Eight factors

Work-based learning
Module 1: Introduction to WBL
Critical success factors	Introduction  |  Eight factors  |  Summary
StudyDesk

Click on the expand button to the right of each factor to view more details:

1. Partnership

Partnership is a critical theme of WBL. There are layers of partnership within WBL models and within this all partners are considered equal: between the workplace, the learner and the institution awarding the qualification between mentors and facilitator and learner between learner and colleagues. Being explicit about the roles of partners is important. Read about roles here. (insert link to role defns) Having the right partners and being able to keep the partnership going is very important, requires skill and process and demands additional skills particularly of WBL facilitators and mentors. It also involves the recognition that others outside of the institution might be the best people to teach the learner about new ideas and practices and tools and technology than the institution.

2. Leadership
Leadership is multilayered. More than one person may be involved. The leadership tasks and skills involves brokering and maintaining partnership; sponsoring; enabling; coordinating; communicating both about WBL and the project; identifying and linking people, knowledge and structures; planning; project management.

3. Outcomes

We have discussed the centrality of context for relevance. This means that outcomes must be connected to both the learning needs of the learner and also their origination. The outcomes therefore must be able to be applied and they must be able to be generated within the time requirements of the organisation, otherwise they are not helpful. This tension between the process of learners learning time and space and the need for helpful outcomes for the organisation needs to thought about and be worked through within the structure of the project. Many writers about WBL discuss that it is the quality of the reflection process in relation to the agreed learning outcomes that is the most important factor in learning. The process of determining learning outcomes is therefore a critical component of WBL.

4. Infrastructure
Identifying the learning process and the structures and resources to ensure the quality of the learning journey is critically important. It requires the involvement of all three parties and more than likely regular review. Where a workplace has multiple staff involved in wbl processes there might need to be some discussion of levels of support to ensure consistency between learners.

5. Involvement of learners

Learners need to be fully involved in the learning process, in its shaping, discussions of relevance, planning and delivery. The project is important, but equally important is the support given to learners to connect the outcomes of the project to the qualification and academic framework. For the learner, projects need to be able to enable alignment, synergy between individual and organisational goals, engagement for reflection and critical analysis, critical review and feedback processes, and the opportunity to engage and learn with others. Developing the project to attend to these multiple needs isn’t a straight forward process, it is challenging and demanding. Learners may need a variety of skills to navigate this in order to extract the learning that emerges and to engage with it. A further article to read is found here (Bridging the academic and vocational divide)

6. Facilitation and support

Facilitating wbl is a critical and ongoing enabling process. Multiple people can be facilitators in the widest sense, but within the Otago Polytechnic model of WBL each learner has a facilitator who will be a constant presence in their life, enabling and unlocking, assisting the learner with extracting the learning and reflecting on it, synthesizing this with new knowledge, and assisting the learner develop and articulate models of understanding that can be used more broadly in the future. Facilitators and mentors also contribute to the learning process with sharing of knowledge and suggestions for further learning. Tennant offers some helpful direction for facilitators in understanding their roles with equipping and supporting learners so that may analyse the workplace experience learn from others act without all the facts available choose from multiple courses of action learn about organizational culture use a wide variety of resources and activities as learning opportunities understand competing and varied interests in shaping of work and professional identity be active in seeking learning opportunities. Hardacre and Workman (2010) identify that “Facilitators should be also able to supplement the learner’s knowledge with new knowledge or resources and understand the context of the workplace with its potential learning opportunities”.

7. Capacity and Capability

The 2007 PSE report identifies that “organisations need the capability and capacity to harness the opportunities that work based learning brings, it is a process that must be supported, sponsored and led in the workplace by people who have both the time and the competence to do so”. Work based learning brings demands on organisation in this way, but also provides opportunities for organisations. Links can be made between career development and organisational growth as well as learning about the nature and benefits of this form of education that is inclusive of the understandings and skills already present within organisations

8. Evaluation

Two forms of evaluation form part of the WBL approach: Assessment as the process used to evaluate learning. Assessment is against the Otago Polytechnic WBL Framework criteria and the graduate profile of the particular Otago Polytechnic qualification. Evaluation to explore the impact of the project and its learning process for each of the partners – not just in terms of systems and approaches but also outcomes and benefits. Whatever process is to be used, it must be fit for purpose. A helpful resource to look at evaluation in this way can be found in the book ‘ Evaluating Training Programmes: the four levels” Kirkpatrick, D.L. and Kirkpatrick, J. D. 2007, Third Edition) Case Study: Jean The Business department approves all work placement organisations beforehand to make sure they can provide a valuable and safe learning environment for learners. In addition, every work placement is evaluated separately by the learner and the organisation at the end of the six-week placement. Any issues identified are discussed by the programme team and recommendations for change are agreed.