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Online learning is increasingly prevalent in education and one area which stands to benefit from this approach is work based learning. This area is characterised by time-poor students and a requirement for flexibility in time and location. Online learning could be considered a solution to these issues, providing greater flexibility than campus based offerings, but it is not a panacea. Online learning suffers from a range of issues, particularly in retention, generally seeing attrition rates between 10% and 20% higher than traditional education. This research investigates an emerging method for delivering online education to work based learners and how it compares to traditional methods with respect to engagement. The method is named bite sized learning, and the core principle is that lessons are delivered in very short, bite sized chunks. These chunks are delivered on a daily basis, comprised of content, guidance and practical tasks. Each chunk also includes a requirement for social interaction with a learning peer group. This work takes an action research approach, combined with grounded theory and mixed methods. The author proposes the use of a methodology "stack", utilising each of these approaches, which will be shown to enable rigorous evaluation and development of an emerging educational method. The mixed methods employed comprise learning analytics and qualitative course evaluation survey data. To begin the work, a series of identical bite sized courses are quantitatively analysed in order to propose a reliable measure of engagement for bite sized learning. This concludes that a measure of daily participants produces the most effective results. Using the methodology "stack," the body of this research takes a 3 stage practice-based approach. A set of live bite sized learning courses are studied, via the "stack", producing an evaluation, an experiment and a resulting theory for bite sized learning. The evaluation reveals current patterns of engagement within bite sized learning, and enables the development of an early theory. The results of this inform the development of an experiment, intended to test the effect of the daily format versus a simpler form of bite sized learning, delivering all content at the beginning. These experimental results, allied with further qualitative data, allow further development and refinement of a bite sized learning theory. It is discovered that bite sized learning does offer a number of unique advantages to work based learners when compared to traditional methods. It does also, however, come with difficulties. The advantages include increased participation, as well as an increase in discipline and priority around online learning. The difficulties centre around participation in social tasks and on daily participation. Both reduce flexibility, but hold the advantages of increased priority and increased learning for some. The research concludes with the presentation of a three path theoretical model of bite sized learning, each level suited to a particular context and course aim. The paths develop in sequence, and educators may choose the path which best suits their own teaching environment. The resulting paths force a choice between emphasising flexibility, involvement or learning, and advice is offered on how to choose the ideal model based on the learners involved.

Co-operative education in which senior high school students are placed in supervised workplace settings and gain credits towards a graduation diploma is the type of work-based education offered in Ontario. The purpose of this retrospective qualitative research was to examine how students learn in co-operative education placements and to explore the environmental conditions that facilitate student learning and motivation. The conceptual framework guiding this research consisted of three theories: Billet’s (2014) theory of mimesis, Munby et al.’s (2003) theory of metacognitive routines, and Snyder’s (2000) hope theory. Three former high school students who had been in automotive co-operative education placements participated in semi-structured interviews that followed a modified version of Seidman’s (2019) three interview technique. While the findings did not support Munby et al.’s (2003) ideas about routines, they corroborated the use of mimesis as a means of workplace learning (Billet, 2014) and Snyder’s (2000) writings about work and motivation. In this study, a successful placement involved three factors: social belonging and active learning and the reciprocal relationship between them, as well as the hope that was ignited, which crystalized the academic and career goals the students set for themselves. Moreover, workplace conditions that fostered a sense of social belonging and co-workers who provided informal instruction on technical and interpersonal skills contributed the most to the participants’ learning in their co-op placements. Implications for schools and co-operative education teachers are discussed.

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Yes / There is increasing demand for work-based learning experiences to form part of undergraduate degrees concerned with working with people. Social justice and anti-oppressive practice underpin the philosophies of many such degrees which attract students with the promise of working within diverse communities and with the marginalized and vulnerable. Benefits to students include the development of a professional identity, an anti-oppressive approach and culturally competent practices. Despite this, critical approaches to work-based learning highlight ways in which the student can be colonized by dominant values via ‘cultural voyeurism’. This can lead to power inequalities being replicated and perpetuated by the student rather than challenged. The roles of identity and alterity in these learning processes are examined and the concept of professional identity is questioned. The article concludes that the tasks of negotiating identity and alterity are characterized by uncertainty and unfinalizability, and that the notion of cultural competence is itself problematic.

Training plays a key role in bridging employer skills needs and in raising the productivity of employees and individual firms. Many large organisations have long established in-house training programmes and the means for progressive personal development for employees. However, Smaller to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) have not mirrored the same. SMEs are less likely to provide off the job training to employees because of operational demands. There is a lack of structured approach to training within a SME. Despite the vast array of training programmes available to SMEs, very little has been done to tailor the training to the specific learning needs of SMEs. Web Based Training Environment (WeBTiE) is a tailored online training solution specific to a SMEs’ training needs. The portal within which online training is provided is the collaborative efforts of the Employer, Employee and Training Vendor. The portal encapsulates not only the learning content, but provides the learning support necessary to guide employees through the training and reinforce work-based practises with the use of a Community of Practice. Unlike many other training models the originality of this model is that it combines Pedagogy principles in the development of the training programme, along with e-learning model, Etivities for Structured On The Job Training. The generic nature of this model allows it to be adaptable for SMEs in a variety of industries and the tailoristic feature provides the flexibility necessary to permit the adaptability. This thesis focuses on the barriers SMEs face when attempting to train employees. By determining employee learning and training needs and establishing a ‘Learning Foundation’, can we move forward with the development of a training programme commissioned for SMEs. The work in this research is underpinned by learning theories and online learning and the application of these (adapted if necessary) in the context of the day-to-day constraints typical of SMEs.

The work environment in which South African employees have to function is highly demanding, offering them little in terms of job security, but simultaneously expecting them to give more in terms of inter alia flexibility, competency, and effort. Tracking and addressing chemical industry employees' functioning in areas that could affect their general health and consequent standard of service is essential. Job insecurity, work-based support, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and general health are specific focus areas in this research. It is important to use reliable and valid measuring instruments to measure these constructs. It appears that job insecurity results in reduced organisational commitment as well as reduced job satisfaction. In the long run all this may have a negative impact on the psychological well-being of employees. Therefore, the right kind of support h m the right kind of people can be of significant value in reducing occupational stress, improving health, and buffering the impact of stress on health. A lack of South African research exists regarding job insecurity, work-based support, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and general health - hence the importance of this research. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between job insecurity, work-based support, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and general health of Human Resources Professionals (N = 114) in a chemical industry. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data. It was found that affective and cognitive job insecurity demonstrated a statistically significant negative correlation with emotional social support (supervisor and other), but practically and statistically negative correlation with intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. With regard to affective and cognitive job insecurity and general health, a statistically significant positive correlation was obtained for somatic symptoms, social dysfunction and severe depression, and a practically and statistically significant correlation with anxiety and insomnia. Affective commitment demonstrated a statistically significant negative relationship with cognitive job insecurity. The regression analysis indicated that job insecurity has some predictive value with regard to the intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction and general health subscales, namely somatic symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression. With regard to the two components of job satisfaction, intrinsic and extrinsic, job insecurity predicted 14% and 5% respectively of the variance. No predictions were found between affective commitment and job insecurity. With regard to general health, job insecurity predicted 5% (somatic symptoms), 11% (anxiety and insomnia), 1 % (social dysfunction) and 8% (severe depression). Conclusions were made, limitations of the cumin research were discussed and recommendations for future research were put forward. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

This thesis reports a study of the impact of work placements on the transferable skills of engineering students. The thesis provides a review of the theoretical and empirical literature in the field of student work placements and transferable skills and provides a discussion of the measurement of impact in this field. It also describes the design of the study, methods of data collection and the data analyses used. The research project was carried out at Loughborough University from 2005 – 2008. The data was collected from 247 students and 5 DIS (Diploma in Industrial Studies) tutors from three engineering departments (Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and the Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering (IPTME)) and 26 line managers from 19 different companies which take students on placements. The results shows that the overwhelming majority of the students valued work placements as a way of developing transferable skills and identified the transferable skills which work placements were most likely and least likely to develop. There was close agreement on these matters between students who had experienced placements and those that had not. All DIS tutors and 87% of the line managers interviewed considered that a work placement had a very strong or strong impact upon the transferable skills of the students. Triangulation of the responses by students, tutors and line managers revealed close agreement on these matters. Students, tutors and line managers had mixed opinions whether work placements would improve degree results. In fact, work placement students performed significantly better in degree examinations than non work placement students. The tutors and line managers stressed particularly that work placements increased the confidence and maturity of the students. They suggested holiday work, summer work, team based projects as a part of the University degree courses as alternative ways of helping the students who are not doing work placements to acquire and improve their transferable skills, although they did not think that these suggested alternatives will be as effective as the one year placement. They considered that the duration of the work experience period is a key factor in improving transferable skills.

Purpose: This research considers the design and operation of a non-modular professional doctorate to meet the needs of professionals working in the built environment who wish to obtain a doctoral qualification. It seeks to identify the essential components and support mechanisms to provide an alternative to other forms of doctorate which draws on their strengths while addressing some of their shortcomings. It answers questions regarding the suitability of a programme which can successfully operate within a reasonable timeframe. Research Design: The research is set in a real-life phenomenological paradigm concerning the experience and development of candidates registered for a professional doctorate. The conceptual framework governed both the design of the research and the design of a two-stage curriculum. Regular intervention and evaluation using action research methodology was used to improve practice. The research produced findings through multiple sources of evidence. Data were collected from course documentation, online discussion forums, focus groups, individual reflections and interviews. Findings: The work found that a community of practice consisting of candidates and staff, specifically focused on learning and the continuous development of candidates, provides a suitable vehicle for professional doctorate work. Candidates benefit from engaging in carefully constructed summative and formative assessment with prompt feedback. The assessment informed regular workshops containing an active learning format supplemented through additional support from a virtual learning environment. Crucially, all three components are required to support each other by drawing on their individual strengths. Conclusion: This action research project made a modest but significant contribution to curriculum development at doctoral level. The research developed a model which enabled academic practice to help candidates improve their professional practice. Self-motivated candidates with appropriate supervisory support can complete a professional doctorate within a realistic timeframe when there is carefully constructed synergy between their doctorate, its supporting mechanisms and their own professional practice.