This paper is based upon the experiences of a group of employers and students on a work placement module. It forms part of the evaluation of an accredited module within a programme leading to the award of a pre-vocational competence-based degree at a post-1992 university. Although this particular course focuses on health and social care, the work placement element involves principles which are applicable to a wide range of programmes; evidence-based assessment through the use of a learning portfolio is a feature of this degree

Brooke, S

Sutcliffe, NMG

English

Leeds Beckett Repository

ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 2009 39IntroductionThis paper is based upon the experiences of a groupof employers and students on a work placementmodule. It forms part of the evaluation of anaccredited module within a programme leading tothe award of a pre-vocational competence-baseddegree at a post-1992 university.Although this particular course focuses on healthand social care, the work placement elementinvolves principles which are applicable to a widerange of programmes; evidence-based assessmentthrough the use of a learning portfolio is a feature ofthis degree.The work placement moduleThis module consists of a work placement lastingapproximately 11 weeks; for successful completion,students are awarded 60 undergraduate credits atLevel 2. The module is part of a competence-baseddegree, key features of which are: (i) the involvementof employers at all stages; (ii) curriculum designbased on learning outcomes; (iii) accreditation ofwork-based learning; (iv) negotiation of learningoutcomes; (v) mentor support for students; and (vi)portfolio building.The evaluation of the work placementThe evaluation was carried out following thestudents’ return to the university at the end of theirwork placement. An external evaluator, one of theauthors, was appointed to gather data from thestudents and the placement providers.Data were collected from the students throughquestionnaires, focus group interviews and the Delphitechnique. Delphi involves collecting individualresponses and having participants rank their collectedresponses as a group, in order of importance.ResultsStudents commented that in general, they felt wellprepared for their placements, though some felt thattheir placement providers had not read the handbookthat they had been provided with and that this led toambiguity about the placement on both sides. Onestudent noted that they felt that there was “a certain‘harshness’ in the world of work that I didn’t feelprepared for”. Other students noted that learningoutcomes could perhaps have been more specifically‘customised’ for individual placements in theirdiscussions with tutors and placement providers.Commenting on the quality of preparation for theplacement, students said that this gave them moreconfidence during the placement, and that thepatience, empathy and communication skills theyhad developed were all of great use.Most students felt that what they were doing atuniversity generally tied in well with what they wereasked to do in the work placement. They noted thatdifferent organisations interpreted the theory/practicerelationship in different ways and they also recognisedthe relevance to the workplace of social/ethical issuescovered on their course, such as confidentiality andrespecting the rights of others. Some students spenta lot of time doing administrative/clerical work whichthey felt was not directly relevant, and in some casesthere appeared to be a mismatch between thestudents’ view and the placement supervisor’s view ofwhat the student ought to be doing.Students were provided with a university mentorduring the placement and the majority ofrespondents found this very helpful. Additionalcomments suggested that students were reassuredby the knowledge that help was at hand: “ashoulder to cry on when things were not going sowell on the placement”. The impartiality of mentors(who were not directly involved in the placement)was also highly valued; in some cases theymediated between student and placement provider.The module learning outcomes were viewed as veryrelevant to the placement experience by moststudents, though student opinions were divided:some felt that some of the things represented in thelearning outcomes were difficult to evidence (e.g.anti-discriminatory practice, confidentiality) andthat some of the outcomes (e.g. those relating to anunderstanding of managerial structure) wereirrelevant and that there was too wide a variety ofplacements to impose specific outcomes.Students’ comments on things that could beimproved for future placements were, in order offrequency of occurrence:• Before starting the placement, students shouldmeet the university mentor and placementprovider together• A smaller, easier to read handbook needs to beRigorous and relevant? The challenge of managing and assessinglearning on a work placementNick Sutcliffe and Shelagh Brooke36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 41ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 200940provided for placement providers so that they aremore likely to take the time to read it properly• Supervisors should be given more detail about therest of the course and what is expected of thestudents and placement provider supervisorswhile they are in the workplace.In the course of the Delphi activity the followingwere identified by the students as the most usefulelements of the work placement:• The work placement enabled them to put skillsthat they had learned at the university (e.g.assertiveness) into practice• They felt as though they were gaining ‘real’experience, time management skills improved,organisational skills improved• They were given responsibility for projects; beingtrusted was particularly important and satisfying.The following were identified by the students as themost problematic elements of the work placement:• Some students felt like ‘spare parts’ when theyfirst arrived• Their role in the workplace was rather unclear tocolleagues, especially at first, and employerstended to underestimate their capabilities• Collecting evidence was sometimes difficult• There were social and racial issues which werenot dealt with satisfactorily in the placement andtoo much ‘stereotyping’ of clients.Key issues arising for placement provider staff werethat:• The providers viewed very positively theuniversity’s movement towards an emphasis onskills and competencies• There was substantial evidence that the studentshad benefited from this approach in key areassuch as communication and their orientation tothe workplace• Opportunities for the students to review, reflectand analyse should be built into the placement• As the placement progresses, students could beencouraged to undertake more challenging andcomplex tasks so that they can evidence theirdevelopment.Issues arising from the work placementand their implications for work-basedlearningThe evaluation suggests that, in general, the workplacement was a satisfactory experience both forstudents and for placement providers. Employersclearly welcomed the emphasis that was beingplaced on the development of the students’personal skills and competencies.A major issue emerging from the study was theneed to create effective mechanisms to establish,articulate and align the expectations of students,placement providers and university-based staffprior to the placement, particularly in relation toassessment, so as to minimise difficulties at a laterstage. Purposes should be clearly articulated andshared through dialogue and documentation(Atkins, 1995) to avoid work-based learning and itsassessment being regarded as a ‘bolt-on’ activity(Betts & Smith, 1998).The findings suggest that while the adequatepreparation of students, work-based supervisors anduniversity-based mentors before the placement maybe relatively time-consuming, there are clear benefitsas it can prevent misunderstandings and‘mismatches’. For example, the necessity for studentsto be given specific duties to undertake had not beenunderstood from the outset by some work-basedsupervisors who were used to students visiting theirorganisations in an observational capacity. Thistypifies the challenges, identified by Bloxham andBoyd (2008), of embedding innovative assessmentpractice across a range of diverse settings andcontexts so as to meet the quality standards andinternal systems requirements of universities.Assessment can be problematic where students areunfamiliar with the assessment methods used andtheir ethos (McDowell and Mowl, 1995) and thereforethe work placement needs to form an integral part ofthe course rather than having its assessed element‘bolted-on’. In this study, the collection ofappropriate supporting evidence within a learningportfolio was a crucial factor in ensuring thesuccessful completion of the work placement. Thestudents had undertaken extensive preparation forthis in modules prior to the placement. However,there remained some areas of uncertainty andanxiety which were reflected in their comments.36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 42ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 2009 41In establishing a common understanding of thepurposes of the placement, and the proceduresinvolved, factors such as language may be an issue.Statements which appear to be clear andunambiguous to one group may prove to be difficultto comprehend and excluding to another. Somestudents commented on the difficulties ofinterpretation created by language and the variablefamiliarity of work-based supervisors with the‘jargon’ associated with higher education.Mechanisms for overcoming this could includefield-testing the documents to be used by thoseinvolved with the placement, and a generalawareness of, and sensitivity to, the use of languagewhich is highly context-specific.At quite an early stage in the placement describedin this study, the student, the work-basedsupervisor and the university-based mentor met todiscuss opportunities for providing assessableevidence for the learning outcomes, exemplifyingthe good practice of shared understanding withinthe context of assessment highlighted by Brennanand Little (1996).The work placements offered valuable learningopportunities for the students and enabled them toprovide evidence of learning in ‘real-world’situations. There remain issues to be addressed inrelation to crossing the ‘cultural divide’ between theworkplace and the classroom but the findings ofthis study suggest that good communication andmaintaining an ongoing dialogue are importantfactors in mediating this aspect.AcknowledgementsThe evaluation data were collected in support of the‘Learning Materials to Aid the Design ofCompetence-based Degrees’ project at theUniversity of Huddersfield. The authors would liketo thank the students and placement providers,academic staff and members of the project team fortheir help and support.ReferencesAtkins, M. (1995) What should we be assessing? In:Knight, P. (ed) Assessment for Learning in HigherEducation. London: Kogan Page.Betts, M. and Smith, R. (1998) Developing the Credit-based Modular System in Higher Education. London:Falmer.Bloxham, S. and Boyd, P. (2008) Developing EffectiveAssessment in Higher Education. Maidenhead: OpenUniversity Press.Brennan, J. and Little, B. (1996) A review of Work-Based Learning in Higher Education. London: OpenUniversity/Department for Education andEmployment.McDowell, E. and Mowl, G. (1995) Innovativeassessment: its impact on students. In: Gibbs, G.(ed) Improving Student Learning through Assessmentand Evaluation. Oxford: OCSD.Nick SutcliffeStrategic Leader, Teacher CPD and PrincipalLecturerCarnegie Faculty of Sport & EducationShelagh BrookePrincipal Lecturer in Health SciencesSchool of Human & Health SciencesUniversity of Huddersfield36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 43

A review of WorkBased Learning in Higher Education. London: Open University/Department for Education and Employment.

Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education.

Developing the Creditbased Modular System in Higher Education.

Innovative assessment: its impact on students. In: Gibbs, G. (ed) Improving Student Learning through Assessment and Evaluation.

What should we be assessing? In:

Rigorous and relevant? The challenge of managing and assessing learning on a work placement

Rigorous and relevant? The challenge of managing and assessing learning on a work placement

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