Teaching Matters

23 - Clayton Hawkins

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Teaching Matters | Presentation Details |

Title

Practice and portfolios: Embedding WIL in Associate Degrees


Author(s)

Clayton Hawkins*, Transformation Program: Associate Degrees Division
Mark Symes*, Transformation Program: Associate Degrees Division
Melina Burbury, Transformation Program: Associate Degrees Division
Janelle Allison, Associate Degrees Division, University College
Dayna Broun, Transformation Program: Associate Degrees Division
Ray Collins, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland


Subtheme

Work Integrated Learning


Presentation Type

Spotlight on Practice


Room

Lecture Theatre


Time

14.20-15.20


Abstract

Alongside the University of Tasmania’s Education Driven Revitalisation of Northern Tasmania, the University of Tasmania has commenced an ambitious program of curriculum renewal.  A key component of this is the establishment of associate degrees with curriculum design heavily focussed on experiential and situated learning.  In this light, 2017 will see the introduction of two new associate degrees – the Associate Degree in Applied Business and the Associate Degree in Agribusiness.  These degrees have been created in response to demonstrated industry and market needs.  To address these needs and the curriculum renewal vision, the degrees adopt an innovative approach to scaffolding discipline knowledge to experiential and situated knowledge through work integrated learning (WIL). The new associate degrees not only prepares students to become paraprofessionals with the ability to identify, interpret, apply, and transmit contemporary concepts and practices but create pathways to further education.
This paper examines the pedagogy behind the explicit integration of WIL into the new associate degrees and presents a model for the development of future courses in this space.  The new associate degrees are structured around the concept of companion subjects where a Discipline subject and a Practice and Portfolio (P&P) subject are paired to create explicit theory and practice links.  This affords students the opportunity to unpack, apply and test the discipline knowledge in work based type settings (real and simulated) and reflect on it to build a career portfolio.  To reflect the wide array of WIL and to ensure a scaffolded approach, a range of WIL activities and approaches have been mapped and grouped to engage with the degree discipline subjects.  This emphasis on practice creates a new and distinctively different offering to combine the practical with the academic.

Resource

Download presentation (requires University of Tasmania login) (PDF)

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