Teaching Matters

31 - Cassandra Saunders

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Teaching Matters | Presentation Details |

Title

Measuring, and reporting, students’ experiential learning experiences: A consistent, sector-wide approach to enhance the quality of WIL


Author(s)

Cassandra Saunders*, Division of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students and Education)
Annette Marlow*, Faculty of Health


Subtheme

Work Integrated Learning


Presentation Type

Spotlight on Practice


Room

Lecture Theatre


Time

14.20-15.20


Abstract

This presentation will showcase the methodological approach used to develop and trial an online tool that can be utilised across disciplines to measure, and report on, students’ perceptions of their learning while undertaking WIL, including preparation prior to commencing WIL, engagement with active learning while on WIL and opportunities to develop a professional sense of self.
In an increasingly competitive global employment market, it is becoming more and more vital that universities produce graduates that are both competent and prepared for practice in order for them to succeed in their chosen profession (Edwards et al. 2004).  Professional learning experiences are a key way to achieve this and are a core component of many undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, providing students with ‘real-life’ practice and work-integrated learning (WIL) that influences their professional development and attitudes (Papp, Markkanen & von Bonsdorff 2003).  Students are also becoming more demanding in terms of their desire for experiential learning opportunities and are a key driver for the growing number of degrees embedding some form of experiential learning into the course curriculum.  Indeed, the recently released Curriculum 2025 White Paper positions the University of Tasmania’s commitment to include a range of authentic and experiential learning experiences scaffolded across all courses.  At a national level, the increasing significance of the nature and quality of students’ professional learning experiences is incorporated into TEQSA’s Higher Education Standards Framework, which maintains the need for higher education providers to quality assure WIL (Higher Education Standards Framework 2015).  Despite this, there is a paucity in evaluative mechanisms to measure students’ WIL experiences consistently and systematically, both institutionally and across the HE sector
The presentation will include a demonstration of the tool, which provides a practical method of evaluating students’ perceptions of the quality of their WIL experience and how they take responsibility for their own learning while on placement.  This project has ethics approval: [H14623].
References
Edwards, H, Smith, S, Courtney, M, Finlayson, K, & Chapman, H 2004, ‘The impact of clinical placement location on nursing students' competence and preparedness for practice’, Nurse Education Today, vol. 24, pp. 248-255.
Higher Education Standards Framework 2015, Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards), Canberra: Australian Government.
Papp, I, Markkanen, M, & von Bonsdorff, M 2003, ‘Clinical environment as a learning environment: Student nurses' perceptions concerning clinical learning experiences’, Nurse Education Today, vol. 23, pp. 262-268.

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