Embedding Employability in Distance Education or Tempting trolls with toast and marmite? Fran Myers, Open University Business School
Programme Aims: A flexible approach to design and delivery of theoretical and experience based learning at distance whilst maintaining quality at scale
3 strands • How programme design aims to support students • Design theory vs. how it actually seems to happen, and changing power relationships • Finding out: Student feedback
Degree Programme Design Theoretical courses Level 1 – Introduction to Business Studies Level 2 – Business Functions in Context Level 2 – Business organisations Practice based courses Level 1 – Working and learning: developing effective performance at work Level 1 – Managing in the Workplace (NVQ conversion course) and their environments Level 2 – Leadership and Change Level 3 – Making Sense of Strategy Level 3 – Certificate in Management Awards dependent upon student choices – BA Honours degrees, Foundation degrees etc
Design perceptions into practice?
Other students Local tutor group Monitoring Quality control Wider student café Mentor Facilitation, contextualisation Student Tutor Academic guidance Learning contract Adapted from the COBE website; http: //intranet. open. ac. uk/inclusion-curriculum/ Other supporting evidence
Perceptions into practice? • Action research on how the role of the tutor changes – Creating a “community of practice” between students – Negotiation of tutors own role • Problems around academic assessment • Dangers for some students in surfacing work issues • Time and emotional commitment • Power balance away from traditional “student-tutor”
Action research commentary… • …when you get that scared e-mail that pops into your e-mail box that says, ‘I’m halfway through doing this and then suddenly I got made redundant. Something happened [and] I can’t do this anymore, and I think I am going to have to leave. ’ And that is where I think hands on comes back in again…sometimes you can help to direct them to see how even the crisis that they are going through provides an opportunity for some learning…. (Focus group)
Gathering Data from students: Formal vs. Informal feedback • Formal anonymous feedback requested at the end of each course • Reflective feedback shared openly with tutors • Instant student café commentary • Facebook groups • End of course testimonials
Café commentary – active learning or unwitting trolling? • “I wish I had never started this course” • “AAAARGGH! BU 130 has broken me” • “WHY am I finding this so hard? ”
End of course feedback • Every tutor receives an anonymous report at the end of the course from their students as to their facilitation skills etc – Commentary can be extracted from this • Very clear even at early stage that reflected feedback is very different from comments during the course
End of course feedback I • This has been an interesting year for leadership (in my company) as we are in a shrinking market and everything has changed; (my tutor)…helped me think through things differently
End of course feedback II “This course was very challenging for me and a lot different from the first course I had previously done. . It was hard grafting from the start and I almost quit because I lost interest in the course as the effort into it did not achieve the results I expected and aimed for. I finished the course and I would say now it helped me to improve my management techniques and made a positive impact with my boss…”
Active student reflections “When I started this course, I was like urrrgh but I went for promotion… and I told them all about the things we’ve been doing, and I sounded good, I’m sure it swung it. I can’t say I like this reflective stuff particularly but…”
Active student reflections II “Just a quick note to say thank-you for all your help on this course. I've been reading on the student cafe that some people are not happy with the course or find it boring. However I cannot tell you how much I have truly learnt during the last 6 months and how much of an enjoyable worthwhile learning experience it has been. ”
Reflecting on Reflecting • A VERY different way to learn and will take a bit of time if used to conventional courses, however after competing the course…. I consistently see where I use the learning to my benefit in work …. Looking back, I enjoyed it and to my surprise did very well…. so go for it, stick in at it and you will probably enjoy it once it is all over. OU course reviews (accessed 4 April 2011) http: //www 3. open. ac. uk/coursereviews/course. aspx? course=bu 130
Reflecting on reflecting • Initially I found this course bizarre and did not know where to start mainly because I had got so used to the traditional courses where one reads a text and then answers questions…. After a few months into the course I started to receive positive comments from my boss and friends because of the different ways I started to see and manage my work. I introduced Kolb's Learning Cycle to the company and everybody is enjoying the use of this model to develop their work practice. OU course reviews (accessed 4 April 2011) http: //www 3. open. ac. uk/coursereviews/course. aspx? course=bu 130
Using the findings • Becoming clear that students feel differently at the end of the journey *** • Level 1 course due for a refresh this winter • Can incorporate feedback into more acknowledgment of discomfort into course material, and better training for future tutors • awareness that discomfort and associated expressions natural part of the learning process
In summary: • Important for the institution as well as individuals to reflect on the student journey • Should expect student (and tutor) learning to be messy and acknowledge it as such • Set expectations for students starting out that effects of this sort of learning may only be apparent in reflection • That skills gained and their value in the workplace can be clearly evidenced
References: • • • Harvey, M. and Slaughter, T; (2006) Work-based learning: models and approaches, Centre for Outcome Based Education, The Open University, http: //intranet. open. ac. uk/lts/production/download/documents/generic/Work-based_Learning. pdf Accessed 09/03/2011 Harvey, Morag and Norman, Lyn (2007); Beyond competencies: what HE assessment could offer the workplace and the practitioner researcher. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 12(3), pp. 331– 342. Reid, K. E. et al; Co-Creating Learning: Tutor Perspectives of Work-Based Learning, A study funded by the Practice-Based Professional Learning CETL at the Open University (November 2009) Embedding employability into the curriculum, Yorke, M and Knight, P; Learning and Employability Series 1, The Higher Education Academy, (April 2006) Widening participation through workplace learning, Morag Harvey, The Open University. The Teaching-Research Interface: Implications for Practice in HE and FE, HEA, (April 2008) Donath, Judith S. (1999). "Identity and deception in the virtual community". In Smith, Marc A. ; Kollock, Peter. Communities in Cyberspace (accessed via Judith Donath MIT webpage, 6 th April 2011) http: //smg. media. mit. edu/people/Judith/ TOMLINSON M. 2008. Students' perceptions of the role of higher education credentials for graduate work and employability, British Journal of Sociology and Education, vol 29, pp 49 -61 Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential Learning, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall. Pedlar, M. , Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T. (2001) A Manager’s Guide to Self-Development (4 th edn. ), Maidenhead, Mc. Graw-Hill. Work-based Learning, Action Learning and the Virtual Paradigm, Gray, D; University of Surrey, Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, Lahti, Finland 22 -25 September 1999
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