Everybody Wins? Using the Workplace as an Arena for Learning

1
Everybody Wins?Using the Workplace as an Arena
for Learning

• Chrissy Ogilvie
• Gill Homan
• Manchester Metropolitan University Business
  School

2
Context of Research

• Work Based Learning option unit for 1st year
  undergraduates
• Designed for business students in part time
  employment
• Provides opportunities to utilise work experience
  to gain academic credit
• Employer support for student learning
  discretionary (employment not placement)

3
Theoretical Context

• Strands of WBL (Brennan Little 1996)
• Impact of part work on academic performance
  (Barke et al 2000, Van Dyke et al 2005, Harvey,
  2003, Callender Wilkinson 2003)
• Employability (Leitch 2006, Little et al 2005
  2006
• Theory into practice (Brennan 2005, Nixon 2006)
• Student experience (Roodhouse 2007, Barke et al
  2000, Curtis 2007, Rhose Shiel 2007)
• Role of employer (Leitch 2006, Scosa Williams
  2008, Roodhouse 2007, Nixon 2006, Rhodes Shiel
  2007)

4
Methodologies

• Discussions with employers at design stage (4
  across 4 different sectors)
• Pre-module focus groups with whole cohort to
  establish expectations (72)
• Self selected research group of 14-
  questionnaires- end of unit interviews
• Whole cohort post unit questionnaires and
  reflection (80)
• Comments from employers on Business Improvement
  reports (75)
• Interviews with employers

5
Findings Benefits for students

• Managers take you more seriously(43)
  Strengthened relationship with manager
  (35)Contact with higher managers/ head
  office(31)
• Broader perspective on organisation (50)More
  aware/ independent in job (36)More job
  satisfaction (36)See work as more than just a
  job (14)
• Career potential awareness (self esteem)
• Flexibility in managing work and university life
• Theory into practice relevance of learning
• Favours activist and pragmatist learners?

6
Findings Benefits for employers

1. Student attitudes to company role
2. Student performance in role
3. Informal learning by managers
4. Career potential awareness
5. Outcomes from Business Improvement Report

7
Findings Benefits for University

• Resource effective
• Enhanced student experience
• Enhanced learning and academic performance
• Encourages development of independent learner

8
Findings Stakeholder challenges

• Employers - knowledge may also lead to challenge
  and an awareness of shortcomings as well as good
  practice
• University difficulty of managing own learning
  may cause drop out
• Student managing time engaging employer
  isolation from mainstream

9
Conclusions

• WBL is highly valued by students in part time
  work because Flexibility paid to learn
  theory into practice motivating relevant to
  degree
• In addition to BIR there are unanticipated
  benefits to employers supporting WBL increased
  employee job satisfaction and performance future
  recruitment informal manager learning
• It offers the university a means of enhancing the
  student experience and student learning that is
  resource effective
• It contributes to government agendas of
  employability and widening participation