Work placements : adding value to education

1
Work placements adding value to education?

• Brenda Little, CHERI, the Open University
• HE Academy subject centres seminar - Oxford
  Brookes University, 20 October 2006

2
Some history ...

• Supervised work experience / sandwich courses a
  feature of UK higher education since 1950s
• National Council for Technological Awards
  advocated sandwich courses for engineering and
  technology
• National Council for Industry and Commerce (Crick
  report, 1964) characterised sandwich principle as
  interaction of academic study and practical
  applications such that each serves to illuminate
  and stimulate the other

3
What we know - studies past and present

• Council for National Academic Awards (1964- 1992)
  strong supporter of sandwich courses in the
  polytechnics - compulsory element in certain
  areas (Business Studies Computing)
• CNAA-sponsored study of almost 400 degree courses
  with SWE, early 1980s, concluded
• there was a high level of perception amongst
  course leaders that the benefits of SWEare
  unique, identifiable and not achievable by other
  means
• ref Supervised work experience in CNAA first
  degree courses an appraisal, CNAA Development
  Services Publication, 5, 1984. Quoted in L
  Davies, 1990, Experience-based learning within
  the curriculum a synthesis study. London
  Association of Sandwich Education and Training/
  CNAA.

4
Course leaders views on academic value of SWE
(1980s)

• practical applications of knowledge
• development of general work and operational
  skills
• general personal development - maturity,
  professional attitude and communicating ability
• intellectual development - greater
  self-awareness, sharpened analytical and critical
  powers
• quoted in Davies (1990)

5
Students perceptions (2005)

• recent study, commissioned by HE Academys work
  placements organisation forum, funded by HECSU
• undertaken by CHERI and Sheffield Hallam
  Universitys Centre for Research and Evaluation
• Study aims -
• investigate students perceptions of learning
  from placements
• explore how values and ethical positions are
  developed on placement
• investigate extent to which students try to
  transfer and build on learning

6
The Study

• Face-to-face interviews with 82 students (7 HEIs)
  10 interviews with key members of staff with
  responsibility for placements
• Three different types of work placement
• 1. Compulsory short (6-week) placements within
  degree programme covering a broad range of
  subjects
• 2. Compulsory thin (2x6 months) sandwich
  placements within a general business
  administration programme
• 3. Year-long sandwich placements (compulsory or
  optional) across a range of programmes
  science-based business accounting finance
  computing transport logistics economics
  international development.

7
Type of work
8
Evolution of the job

• The majority of students were initially in
  supporting roles but these usually developed
  during the course of the placement
• Initially...they had a lot of information that
  needed processing and I did that sort of
  task..then my role developed and I basically
  became in charge of the HR graduate recruitment
  and internal recruitment ..Then they were
  launching e-learning throughout the whole site
  and at first I was basically listening in to
  conversations but then..I took over the whole
  project for the training and development manager.
  She was obviously still there keeping an eye
  ..but she just left the running of the launch to
  me..I really appreciated it the extra
  responsibility and the fact that others trusted
  me enough to do that sort of role.
• (b13, Middlesex, human resources intern,
  ticketing and travel software firm)

9
Evolution of the job

• Initially ..I was on the case with vehicles
  leaving the premises..just basically trying to
  push people out of the yard, getting on to the
  road..Then I helped to run a contract to cover
  for a guy when he was on holiday. So, I sort of,
  had a little department to myselfBut the final
  thing, the most important thing I did in my
  opinion, was that we had a new contractand
  eventually I was given my own fleet..I was
  basically, each day, liaising with companys
  management.. managing the drivers shifts and
  deciding where theyre going to go every day and
  planning actual routes ..so I had my own little
  area.
• (c4, Transport and Logistics, Huddersfield,
  traffic office, logistics company)

10
Dimensions of placement

Ref Cameron-Jones and OHara, 1999 quoted in
Yorke, 2005
11
Being proactive -students perceptions

• ..the thing is when I started, my job
  description was very small..because the other
  interns kind of left it , they kind of got
  bored..and thought Okay, well just get on with
  our coursework. Whereas I fussed around abit,
  and I got loads and loads more responsibility
  over the time. I was forcing them the managers
  I was not just asking, I was like please give me
  more!
• (b10, Business Studies and Marketing, Middlesex,
  marketing assistant, charity)

12
Being proactive -students perceptions

• ..at first I was abit wary about doing an
  optional placement and I know its all about
  personal experience. It is really what you put
  in, you do get out. If you do want more work, and
  you push and show youre enthusiastic, it does
  make a difference. My other colleague from same
  HEI wasnt so interested, wasnt so keen on the
  topic and it showed and he didnt get that much
  out of his placement ..he didnt show a proactive
  attitude..even though we worked in the same
  places and we both had the same title our
  experiences are very differentyou cant go in
  and say yeah, I am going to doss around here for
  a year Its really pointless
• (b4, Economics and International Development,
  Bath, junior analyst, policy division, government
  department)

13
Subject knowledge

• ..in a way that helps me understand other
  aspects of the bigger picture, especially when it
  comes to toxicology when youre assessing how the
  drug is going to impact..how bad effects of the
  drug are going to impact and to affect a large
  population..you do feel aspects of that in
  regulatory affairs. I mean. Youre telling people
  that it is a safe drug, so if toxicology test
  arent up-to-scratch, if they dont cover the
  same breadth of people then obviously you cant
  submit the drugsso it does help me academically
  as well.
• (b6, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kings,
  regulatory affairs support officer, large
  pharmaceutical company)

14
Subject knowledge

• ..before it was all in books and what you read
  in books... thats what you tend to think and
  then you realise workingits not the
  realityand its probably helped me with essays
  now. I look at things a bit more, with more
  perspective. So with regards to my subject, it
  definitely gave me a sort of broader sheet to
  build my ideas upon.
• (k9, Economics and International Development,
  Bath, assistant, large internet company)

15
Subject knowledge

• opportunities for gaining subject-specific
  knowledge varied greatly between placements,
  along a broad spectrum
• specific knowledge arising from undertaking
  specific tasks, but much of the students broader
  knowledge grew out of varied working experiences
• many students referred to the positive aspects -
  of being able to see theories come to life of
  the realisation that actual practices can be
  rather different (and a lot messier) from
  theories espoused in text books
• those involved in scientific research spoke of -
  their sense of personal engagement with issues
  under investigation living the research rather
  than just reading the information from books

16
Analysis

• The jobs involved considerable amounts of
  analysis of one kind or another
• ..I worked for the Tools Director, so I was
  doing more depot analysis, but it was more on
  turnover and location, so looking for where they
  want to go where they hadnt been before.
• (k19, Business Studies, SHU, business developer,
  hire company)
• ..okay I got all these theories in my head of
  how to do this..and I get to see in practice
  that, okay, its not being done, but then I also
  get to analyse for myself the consequences of
  when something isnt being done this way.
• (k8, Retail Management, Middlesex, trainee
  manager, department store)

17
Criticism

• For a few, there were noticeable developments in
  their critical abilities and ability to take
  criticism
• so I definitely question my work a lot more and
  why people say certain things and how things are
  looked at from a different angle ..it makes me a
  lot more critical .and made me question a lot
  more why ..the text books are written in that
  manner..
• (k10, Economics and International Development,
  Bath, research assistant, micro-finance firm,
  Zambia)
• ..another thing was learning to take on board
  criticism because a lot of our work, people came
  back and said I dont think it works like that
  or you can do better or I dont agree with
  you ..some people would be really quite harsh
  and they really, like., have a go..
• (b2, Business Administration, Bath, product
  support, telecoms)

18
Higher level academic skills

• Despite positive messages about personal
  development and enhancement of subject knowledge
  there was little explicit indication from
  students of having developed higher order
  academic abilities -such as analysis, critique,
  synthesis.
• Perhaps, students are not aware of this, or took
  it for granted, or perhaps the placement provided
  so much else by way of enhancement that
  intellectual development did not stand out.
• About a third talked about developing better
  project management skills.

19
Ethical issues business

• The efficacy of providing loans to people living
  in areas (in Zambia) where the incidence of
  HIV/AIDS is high, and the innovative methods of
  arranging loans for funerals
• The extent to which retailers that espouse
  aspects of corporate responsibility are
  themselves required to meet demanding criteria
  set by suppliers
• The need for client confidentiality and the
  importance of secure data bases containing highly
  sensitive personal and corporate information
• Specific aspects of client and victim
  confidentiality in relation to police work (both
  crime scene investigation work, and researching
  crime reports relating to sexual assaults)

20
Ethical issues impact on students

• The student whose motivation for hard work was
  compromised by what she saw as the futility of
  promoting and selling yet more luxury cosmetics
• The student who considered it unfair that she
  had to complete her laboratory-based report for
  the company (because of IPR issues) before
  completing her placement - unlike her peers
• The student who experienced harassment from her
  boss
• The student who experienced sexism in the
  workplace (being given menial tasks whilst a male
  colleague was given more interesting tasks)
• The student who felt other members of staff joked
  about him because he was a student

21
Ethical issues impact on students

• The moral dilemma faced by a student who
  undertook an (unpaid) placement in a drug therapy
  centre whilst continuing with her paid job as
  shift manager in a betting shop - and in that
  capacity was responsible for evicting drug users
  from the premises
• ..I do still empathise with the fact that they
  are addicted..at the same time, I think the fact
  that I might lose my job is a bigger concern for
  me..yeah..I feel that I have to do that otherwise
  I wont have any money..it is a sort of moral
  dilemma but I think I kind of see them as two
  different sets of people for some reason when Im
  in paid work and when Im out of work..so I
  dont know..
• (b15, Psychology, Middlesex, support worker in
  charity)

22
Approaches to study

• Key area of interest in the study was how
  students related their experience back to final
  year, and how they adapted back to final year
  student life.
• Alongside sense of increased confidence (for
  majority), greater interpersonal skills, being
  better organised, being more motivated.
• approaches to learning changed
• enhanced understanding
• assessed work, taught sessions, group working

23
Approaches to learning

• ..my approach to univ work is very, very
  different now..just things like getting
  references and reading and even though some days
  I have lectures and some days I dont and some
  days Im in half days, I do tend to work a lot
  more as if I was nine to five.. you just get out
  of the habit of being able to sleep in all day!
• (k7, Pharmacology, Kings, laboratory researcher,
  large pharmaceutical company)
• I understand all the processes you have to
  go through from collecting all the evidence,
  where it goes off, if it goes off what lab it
  goes to.I know all the processes now so if I
  talk to anyone I know what Im talking about as
  well, so it has made me feel better about my
  course and things really...
• (k14, Forensic Biology, Chester, forensic
  assistant CSI assistant at a police HQ)

24
Assessed work

• ..Its the case that Ive been working with
  these things now, so Im almost ahead of what
  were learning at university, so its really
  contributing to what Im doing on my
  dissertationIve actually researched and
  investigated into these new technologies that are
  coming out and how they are actually used. The
  good thing is Ive worked with them in an actual
  business environment..
• (g5, Software Engineering, SHU, student software
  developer, data processing company)

25
Group work

• ..Ive realised I wont accept slacking anymore,
  Im afraid. Ive gone into work and its a case
  of if youre not doing your job youre going to
  be fired ..or reprimanded..but working with
  students in group work often 21 year-olds who
  dont have many cares..its a case of your
  futures coming up. Sort yourself out, man! Its
  a case of sitting down and saying weve got a
  job to do, lets get it done..you try not to
  lose friends, but obviously if someones not
  pulling their weight you cant fire them!..so
  youve got to find ways to deal with people in
  group work at university
• (g5, Software Engineering, SHU, student software
  developer, data processing company)

26
Engagement with learning

• Many comments pointed to students becoming more
  actively engaged in their learning, as a result
  of their placement experiences.
• Students not only talked about an enhanced
  understanding of their subject and how it fits
  into a broader picture but a willingness (and
  expectation also) to draw on wider literatures
  and not just rely on resources and materials
  provided by tutors
• They talked about being more focussed, more
  motivated, and more willing to challenge ideas
  and information

27
Ambivalence

• not graduating with friends/ difficulties mixing,
  making new friends
• not having as much interest in the subject/
  whereas in work environment everything has a
  business impact..you could be losing them
  thousands just by sitting there for ten minutes
  doing nothing
• lack of motivation/ getting back in to
  studying..and having to study in the evenings
  ..which I never used to have to do at work

28
Conclusions from CHERI/Sheffield Hallam study

• Despite considerable variation in length of
  placements, size and type of organisation, range
  and complexities of work activities - vast
  majority of students recognised tangible gains
  for work experience
• need to be proactive
• increased confidence more self-aware more
  aware of others
• positive changes to approaches to study more
  active engagement with learning tasks
• clearer about future intentions

29
Do tangible gains translate in to explicit
measures of achievement ?

• Study of 16,000 f/t and s/w graduates in 1983
  compared degree results of those who completed a
  placement with those who did not
• better degree results (controlling for A level
  scores)
• positive relationship particularly strong for
  those with poorer A level scores
• (Bourner and Hamad Entry qualifications and
  degree performancesummary report, CNAA
  Development Services Publication 11, 1987)

30
Do tangible gains translate in to explicit
measures of achievement ?

• Study of Civil Engineering graduates at
  Loughborough University 1977- 1984
• proportion of good degrees (1st 21) for s/w
  graduates twice that for non-s/w graduates (but
  little difference in A level scores between the
  groups)
• (Mayo and Jones, 1985, Proceedings of 4th World
  Conference on Co-operative Education, 428-31,
  Napier College, Edinburgh)

31
Do tangible gains translate in to explicit
measures of achievement ?

• x three
• (Mayo and Jones, 1985, Proceedings of 4th World
  Conference on co-operative education, 428-31,
  Napier College, Edinburgh
• Ward, 2006, Graduate employment links to sandwich
  year work placements, presented at HECSU/HE
  Academy conference Changing Student Choices
  conference, Manchester, July 2006)

32
Questions

• Do students realise what theyre missing?
• ..its not compulsory..but I opted to do a work
  placement because I thought a year in the
  industry would give me more hands on experience
  to decide if its something that I did want to
  pursue or dont want to pursue
• (t1, Information Systems and Management Studies,
  Leeds, PA and IT support, oil company)

33
Students reasons for choosing placement

• to get an insight into an industry or type of
  work
• experience is saleable in the graduate job
  market
• test whether they would like to work in that
  particular job role, or industry
• link academic study of the world of work
• provide more experience of areas not covered by
  degree course
• placements improve assessed work grades

34
Questions

• Do HEIs/ departments do enough to ensure other
  students hear the positive messages about
  placements?

35
Questions

• Do HEIs/ departments give students too much
  choice?
• S...most of my friends switched to other
  programmes..
• I..was this deliberate, or because they didnt
  find a placement?
• S..well, if you only apply for two jobs
  placements, it is very unlikely that you will
  get a job, so I dont know how deliberate that
  is.
• (b10, Business Studies and Marketing, Middlesex,
  marketing assistant, charity)

36
A bigger picture

• perceptions from a separate CHERI/KPMG study for
  Higher Education Funding Council for England
• HEFCE analytical services review of student data
  from 1998 onwards

37
A bigger picture
38
Questions

• Will recent changes to tuition fees affect
  students choices in relation to placements?
• Will students be able to afford to do placements?
  Can they afford not to?
• (Little and Harvey, 2006, Learning through work
  placements and beyond. www.prospects.ac.uk/downloa
  ds/documents/hecsu/conferences20and20events/chan
  ging20student20choices/work_based_learning_LH_BL
  )