Strategic approaches to immersive experience: An Australian perspective Dr Deborah Peach Faculty Coordinator First Year Experience and Real World Learning.

Strategic approaches to immersive experience: An Australian perspective Dr Deborah Peach Faculty Coordinator First Year Experience and Real World Learning Faculty of Business Queensland University of Technology

Overview Real World Learning/Work Integrated Learning National Perspective QUT Perspective Carrick Project Emergent Themes Immersive Experience Invitation

Work Integrated Learning It is every form of activity that combines professional work experience with classroom studies, including but not limited to: Clinical rotations Co-operative education Industry attachments Professional work placements Service learning Internships Research Teaching practicum placements Work abroad (www.waceinc.org)

Real World Learning Real World Learning encompasses those elements throughout the whole curriculum, which enable students to experience and understand the relevance of their learning to their work and lives. (QUT, 2007)

The role of the institutions focus on the students’ needs and aspirations knowledge of the students’ motivations and profiles providing courses of interest to the individual, with social relevance but nevertheless providing competencies for the labour market (Carapinha, cited by Goulter, 2007)

The total experience counts It is students’ total experience of university – not just what happens in the traditional classroom – that shapes their judgements of quality, promotes retention and engages them in productive learning. (Scott, 2005, p. vii)

Concerns voiced about universities Graduates not properly prepared for work – employability Insufficient interaction between universities and industry/employers Need for engagement for economic advancement Technology transfer failure Returns on public investment in research Skills shortages (Goulter, 2007)

Graduates not properly prepared for work Responses: Interest in the Graduate Skills Assessment (GSA) Graduate Employability Skills Report (BIHECC) A National Internship Scheme (Universities Australia) (Goulter, 2007)

Some key questions for the sector 1.What do students value and how do we address the expectation gap? 2.What is the purpose of higher education and how do we respond to what students want and what we are able and or willing to deliver? 3.How do we measure the quality of learning experiences and how and why do we assess student performance (especially when these performances do not necessarily fit a more traditional model of teaching and learning.) (Boud, 2007; Scott, 2005)

Graduate Employability Skills (BIHECC, August 2007) 3.improve and increase access to WIL 6.explicitly report on employability skills demonstrated through WIL 7.encourage more effective integration of employability skills in student e-portfolios

A National Internship Scheme (Universities Australia October, 2007) Option 1: Encouragement Option 2: Leading by example Option 3: Public–private partnership Option 4: Enhanced public subsidy Option 5: Futures planning

Real World Learning at QUT everyone’s business student-learning focus delivered through a coordinated suite of learning experiences in all courses all students should engage in a process of transition, translation and recreation to graduate with an understanding of the professional identity and practice related to their discipline strategic development in Faculties and Divisions, led through a teaching and learning-centred approach

RWL Project Phase 1 Scoping RWL December 2006-June 2007 Environmental scan of unit documentation to develop a conceptual framework and definition of RWL and identify examples of good practice as the basis for trialling key RWL experience initiatives at QUT.

Faculty Spaces where immersive experiences occur Built Environment and Engineering Design studios Using computer programs/simulators (eg. flight) Laboratory Experiments Computer programs Virtual experiments Business Capstone subjects Stock Market Game Virtual experiments Operating student run business Law Mooting, Moot Court Exercises – Advocacy, negotiation, objections, legal interviewing, client letter of advice, memorandum of advice, letter writing Science Mock Pharmacy Clinical experience attachment Pharmacy practice Health Clinic/al – practice, practicum, rotations(QUT RWL Project, 2007)

Proposed Phase 2 1.Curriculum Courses / Units Assessment Teaching and Learning Approaches Content 2.Culture & Capacity building Rewards Marketing and Communication Policy Self-descriptions 3.Engagement Professions Industry Business Government NGO Careers 4.Systems Management Student business systems E-portfolio Careers

RWL Wiki Existing Resources and Research Provides research resources regarding current RWL practice Best Practice Models Web Links Conferences Research papers relevant to the proposed project areas - Curriculum, Engagement, Culture and Capacity Building and Systems and PolicyCurriculum EngagementCulture and Capacity Building Systems and Policy Relevant T&L Small GrantsT&L Small Grants Workshops and Forums RWL Project Research Outlines Research already undertaken by the Project Team as part of the Scoping Phase. Unit Document Survey Staff Interviews Student Focus Groups

Key Questions 1.What does it mean to teach from a real world learning perspective? 2.What does it mean for students to learning from a real world perspective? 3.What is effective real world learning? 4.How can real world learning be effectively taught, practised and assessed across the curriculum? 5.What theoretical approaches and systems and resources are needed to embed real world learning? 6.What adjustments need to be made to institutional policy and procedures to facilitate real world learning? 7.How can universities better engage with industry and the professions to facilitate real world learning? (QUT RWL Project, 2007)

A Network of Networks >300 registered members Inaugural Conference ─ 34 of Australia’s 38 universities

A way forward… Key priority ─ to strengthen partnerships and establish effective dialogue between the higher education sector, industry and students 1st large scale study of WIL in Australia Identify, examine and map key issues Develop a framework for future projects Carrick Institute funding AUD $294,571 Endorsement more than 24 stakeholders 19 universities are partner institutions

Emergent themes 1.distinctions between ‘newcomer’ and ‘old timer’ participants in WIL 2.a common reported interest in improving students learning experiences 3.commonly reported institutional strategic imperative for engaging with WIL 4.overlap in the set of issues which participants identified as important priorities 5.the need to consider universities in metropolitan and non-metropolitan settings 6.equitable and meaningful assessment of WIL and evaluation of WIL programs 7.identifying and assessing influences on directing scarce resources and development efforts

Invitation Please contact me if you are interested in transnational collaboration to focus on strategic engagement. d.peach@qut.edu.au