Work + learning: unpacking the agglomerated use of pedagogical terms

Abstract

PurposeThe association of work and learning has been well established for many years. However, some of the terms used to describe the various pedagogies related to work and learning have been used interchangeably, with many lacking definitional clarity and scope. These include work-related learning (WRL), work-based learning, workplace learning (WPL) and work-integrated learning (WIL). This agglomerating approach to usage has resulted in pedagogical confusion and what some theorists call a “problematization” for the field, resulting in undermining shared understanding and potential benefit. The purpose of this conceptual paper is an attempt to unpack the meaning and application of some of the key pedagogical terms used in the applied field of work + learning theory and practice.Design/methodology/approachConceptual modelling and qualitative descriptions of each pedagogy.FindingsMany of the work + learning pedagogies do overlap and cohere but attempts to create umbrella terms, which apply to all theories and approaches, are misguided; definitional clarity with the different modes of practice is required for sustainable educational outcomes.Originality/valueA proto-theoretical model, along with a breakdown of distinguishing features of each term as well as their source in the published literature, has been developed to improve clarity and aid the future praxis of educators.

Learning by… Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based learning and research

“…The 12 modes of learning adopted in this paper resulted from an investigative survey of the literature on work and learning in the eight categories described by Fergusson and van der Laan (2021a), namely: (1) work-related learning (WRL); (2) work-based learning (WBL); (3) workplace learning (WPL); (4) work-applied learning (WAL); (5) work-based training (WBT); (6) work-integrated learning (WIL); (7) workplace-based learning (WPBL); and (8) work-based education (WBE).…”

“…These channels have been variously called learning strategies, learning methodologies, learning conditions, pedagogical practices and approaches to learning. In this research, we apply to WBL (as differentiated from workplace learning and work-integrated learning, for example) the meaning ascribed to it by Fergusson and van der Laan (2021a).…”

Authentic assessment and work-based learning: the case of professional studies in a post-COVID Australia

“…Elsewhere we have demarcated the philosophical and pedagogical foundations of WBL and other variants of the work and learning axis (Fergusson and van der Laan, 2021a). The three basic axioms of WBL can, according to Manuti et al (2015, p. 3), be defined as: (1) work environments are legitimate and worthy sites at which learning can occur; (2) work environments should be seen as learning environments; and (3) learning and working are inextricably linked.…”

“…McRae et al, 2018) and the United Kingdom over the last 25 years. Elsewhere we have unpacked the agglomerated use of terms such as work-related learning (WRL), work-oriented learning (WOL), workplace learning (WPL), workplace-based learning (WPBL), work-based learning and work-integrated learning (Fergusson and van der Laan, 2021a) and have scrutinised the transdisciplinary nature of WBL in Australia (Fergusson and van der Laan, 2021b). For the purposes of this paper, we use the term "WBL" to mean the way it has been applied in this Australian context based on and developed from the original model created by Middlesex University in the UK (as informed by the earlier work of Costley, Lester, Helyer and others).…”

“…However, where Bosco and Ferns considered authentic assessment in relation to work-integrated learning (WIL), we do so in relation to WBL, a distinction necessary because of the different points of gravity placed on work and learning in each pedagogy (Fergusson and van der Laan, 2021a). For example, WIL generally seeks to integrate “work experience” into the undergraduate curriculum through field trips, internships and placements to enhance employability (e.g.…”