Independent review of Part Time Higher Education Study in Wales.
Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.
High Fliers Research Limited (2010) The Graduate Market in 2010: Annual review
of graduate vacancies and starting salaries at Britain’s leading employers. London,
High Fliers.
Laycock, M. (2011) Learner Engagement: A Guide to Negotiated Work-Based
Learning. London: SEDA.
Lord Leitch (2006) Leitch review of skills: Prosperity for all in the global economy world class skills. HM Treasury.
Lemanski, T., Mewis, R. and Overton, T. (2011) An Introduction to Work-Based
Learning, A Physical Sciences Practice Guide. Hull: UK Physical Sciences Centre,
University of Hull.
Quality Assurance Agency (2007) Subject benchmark statement: General business
and management.
Moreland, N. (2005) Work-related learning in higher education. York: Higher
Education Academy.
Yorke, M. and Knight, P. (2006) Embedding employability into the curriculum. York:
Higher Education Academy.
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© The Higher Education Academy, 2012
56
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