Developing new contexts for learning through partnerships: Implications for new approaches to the development of university award programs

This paper describes how Victoria University is exploring the development of new approaches to work based programs in addition to practice linked and cooperative education models already well established in courses for the traditional professions, and draws conclusions about issues in the development or renewal of award programs. The context for the investigation is a broad project which aims to strengthen existing work based curricula and stimulate the development models for formal education that involve partnerships with industry and professional bodies and community organisations. The project comprises case studies, an audit of current work related programs, a survey of university staff perceptions about work integrated learning, and a conference that showcases university partnerships with industry and community groups and professional bodies. The investigation focuses on conceptions of work based learning uncovered from case studies and staff surveys. It seeks to explore how these conceptions can inform strategies for changing approaches to learning and teaching that inevitably arise from the redefinition of work based learning as 'legitimate' when award programs are renewed or established.

Preliminary findings arising from the inaugural partnerships conference in 1999, and random focus groups and workshops conducted in the same year, suggest that a broad range of conceptions of work based learning can be found amongst university teaching staff. It appears though that sophisticated conceptions (those that acknowledge the complexity and diversity of work based learning) are distributed across the all curriculum areas - whether practice linked and other traditional types of work related award programs exist or not. Implications arising for the development of award programs where the curriculum is based in the workplace or is driven by work, are drawn from these preliminary findings as well as ongoing activities arising from activities of the broad project described above. In particular, the professional development needs of institution based teaching staff are discussed in light of the range and distribution of the conceptions reported.

The proposition that the establishment and/or renewal of work driven award programs should concentrate less on discussions about work and more about learning and contexts for learning with university staff involved in the process will be discussed. The broad conclusion arising from the preliminary findings will also be examined. That is; that broad (university based) policy directions that support partnership arrangements ( and thus legitimise new contexts for learning), through a variety of measures will provide the stimulus for the development of new approaches to work based curricula in both its divisions.