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Article
Publication date: 5 May 2021

Anne Marie Thake

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate short-term, unpaid placements offered to students reading for a degree in public policy. They provide added value to their tertiary…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate short-term, unpaid placements offered to students reading for a degree in public policy. They provide added value to their tertiary education experience. Elective placements were offered in 2012 and became a mandatory requirement for students reading for a three-year bachelor of commerce degree in public policy in 2018. To date, no research has been carried out on these placements and this may serve as a model for a post-evaluation assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from students who undertook placements, embedded in the public policy undergraduate programme. A document analysis of selected student and placement provider's reports was carried out to complement the students' responses to an online questionnaire.

Findings

Placements are of value to students as they served as an introduction to the working world. They enable students to establish connections with the course content and carry out research. They were exposed to real-life situations, developing their knowledge, acquiring soft skills and learning new tools, sought after by employers. These placements were valued as a route to graduate employment tailor-made to the degree's requirements. Students were able to embark on a soul-searching, introspective discovery and journey which made them mature and shed light in the direction of future work prospects.

Research limitations/implications

Placements give students the opportunity to gain insights into real-work environments and are able to link theories learnt in the class-room with real-life situations. Placements have positive implications on students adjusting to their work life easily after graduation. The limitations are that the sample size was small and that the reflective reports which were randomly selected may not have necessarily been representative of the full complement.

Practical implications

The practical implications are that the placements system and process can easily be implemented and replicated in other academic disciplines and universities as a compulsory component of their studies.

Social implications

Placements gave students the opportunity to reflect on their learning, develop non-technical skills and enhance their confidence levels. They were also able to network and communicate with different employees.

Originality/value

Placements provided exposure to relevant organisations and personal enrichment in terms of acquiring skills, autonomy and independence. Students with placement experience are also more likely to secure future employment, relevant to their undergraduate degree.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 11 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2020

Kate Bramford and Anne L. Eason

This study aims to explore the views of criminal justice and allied sector organisations and agencies, of why they provide placements for the Applied Criminology programme at the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the views of criminal justice and allied sector organisations and agencies, of why they provide placements for the Applied Criminology programme at the University of Worcester, UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took a qualitative approach to tease out the underlying contributory factors that featured in the decision to offer placements. It used semi-structured interviews of key personnel, and thematic analysis was subsequently undertaken on the data collected.

Findings

Several themes emerged, in particular reciprocal learning, dynamism, employability and social investment. These appeared to be the most impactful on the organisation in relation to the future recruitment of staff as well as the enhancement of current staff practice.

Research limitations/implications

Based upon the scale of the research, the findings may have limited transferability.

Practical implications

There is a hidden benefit to organisations, which could be capitalised upon as a reciprocal learning process, which enhances practice and therefore outcomes.

Social implications

Stereotypes are challenged, resulting in students overcoming preconceived ideas about particular service user groups.

Originality/value

Whilst research into work-based learning and the benefits of placements for students is not new, research enquiring as to why organisations are prepared to offer placements remains in its infancy.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 July 2016

James P Gavin and Ian Coleman

Placement-based learning is claimed to benefit educational outcomes in undergraduate programmes, with students gaining employability skills and the application of skill-sets in…

Abstract

Purpose

Placement-based learning is claimed to benefit educational outcomes in undergraduate programmes, with students gaining employability skills and the application of skill-sets in “real world” situations. Most courses incorporate experiential learning; however, work placements remain exclusive to the aims of the academic programme. The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing learning motivations between students enroled on: a practical-based programme, involving work placement (BA adventure education (Ad Ed)); and a study-based programme (BSc sport and exercise science (SES)). In addition, motivation was examined between courses at each year.

Design/methodology/approach

A 44 item Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire was completed by first and final year undergraduates studying BA Ad Ed and BSc SES courses in the academic year 2011/2012. Questionnaires were triangulated with focus groups, lecturer observations and statistical analyses.

Findings

Learning motivation was influenced by: knowledge of academic grades; link between theoretical content and work experience; opportunity for reflection; and multidisciplinary nature of degree programmes. Furthermore, the majority of final year Ad Ed students showed understanding of the job market, degree transferability and career availability upon graduation.

Originality/value

Where placement experience prepares British undergraduate learners for employment and provides insight into career demand, placements may also demotivate, particularly where careers do not necessitate degree qualification.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 January 2024

Rachael Hains-Wesson and Kaiying Ji

In this study, the authors explore students' and industry’s perceptions about the challenges and opportunities of participating in a large-scale, non-compulsory, individual…

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, the authors explore students' and industry’s perceptions about the challenges and opportunities of participating in a large-scale, non-compulsory, individual, in-person and unpaid business placement programme at an Australian university. The placement programme aims to support students' workplace transition by emphasising the development of key employability skills through reflective learning and linking theory to practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilising a case study methodology and integrating survey questionnaires, the authors collected both quantitative and qualitative data with large sample sizes.

Findings

The results highlight curriculum areas for improvement, emphasising tailored feedback to manage placement expectations and addressing employability skill strengths and weaknesses.

Practical implications

Recommendations include co-partnering with students to develop short, tailored and hot tip videos along with online learning modules, including the presentation of evidence-based statistics to inform students about post-programme employment prospects.

Originality/value

The study contributes to benchmarking good practices in non-compulsory, individual, in-person and unpaid placement pedagogy within the business education context.

Details

Journal of Work-Applied Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2205-2062

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2020

Gerard Diver

The aim of this cross-disciplinary, year-long, longitudinal qualitative study was to gain useful insights into the experiences of undergraduates undertaking work placements

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this cross-disciplinary, year-long, longitudinal qualitative study was to gain useful insights into the experiences of undergraduates undertaking work placements, focussing particularly upon their emotional responses to the challenges facing them. The research involved a small group of students from an HEI in northwest Ireland, drawn from four very different programmes. They were interviewed at length both before and after their placement, and also made available their reflective learning journals, kept over the course of their placements. A critical examination of the data looks to the psychological and emotional demands of undergraduate work placement and argues the need for rigorous preparation pre-placement and good pastoral support before, during and after the exercise. Although based in Ireland, the findings pose generic dilemmas: the issues encountered (and the solutions suggested) are by no means exclusive to Irish HE, as the literature review indicates.

Design/methodology/approach

As a means to capturing the thoughts, feelings, fears, and hopes of the participants’ pre and post-placement, the core research questions were: “How effectively do work placements bridge the gap between HE institutions and the workplace?” and “Do placements prepare students emotionally for the workplace and /or lead to improved academic performance?” By answering from the perspective of their own experiences, several key themes emerged, namely: Expectations and preparation pre-placement; Contexts, remits and roles during placement; Learning gain (as enhanced employability and/or improved academic ability).

Findings

The findings suggest that a wide range of employer-valued transferable key skills (together with improved self-confidence, psychological resilience, and emotional maturity) may be gained via informal modes of workplace learning, but that some of the activities carried out by worker-learners during placement may vary widely. It is, therefore, important to prepare students thoroughly pre-placement, support them throughout the process, and act promptly upon their feedback. A draft checklist aimed at placement mentors, academic tutors and course leaders is offered here based upon the study’s findings: its generic nature means that it looks beyond HE in Ireland, and could be of use in crafting meaningful work-based learning opportunities and tangible employability outcomes irrespective of jurisdiction or discipline.

Research limitations/implications

Although small in scale (eight participants) and based in Ireland this two-year study is cross-disciplinary and deals with generic issues of interest to those involved in Higher Education, namely, under-graduate employability, emotional maturity, learning gain, reflective learning, and the pastoral care of placement students (as learner-workers).

Practical implications

Having undergraduate students complete some form of bespoke, enhanced pre-placement training (modular or extra-mural) could also potentially avoid: Misperceptions or misunderstandings over placement terms (structure, content, duration) between placement provider, student and college Concerns on the part of placement providers that they might not be taking on high-calibre undergraduate students, thereby risking their own practice or reputation

Social implications

Such “pre-employability” training could increase the likelihood of placement students being willing or able to take on extra-mural voluntary roles in profession-relevant organisations, e.g. charities, NGOs, with the associated benefits in terms of CV-building, maturity, personal development and reputation. Pre-placement preparation could include role-play, to help accustom students to the likely (or indeed unlikely) events and scenarios often associated with their future careers, and to thus embed a greater sense of self-confidence, and limit or prevent anxiety. Ensuring that students have had a good grounding in both the norms and potential demands of their chosen profession is key: this, in turn, would ensure that they are also keenly aware, pre-placement, of their own abilities, limitations and any knowledge gaps.

Originality/value

The work offers “front-row” insights into the student experience across four very different disciplines: it provides a useful platform for “the student voice” in terms of a pre and post-placement “snap shot” of their hopes, expectations, and not least, their emotional responses to the challenges of placement. It highlights the importance of robust preparation and comprehensive pastoral care.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Trevor Albert Stanley

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the perspectives of employers who participated in a 100-hour, for credit, unpaid, work placement programme in accountancy.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the perspectives of employers who participated in a 100-hour, for credit, unpaid, work placement programme in accountancy.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study method is used involving an interview-based, qualitative approach.

Findings

The study highlights the potential benefits and costs of the programme with strong themes applicable to the real-world accounting work environment and the interaction with people as essential elements of why students do a work placement; the importance of tasks in the student’s learning; the significance of relating theory to practice; the nature of the costs involved in providing the work placement; the mutual reciprocal benefits obtained by both students and employers involved in the work placement; and the importance of work placements in accounting education prior to graduation.

Practical implications

This study provides evidence about the nature and value of work placements in accounting from an employer’s perspective, and based on this research, other universities should be encouraged to implement an accountancy work placement programme.

Originality/value

Little research has been done on the employer perspectives of work placements in accountancy, and the exploratory case study of this intervention, based on sociocultural learning theory, provides an insight into their perceptions.

Details

Accounting Research Journal, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1030-9616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2000

Lynne Hall, John Harris, Cathy Bakewell and Paul Graham

The growth in the use of networked technologies provides educators with mechanisms to add value to learning experiences where learners and educators are geographically…

761

Abstract

The growth in the use of networked technologies provides educators with mechanisms to add value to learning experiences where learners and educators are geographically distributed. Increasingly, placements are used within the more vocational disciplines to provide students with a reflective learning experience within the context of the work environment. Such remote learning can be supported through the use of networked technology, enabling a high degree of interactivity and helping learners to enhance their learning styles. A case study is presented that considers the design and implementation of such networked support, focusing on the learner’s evaluation of this experience. The results from this study identify that networked technologies, such as audio conferencing and Web‐based support, have a beneficial role in the learning experience, and that considerable advantages can be derived from their use for placement‐based learners.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1998

Tom Bourner and Mary Ellerker

Seeks to assess the effectiveness of introducing action learning into sandwich placements. Builds on the rationale for, and organization of, the initiative established in Part 1…

947

Abstract

Seeks to assess the effectiveness of introducing action learning into sandwich placements. Builds on the rationale for, and organization of, the initiative established in Part 1 and discusses feedback from the main parties involved. Provides evidence that suggests that action learning could offer a solution to the problem of insufficient integration between the sandwich and the academic periods of courses and the danger that sandwich placements can become an excessively specialized experience. Concludes that the evidence is sufficiently encouraging to recommend further development of the scheme.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 40 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1994

Tom Bourner and Mary Ellerker

Seeks to assess the effectiveness of introducing action learning intosandwich placements. Builds on the rationale for, and organization of,the initiative established in Part 1 and…

348

Abstract

Seeks to assess the effectiveness of introducing action learning into sandwich placements. Builds on the rationale for, and organization of, the initiative established in Part 1 and discusses feedback from the main parties involved. Provides evidence that suggests that action learning could offer a solution to the problem of insufficient integration between the sandwich and the academic periods of courses and the danger that sandwich placements can become an excessively specialized experience. Concludes that the evidence is sufficiently encouraging to recommend further development of the scheme.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 November 2013

Tore Bonsaksen, Kjell Emil Granå, Cecilia Celo, Brian Ellingham and Ingunn Myraunet

The purpose of this paper is to describe an addition to the practice placement design for occupational therapy students in Oslo, and to report on the learning experiences related…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe an addition to the practice placement design for occupational therapy students in Oslo, and to report on the learning experiences related to this modified practice placement design among the participants.

Design/methodology/approach

Occupational therapy students and practice educators were interviewed in focus groups after having participated in an exploration of the utility of the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills during mental health placement. Thematic analysis was applied to the data material.

Findings

Four themes emerged relating to the students’ learning experiences during practice placement. They were theory-practice integration; the role of supervision; self-awareness of communication; and socialization to the therapist role.

Practical implications

The practice placement design addition presented in this paper was well received by students and practice educators. It contributed to students’ focussed experience and to their active participation within a community of practice. The program appears to be one way of organizing placement with a potential for making a substantial contribution to occupational therapy students’ learning.

Originality/value

The study adds to the existing literature in providing an example of a successful addition to the practice placement design, and in the detailed account of the learning experiences among the participants.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

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