Designing and Supporting Extraordinary Work Experience

“There is a big difference between a lesson that is about the practice and takes place outside of it, and explanations and stories that are part of the practice and take place within it” (Wenger, Communities of practice. Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1998, p. 100). The real world learning experienced by students on placement is highly significant (Morley, Enhancing employability in higher education through work based learning. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). This chapter focuses on how these experiences can be accelerated from being part of courses to a pivotal event towards students’ future development. The chapter explores emerging areas of practice pedagogy and how innovative design can bridge the theory-practice divide and support structures between university and work. The chapter is contextualised in the higher education landscape where students ‘work readiness’ is gaining greater traction and how attributes for employability are developed during university