The Design of Work-Related Teaching & Learning Methods: Case Studies and Methodological Recommendations

Abstract

What kind of Work-Related activities/programmes do Italian teachers propose to their students? What are common elements considered in the designing of Work-Related activities by those proposing them? A multiple case study research programme was chosen as a method to explore the current Italian situation regarding Work-Related teaching and learning methods in Higher Education (Coll et al. 2008; Dirkx 2011) and to define some possible methodological recommendations to encourage the design of Work-Related Learning activities/programmes

“Being a Careful Observer”: The Design of Work‐Related Assignments in Higher Education

“…This experience encourages future actions on at least two parts: first, by teachers, with faculty development programs to explore active, experiential, situated, and work‐related teaching methods and how to propose them in the classroom, starting from WR simulations designed, carried out, and assessed in collaboration with the stakeholders (Frison, ; Vardanega & Fedeli, ); and, second, by business as well, to explore new sustainable cooperation strategies that enhance work‐related learning.…”

“…Furthermore, as underlined in a previous study (Frison, ), WR activities can be based on different levels of integration (Cooper et al., ), from a weaker relationship with the world of work—for example, problem‐based classroom activities with reference to real issues—to structured programs based on a formal partnership with organizations. As Huddleston and Stanley () underline, WR strategies draw attention to work and the workplace as a learning environment.…”

“…In the case of a WR assignment such as the one described here, this partnership can be informal, that is, based on a personal relationship between the instructor and the company representatives, who define and agree on the assignment steps. These activities to design a field visit or an inductive challenge for students highlight the centrality of the partnership for the purposes and benefits of all involved (Frison, ; Tino, ).…”

“…Giulia, Paola, and Anna (to protect confidentiality and anonymity, the students’ names have been replaced with pseudonyms) are three of the students involved in a work‐related assignment proposed with the aim of encouraging work‐related learning (Dirkx, ; Frison, , ; Vardanega & Fedeli, ) within the 2018 Teaching and Intervention Methods in Organizations course, Master's in Management of Educational Services and Lifelong Learning, University of Padua. Generally, the terms work‐related learning (much used in the North American educational context) and work‐integrated learning (widespread in the Australian area) refer to programs “where academic and professional learning are situated together within the work environment as part of a student's formal course of study” (Franz, , p. 1).…”

Il PDP - Personal & Professional Development Planning come strumento generatore di opportunità: riflessioni da una prima esperienza in Higher Education

“…L'esperienza qui presentata può essere riconosciuta tra le azioni che la Higher Education sta incoraggiando a livello internazionale (Boffo & Fedeli, 2018;Kennedy, Billett, Gherardi & Grealish, 2015;Harvey, 2005;Smigiel, Macleod & Stephenson, 2015) per favorire lo sviluppo di conoscenza accademica "less didactic and more situated, participative, and 'real world' oriented", come evidenziano Winberg e colleghi (2011, p. 12). Si tratta di azioni a livello istituzionale -macro -o di strategie didattiche -micro (Frison, 2018), che possono essere inquadrate come orientate alla promozione di Work-Integrated Learning. Nonostante il termine Work-Integrated Learning (d'ora in avanti WIL) venga spesso adottato in modo piuttosto ampio per riferirsi ad una più o meno diretta integrazione tra dimensione teorica e pratica e intercambiabile con i termini work-based learning, practice-based learning, vocational learning, experiential learning, co-operative education, esso, precisamente, is used as an umbrella term to describe curricular, pedagogic and assessment practices, across a range of academic disciplines that integrate formal learning and workplace concerns.…”