<p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">Skills development is essential for every country to keep abreast with, at least one aspect of globalisation, namely, changes regarding production in the modern world. The way in which each country implements its skills development programme will depend on the unique history and circumstances of that country. Germany and Japan are amongst those countries that opted for a high skills strategy, whilst the United Kingdom opted for a low skills strategy. Kraak (2005) argues that South Africa would benefit by implementing a &lsquo / multi-pronged&rsquo / skills strategy because many of its citizens are unskilled or have very low skills. This approach would cater for lowskills, intermediate-skills and continue to develop high skills. South Africa&rsquo / s inputs-based education and training system has been replaced by a controversial outcomes-based approach. Many authors view an outcomes-based programme as lacking theory or content (Kraak, 1998 / Young, 2004 / Brown &amp / Keep, 2000 / Boreham, 2002), as reductive and mechanistic (Bates &amp / Dutson, 1995, in Boreham, 2002) and mainly work-based and assessment-driven (Boreham, 2002). These criticisms question the quality of outcomes-based programmes. New laws promulgated by the South African government have introduced learnerships that form part of this new Skills Development strategy. This study reviewed the general policy on skills development and explored the experiences of learners who completed a Wholesale and Retail Learnership in the context of the structured college-based learning, the practical work-based learning as well as the integration of theory and practice, in South Africa. A qualitative approach was selected to enhance the researcher&rsquo / s understanding of the personal perspectives and experiences of learners who completed the learnership. The case study approach was used with a focus on analysing the subjective opinions of this group of learners. The research methods employed to clarify the understanding of how these learners experienced the learnership were semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of documents. <font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The research shows that South Africa&rsquo / s multi-level National Qualifications </font></font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Framework provides for academic as well as vocational training and promotes a &lsquo / multi-pronged&rsquo / skills strategy. The findings suggest that the learners on this learnership experienced the theoretical learning in the college and the practical learning on the job as an integrated whole. The study concludes that the structured college-based learning enabled the learners on this learnership to implement what they learnt at college in the workplace.</font></font></p>

<p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p>&nbsp / </p> <p align="left">Skills development is essential for every country to keep abreast with, at least one aspect of globalisation, namely, changes regarding production in the modern world. The way in which each country implements its skills development programme will depend on the unique history and circumstances of that country. Germany and Japan are amongst those countries that opted for a high skills strategy, whilst the United Kingdom opted for a low skills strategy. Kraak (2005) argues that South Africa would benefit by implementing a &lsquo / multi-pronged&rsquo / skills strategy because many of its citizens are unskilled or have very low skills. This approach would cater for lowskills, intermediate-skills and continue to develop high skills. South Africa&rsquo / s inputs-based education and training system has been replaced by a controversial outcomes-based approach. Many authors view an outcomes-based programme as lacking theory or content (Kraak, 1998 / Young, 2004 / Brown &amp / Keep, 2000 / Boreham, 2002), as reductive and mechanistic (Bates &amp / Dutson, 1995, in Boreham, 2002) and mainly work-based and assessment-driven (Boreham, 2002). These criticisms question the quality of outcomes-based programmes. New laws promulgated by the South African government have introduced learnerships that form part of this new Skills Development strategy. This study reviewed the general policy on skills development and explored the experiences of learners who completed a Wholesale and Retail Learnership in the context of the structured college-based learning, the practical work-based learning as well as the integration of theory and practice, in South Africa. A qualitative approach was selected to enhance the researcher&rsquo / s understanding of the personal perspectives and experiences of learners who completed the learnership. The case study approach was used with a focus on analysing the subjective opinions of this group of learners. The research methods employed to clarify the understanding of how these learners experienced the learnership were semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of documents. <font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">The research shows that South Africa&rsquo / s multi-level National Qualifications </font></font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Framework provides for academic as well as vocational training and promotes a &lsquo / multi-pronged&rsquo / skills strategy. The findings suggest that the learners on this learnership experienced the theoretical learning in the college and the practical learning on the job as an integrated whole. The study concludes that the structured college-based learning enabled the learners on this learnership to implement what they learnt at college in the workplace.</font></font></p>

Abstract This study describes work-based learning in a Master’s Degree Programme in Rehabilitation at a University of Applied Sciences. The study describes students’ individual learning and the development tasks they implemented in their work communities. The first study focused on worklife-based learning on the level of the individual. The research data consisted of individual interviews with students. The second study explored worklife-based learning in the students’ work communities. The material consisted of individual interviews with supervisors and students, group interviews with workers, a group interview with teachers and joint development meetings at the students’ work communities. The different studies were analysed using the content analysis method. According to the survey the students’ learning resulted in the development of a service-oriented agency, which was founded on a customer-oriented work approach, a multi-layered development vision and a communal cooperative and research-oriented development approach. The service-oriented agency consisted of both the rules and tools of rehabilitation activity and of the factors defining the community and the distribution of work that the development of changing rehabilitation requires. The students felt that the multiprofessional student group played a significant role in the work-based learning. The students’ development tasks demonstrated that in the work communities both customer-oriented rehabilitation, a common frame of reference for rehabilitation work, multi-professional work and the cost-effectiveness of service were all developed. The results of the development effort could be seen in the improved work-related well-being of the workers. In the work communities the development approach to rehabilitation work was research-oriented. The learning was based on theoretical foundations and communality and resulted in finding both solutions for practical problems and new tools. The study produced new knowledge about work-based learning that takes place at the activity system level. It corroborated earlier studies on the need for developing both the cooperation between universities of applied sciences and worklife and customer-oriented rehabilitation activity. The results can be utilised both in the development of cooperation with working life and the development of curriculum in a Master’s Degree Level education at Universities of Applied Sciences. / Tiivistelmä Tämä tutkimus kuvailee työelämälähtöistä oppimista ylemmässä ammattikorkeakoulutuksessa kuntoutuksen koulutusohjelmassa. Tutkimuksessa kuvataan opiskelijoiden yksilöllistä oppimista ja kehittämistehtäviä, jotka he toteuttivat työyhteisöissään. Ensimmäinen osatutkimus keskittyi työelämälähtöiseen oppimiseen yksilötasolla. Aineisto koostui opiskelijoiden yksilöhaastatteluista. Toinen osatutkimus tutki työelämälähtöistä oppimista opiskelijoiden työyhteisöissä. Aineisto koostui esimiesten ja opiskelijoiden yksilöhaastatteluista, työntekijöiden ryhmähaastatteluista, opettajien ryhmähaastattelusta ja opiskelijoiden työyhteisöjen yhteiskehittelypalavereista. Osatutkimukset analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä. Haastattelututkimuksen mukaan opiskelijoiden oppimisen tulokseksi kiteytyi palvelutoimijuus, joka rakentui asiakaslähtöisestä työotteesta, monitasoisesta kehittämisnäkemyksestä sekä yhteisöllisestä ja tutkimuksellisesta kehittämisotteesta. Palvelutoimijuus koostui kuntoutustoiminnan säännöistä ja välineistä sekä yhteisöä ja työnjakoa määrittävistä tekijöistä, joita muuttuvan kuntoutuksen kehittäminen edellyttää. Opiskelijat kokivat, että moniammatillisella opiskelijaryhmällä oli merkittävä rooli työelämälähtöisessä oppimisessa. Opiskelijoiden kehittämistehtävät osoittivat, että työyhteisöissä kehitettiin asiakaslähtöistä kuntoutustyötä, rakennettiin yhteistä kuntoutustyön viitekehystä ja edistettiin moniammatillista työskentelyä ja palvelun kustannustehokkuutta. Kehittämistyön tulos näkyi työntekijöiden työhyvinvoinnin lisääntymisenä. Työyhteisöissä kuntoutustyön kehittämisote oli tutkimuksellinen. Oppiminen pohjautui teoreettisiin lähtökohtiin ja yhteisöllisyyteen, ja johti käytännöllisten ongelmien ratkaisuun ja uusien välineiden löytämiseen. Tutkimus tuotti uutta tietoa toimintajärjestelmätasolla tapahtuvasta työelämälähtöisestä oppimisesta. Se vahvisti aikaisempia tutkimuksia ammattikorkeakoulun ja työelämän yhteistyön ja asiakaslähtöisen kuntoutustoiminnan kehittämisen tarpeesta. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää ylemmän ammattikorkeakoulutuksen työelämäyhteistyön ja opetussuunnitelman kehittämisessä.

Master Education - Med / Skills development is essential for every country to keep abreast with, at least one aspect of globalisation, namely, changes regarding production in the modern world. The way in which each country implements its skills development programme will depend on the unique history and circumstances of that country. Germany and Japan are amongst those countries that opted for a high skills strategy, whilst the United Kingdom opted for a low skills strategy. Kraak (2005) argues that South Africa would benefit by implementing a ‘multi-pronged’ skills strategy because many of its citizens are unskilled or have very low skills. This approach would cater for lowskills, intermediate-skills and continue to develop high skills. South Africa’s inputs-based education and training system has been replaced by a controversial outcomes-based approach. Many authors view an outcomes-based programme as lacking theory or content (Kraak, 1998; Young, 2004; Brown & Keep, 2000; Boreham, 2002), as reductive and mechanistic (Bates & Dutson, 1995, in Boreham, 2002) and mainly work-based and assessment-driven (Boreham, 2002). These criticisms question the quality of outcomes-based programmes. New laws promulgated by the South African government have introduced learnerships that form part of this new Skills Development strategy. This study reviewed the general policy on skills development and explored the experiences of learners who completed a Wholesale and Retail Learnership in the context of the structured college-based learning, the practical work-based learning as well as the integration of theory and practice, in South Africa. A qualitative approach was selected to enhance the researcher’s understanding of the personal perspectives and experiences of learners who completed the learnership. The case study approach was used with a focus on analysing the subjective opinions of this group of learners. The research methods employed to clarify the understanding of how these learners experienced the learnership were semi-structured interviews, observations and analysis of documents. The research shows that South Africa’s multi-level National Qualifications Framework provides for academic as well as vocational training and promotes a ‘multi-pronged’ skills strategy. The findings suggest that the learners on this learnership experienced the theoretical learning in the college and the practical learning on the job as an integrated whole. The study concludes that the structured college-based learning enabled the learners on this learnership to implement what they learnt at college in the workplace. / South Africa

In South Africa today a constant stream of demands characterise higher education. The global employment market expects graduating students to be flexible, adoptable and prepared to take responsibility for their own learning and their own continuous professional development. The pace of technological change in health sciences and the volume of available information highlight the need to develop students’ critical reflective thinking. A paradigm shift is required in health science education from one of providing instruction to one of promoting effective and lifelong learning. Educators in health sciences need to revisit, rethink and evaluate criteria for health practice. The challenge of this research is to investigate the integration of critical reflection as a learning strategy in the outcomes of learning programmes within a transformative education approach; the integration of theory and practice through a reflective learning approach; the development and implementation of different learning tools to facilitate effective learning; the importance of establishing an understanding of the link between the learning styles of students and critical reflection as a learning strategy; and the value of the integration of critical reflection to promote lifelong learning. A mixed methods research approach was primarily utilised to monitor facilitation of learning initiatives and appropriate activities for strengthening the learning-centred approach, through reflective journals and reflective learning groups. A quantitative and qualitative study was used in which a pilot study questionnaire, observations, structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted and completed. The findings of this investigation indicate that critical reflection adds value to the effectiveness of learning. The investigation also revealed the value of sharing learning experiences in a small learning group and proved that the learning environment for radiography education allows enough opportunities to integrate an alternative learning strategy such as critical reflection. All role players in health science education need to build their own skills to function effectively as whole brain thinkers with a view to maximizing learning effectiveness. Reflective practice enhances lifelong learning and can also be utilised as a tool for quality control of the learning programme. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

The island of Cascara is a dependent overseas territory of a European metropole. Access to the island is currently only by sea though there are plans to construct an airport. To prepare the island for the economic-related activities that will arise from air access, an Adult and Vocational Education Strategy was developed. This Strategy paved the way for the establishment of the island’s Adult and Vocational Education Service and informed the contents of the curriculum it provided. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges associated with implementing and sustaining the curriculum on this isolated island. In order to do this, the study examined the curriculum on offer; its current state of implementation and its associated challenges within the Adult and Vocational Education Service; it also investigated the extent to which the current curriculum met the needs of the island by aiding workforce development to support economic growth; and finally, it explored the challenges relating to the sustainability of the Adult and Vocational Education Service in providing a relevant vocational curriculum. A qualitative research approach was adopted using case study methodology. The purposive research sample comprised stakeholders across the public and private sectors at various levels. Qualitative research elicitation instruments were employed to gather data. These included questionnaires, unstructured, semi-structured and focus group interviews. In addition to these instruments, various official documents were analysed and the island’s local print and audio media were used to gather data. The research findings indicated that there needs to be more integration of resources (human, physical and financial) in the provision of adult and vocational learning. The data also showed that the integration of available resources has the potential to aid in more sustainable and meaningful learning that will benefit both the individuals and the economy. The data further suggested that a collaborative approach should aid in stabilising and expanding the provision of adult learning on the island. The need to improve the provision of distance learning opportunities with more internationally accredited courses being offered locally; the need for quality in the provision of learning to be formalised; and the need for the curriculum and staffing structures of the Adult and Vocational Education Service to be reconsidered were also highlighted. The research findings have already begun to serve as the basis for addressing the priorities of the Adult and Vocational Education Service on the island. By informing future learning policy and the contents of the curriculum on offer, the research findings could also potentially benefit the provision of adult and vocational education on other islands, small states and rural communities with limited human and financial resources. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / Unrestricted

No / The aim of this study was to evaluate newly developed performance feedback tools from the student perspective. The tools were innovative in both their mode of delivery and the range of stakeholders they involved in the feedback process. By using the tools in health and social care settings, students were able to engage in interprofessional assessment of common competences and obtain performance feedback from a range of stakeholders not commonly involved in work-based learning; these included peers and service users. This paper discusses the ways in which the performance feedback tools were developed by a collaborative programme and compares their delivery, across a wide range of professions and work-based settings, in paper-based, web-based and mobile formats. The tools were evaluated through a series of profession-specific focus groups involving 85 students and 7 professions. The data were analysed thematically and reduced to three key categories: mode of delivery, assessment tool dynamics and work-based issues. These will be discussed in detail. The students agreed that the structured way of capturing and documenting feedback from several sources would support their practice placement learning. The reflective nature of the tools and the capacity for guiding reflection was also welcomed. The concepts of gaining service user, peer and/or interprofessional feedback on performance were new to some professions and evoked questions of reliability and validity, alongside appreciation of the value they added to the assessment process.

No / In this article we share our experiences of a large-scale five-year innovative programme to introduce mobile learning into health and social care (HSC) practice placement learning and assessment that bridges the divide between the university classroom and the practice setting in which these students learn. The outputs are from the Assessment Learning in Practice Settings (ALPS) Centre for Excellence in Teaching Learning (CETL), which is working towards a framework of interprofessional assessment of Common Competences in the HSC professions. The mobile assessment process and tools that have been developed and implemented and the outcomes of the first-stage evaluation of the mobile assessment tools are discussed from the student perspective.

There has been an increasing amount of interest shown in vocational education and apprenticeships in the early twenty-first century by successive governments and other parties connected with occupational training. However, the English further education sector has been described as ‘chronically under-researched’ (James and Biesta, 2007: 7), particularly in regard to narrative accounts of college education and pedagogy (Richardson, 2007) and there has been very little empirical research on pathways into the plumbing profession. This study explored teachers’ and students’ perceptions and experiences of both full-time college courses and apprenticeships in plumbing in order to deepen understanding of these particular types of vocational preparation. It also endeavoured to investigate whether the two different routes into plumbing appeared fit for purpose. Within an interpretive framework, data were collected using two main research methods. Ethnographic snapshot observations were recorded during lessons in three further education colleges and at the workplaces of five plumbing students and formal 1:1 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 tutors and 14 students. The data were thematically analysed. From the many issues relating to the opportunities offered and the challenges posed by the different pathways into plumbing that this study identified, three key findings emerged. First, there was strong evidence of a dislocation between theory and practical learning, both within the college setting for full-time students and between the workplace and college settings for apprenticed learners. This had implications for both the quality of learning and the learners’ levels of motivation. Second, the study revealed the importance of supervised work experience that was centred on long-term acquisition of knowledge and relationship development for apprentices with support from their college tutors and co-workers. Finally, the findings showed the importance of authentic assessment. It was found that simulations in college could not adequately replicate the experience of doing the job in the real world. Given the inherent risks and problems regularly encountered in the plumbing profession, this signalled significant health and safety implications.

Un intérêt accru a été élevé sur les systèmes d'apprentissage mobiles contextualisé. Ces systèmes visent à fournir les supports d'apprentissage via des appareils mobiles et de les adapter aux besoins spécifiques de l'éducation, les caractéristiques personnelles et les circonstances particulières d'un apprenant ou un groupe d'apprenants interconnectés. L'apprentissage en milieu de travail est une approche essentielle pour promouvoir l'efficacité de travail et d'apprentissage des professionnels. Il est besoin ciblé, personnalisé, juste-à-temps et basé sur la localisation. Ces caractéristiques prédisent que le système d'apprentissage mobile contextualisé peut jouer un rôle dans la promotion de l'efficacité de l'apprentissage en milieu de travail. Cependant, il y a relativement peu de systèmes d'apprentissage mobiles contextualisé proposées pour le développement de l'apprentissage et de la compétence en situation de travail. Cet article propose la conception, la mise en œuvre et l'évaluation d’un système d'apprentissage mobile contextualisé pour le milieu professionnel, nommé WoBaLearn. Plus précisément, dans la thèse, nous avons travailler sur: (1) les théories de l'apprentissage mobile contextualisé et l'apprentissage en milieu de travail; (2) les approches pour la conception d'un système d'apprentissage mobile contextualisé pour le milieu professionnel; et (3) les technologies et les méthodologies de mettre en œuvre et de tester le système d'apprentissage conçu. Les principales contributions de cette thèse sont: 1) Construction d’un modèle de contexte hiérarchique et basé sur une ontologie pour l'apprentissage en milieu de travail Nous avons défini un modèle de contexte initial pour décrire l'information contextuelle de l'apprentissage mobile en milieu de travail, nommé WbML. Ce modèle adopte l'approche hiérarchique, et est construit par l'ontologie. 2) Proposition d’un ensemble de stratégies d'adaptation pour l'apprentissage en milieu de travail et un moteur d'apprentissage pour exécuter ces stratégies Nous avons proposé un ensemble de stratégies d'adaptation. Ces stratégies adapter les supports d'apprentissage en fonction du contexte d’apprentissage actuel. Nous avons proposé également un moteur d'adaptation qui exécute ces stratégies pour mettre en œuvre les adaptations d'apprentissage. 3) Conception de l’architecture d’un système d'apprentissage mobile contextualisé pour le milieu professionnel Combinant avec les bases conceptuelles sur le modèle de contexte, des contenus d'apprentissage, les stratégies d'adaptation et le moteur d'adaptation, nous avons proposé l'architecture de WoBaLearn système qui permet à WoBaLearn de réaliser des services d'apprentissage adaptatif. 4) Mise en œuvre du système et son évaluation avec une étude de cas Nous avons implémenté le système avec les technologies modernes, et mis une étude de cas pour évaluer ce système. Les résultats d'évaluation nous ont fourni la preuve que ce système peut offrir aux professionnels une expérience d'apprentissage satisfaisant et faciliter leurs activités de travail. / Increased interest has been shown in context-aware mobile learning systems. These systems aim to provide learning supports via mobile devices and adapt them to specific educational needs, personal characteristics and particular circumstances of an individual learner or a group of interconnected learners. Work-based learning is a crucial approach to promote professionals’ working and learning efficiency, which is need-targeted, personalized, just-in-time and location-based. These characteristics predict that context-aware mobile learning systems can play a role in promoting the effect of work-based learning. However, relatively few context-aware mobile learning systems are proposed for learning and competence development in work contexts. This dissertation proposes the design, implementation and evaluation of a context-aware mobile system for work-based learning, named WoBaLearn. More specifically, in the dissertation, we worked on: (1) the learning theories related to work-based context-aware mobile learning; (2) the approaches for designing a work-based context-aware mobile learning system; and (3) the technologies and methodologies for implementing and testing the designed system. The main contributions of this thesis are: 1) Proposal of an ontology-based hierarchical context model for work-based learning We defined an initial context model for describing contextual information in work-based mobile learning, named WbML. This model adopts a hierarchical designing approach which classifies con-text into a common layer and a domain layer. This approach improves the reusability of this context model. Also, the WbML context model is built based on ontology for describing context semantically. 2) Design of a set of adaptation strategies for work-based learning and an adaptation engine to execute these strategies We proposed a set of adaptation strategies concerning learning units selection, learning units sequence, learning units navigation, learning partners communication, and learning activities generation. These strategies adapt learning supports depending on professionals’ just-in-time learning con-text. We proposed also an adaptation engine which executes these proposed strategies to implement learning adaptations. 3) Construction of the WoBaLearn architecture Combined with the conceptual design bases about the context model, learning contents, adaptation strategies and adaptation engine, we proposed the system architecture of WoBaLearn which enables the WoBaLearn system to achieve the adaptive learning services. 4) Implementation of WoBaLearn We implemented the proposed system with modern technologies, and set a user study to evaluate it. Evaluation results provided us with the evidence that this system can offer professionals a satisfactory learning experience and facilitate their work activities.