Work-based Learning in Health: Evaluating the experience of learners, community agencies and teachers

Abstract

This paper evaluates a case-study work-based learning (WBL) programme for nal year health studies undergraduates, analysing key characteristics, and reporting bene ts and tensions that result. It triangulates evidence from learners, community agencies and teachers. Cross-fertilisation of ideas between the academy and community agencies, and the viability of a very short term WBL programme were highlighted as positive features of the scheme, aided by clear student learning agreements. However, student con dence issues, struggles with self-directed learning and assessment of practical skills represented tensions, especially for ethnic minority and part-time learners. For community agencies, some lack of supervisor engagement, limited contribution to the taught-course curriculum and frequent structural reorganisation presented dif culties. Tensions for teachers related to reconciling academic and community enterprise goals, embracing resource pressures, tting WBL within wider curriculum development and scaling up from small scale WBL programmes.

‘Baptism of Fire’: The First Year in the Life of a Newly Qualified Social Worker

“…In October 2007, the House of Lords debated the need for newly qualified social workers to have a protected year in which they consolidate learning and development as they embed into practice (Hansard, 2007). The new social work degree has been evaluated fairly positively since its inception (Sharpe, 2007;DH website), although the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) research posits the degree is inadequate in preparing social workers for post (Sellick, 2008) in concert with recent Government policy emphasis that one of the overriding purposes of universities is to prepare students for the world of work (Rickard, 2002;Leitch, 2006). The Government have announced a review into social work education as a result of the CWDC research suggesting a drive towards specialism rather than genericism.…”

Workplace mentor support for Foundation degree students: a hermeneutic phenomenological study

“…Research into work-based learning has focused on factors influencing work-related learning (Sambrook 2005), the nature of the workplace climate (Eraut et al 1998, Dewar & Walker 1999, Kirby et al 2003, Smith et al 2005, knowledge and its application to practice (Forrester-Jones & Hatzidimitriadou 2006), the experience of work-based learners and mature healthcare students (Shanahan 2000, Rickard 2002, Morris 2007, Watts & Waraker 2008; and the ethical dimensions of work-based learning in healthcare (Moore 2007). In general, work-based and work-related learning is heavily reliant on the immediate work context with interprofessional factors such as the degree of challenge and support offered to students as being critical.…”

“…Work‐based learning in nursing settings is not new and early adopters (as illustrated in Dewar & Walker 1999 study) acknowledged its challenge to mainstream approaches to educational delivery due to its overtly personalised nature and the requirement of the individual to engage in the reflective process to develop their own practice. Notions of supportive and collaborative working required in the delivery of such programmes appear to attract healthcare providers; (particularly those from primary care) as illustrated by Rickard’s (2002) paper. The opportunity that work‐based learning affords for learner’s to realise the value of and build on their existing knowledge and experience accords well for mature students, as highlighted by Morris (2007) and Shanahan (2000).…”

The learning experiences of health and social care paraprofessionals on a foundation degree

“…For example, Rickard (2002) citing Anderson et al (1994) highlight a number of personal learning benefits such as increased learner commitment and motivation, fostering independence and developing problem-solving skills, providing flexibility in meeting different learning needs, allowing for different styles and paces of learning and developing in users some of the competencies required to undertake fully self-directed learning, engendering a sense of ownership for the learning process. In addition, learning contracts would also to support students in facilitating the active involvement and commitment of employers in their learning and to bring about some congruence between practice goals and study goals.…”

“…Learning agreements take a range of different forms but in essence, are formal written agreements between, in this case the learner, the educator and the workplace which detail what is to be learnt, the resources and strategies available to assist in learning, what will be produced as evidence of learning having occurred and how the product will be assessed (Ward 2001). The degree of negotiation available to the parties is likely to vary according to the level of the course and the educational experience of the student (Rickard 2002).…”