Conference 10 June 2003
Learning at Work or Working at Learning?

Facilitator: John Bamber, Moray House School of Education,
University of Edinburgh

This presentation outlined the distinctive features of a new work-based learning course designed to help first-year undergraduate students to analyse and evaluate their professional development and evidence the progress they make. The course features an innovative electronic learning framework (ELF). The course forms part of the first-year curriculum of a part-time route to the BA (Ordinary) in Community Education at the University of Edinburgh. The presentation covered the logic behind the construction of the course and the rationale for its curriculum. The four sections of the course cover: Assessing Competence; Self-Management; Reflective Practice; and Collaborative Learning. Each section has two parts and each part is addressed through an extended exercise. Associated resources accompany each of the exercises, together with an 'issues' component highlighting problematic or controversial aspects of the course content. Students form 'learning clusters' with 4 or 5 other members and the course culminates in seminars organised by the clusters addressing the notion of 'professionalism'.

The workshop

The presentation raised issues in relation to professional and personal development concerning assessment, course design, use of ICT, and widening participation. There was participative discussion of the critical issues raised for CPD by the use of such electronic learning environments.

Points raised in discussion

• In professional training (e.g. teachers, social workers, community educators) the intentions and approaches underlying PDP are core activities
• The key features of the work-based learning course developed for first-year students on a BA in Community Education programme, map directly on to PDP
• The work emphasis in the work-based learning course on collaborative learning - raises questions about whether there is too much focus on individual learning in a 'pure' approach to PDP
• The presentation raised questions about whether personal reflection should be formally assessed, i.e. graded. One issue was about how to use assessment to help students relate personal practice to relevant literature

The presentation pointed up the great value to all students of work experience/work placement in PDP terms.

There are possible applications of the work-based learning course for teacher training at Edinburgh, and implications for other students elsewhere.

(Edinburgh Powerpoint presentation)