Facilitated Work Based Learning: A New Method for Continuing Education?

Abstract

In this chapter the notion of ‘the third context’ is presented as a useful perspective in order to reduce the gap between work and continuing education, as continuing education is argued to be an activity different from work as well as education, namely as something ‘third’. Consequently, ‘the third context’ is an alternative to the predominant understanding of work and education as two incompatible entities based on different paradigms. The understanding of incompatibility between work and education had extensive influence on learner engagement and learning outcome in two continuing education courses based on Facilitated Work Based Learning (FWBL). FWBL focuses extensively on integrating work and continuing education with the purpose of increasing employee involvement and engagement: Theoretically, FWBL is inspired by John Dewey and Problem Based Learning. Obstacles occurred during the FWBL courses, especially in relation to the question of ‘how can work and continuing education be integrated?’ More extensive use of information technology is argued to be a method supporting the alignment of processes between the FWBL course and the workplace.

Citation

Overgaard Thomassen, A. (2013), "Facilitated Work Based Learning: A New Method for Continuing Education?", Wankel, L.A. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Increasing Student Engagement and Retention Using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies (Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education, Vol. 6 Part D), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 271-296. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2013)000006D012