This event shared the changes made to the assessment and feedback mechanisms on placement as part of a pilot project within the School of Business, MTU Cork Campuses. The pilot project was undertaken with funding from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (NFETLHE) within MTU as part of the university’s Reimagining Assessment and Feedback Together (RAFT) series of interventions. These changes were made following feedback from Geraldine O’Neill’s NFETLHE Research Fellowship study on 'Assessing Work-Integrated Learning' last year.

This event shared the changes made to the assessment and feedback mechanisms on placement as part of a pilot project within the School of Business, MTU Cork ...

"This seminar presents an innovative approach to enhancing engineering competencies through the parallel delivery of a capstone project and professional work placement elements in the final year of an undergraduate programme. Nationally, it is recognised that engineering students require more development of skills to be “culturally fit” engineering professionals. In order to achieve this, a longer placement was incorporated into MTU Cork’s Chemical Engineering programme with this industrial interface being leveraged to identify capstone projects, hosted in industry, for students to complete in parallel with their placement. Thereby providing students with more industrial exposure and developing more “culturally fit” employable graduates with general and transferrable skills as well as the necessary engineering knowledge. Since the adoption of these industrially hosted modules a repeated review process, facilitated by MTU Cork's AnSEO – The Student Engagement Office, has allowed “fine-tuning” of the approach and provided an improved student experience. This review process creates a constructive environment in which individual student voices can be heard alongside those of faculty. MTU Cork has created an enhanced experiential learning experience for its final year students and provided a vehicle to pilot methods for student-staff collaboration supporting the shared refinement of both placement and the capstone project. The benefit to industry is a structured longer placement (in line with international policy) to develop “culturally-fit” graduates. The impact on student success is notaView ble in that in excess of 90% employment levels have been observed in the graduate classes of 2018 and 2019. The student voice of their experiences substantiates the experiential and structured learning of these students"

"This seminar presents an innovative approach to enhancing engineering competencies through the parallel delivery of a capstone project and professional work placement elements in the final year of an undergraduate programme. Nationally, it is recognised that engineering students require more development of skills to be “culturally fit” engineering professionals. In order to achieve this, a longer placement was incorporated into MTU Cork’s Chemical Engineering programme with this industrial interface being leveraged to identify capstone projects, hosted in industry, for students to complete in parallel with their placement. Thereby providing students with more industrial exposure and developing more “culturally fit” employable graduates with general and transferrable skills as well as the necessary engineering knowledge. Since the adoption of these industrially hosted modules a repeated review process, facilitated by MTU Cork's AnSEO – The Student Engagement Office, has allowed “fine-tuning” of the approach and provided an improved student experience. This review process creates a constructive environment in which individual student voices can be heard alongside those of faculty. MTU Cork has created an enhanced experiential learning experience for its final year students and provided a vehicle to pilot methods for student-staff collaboration supporting the shared refinement of both placement and the capstone project. The benefit to industry is a structured longer placement (in line with international policy) to develop “culturally-fit” graduates. The impact on student success is notaView ble in that in excess of 90% employment levels have been observed in the graduate classes of 2018 and 2019. The student voice of their experiences substantiates the experiential and structured learning of these students"

This seminar considered key theoretical perspectives on work-based assessment. It discussed: The nature of work-based learning and its role in: Developing key graduate skills The wider life-long learning society. Different approaches to work-based learning practice, including the new apprenticeship model. The context of learning, including the role and responsibilities of both the learner and the employer, with a focus on authentic assessment approaches that support individualised learning. Participants were encouraged to bring along module descriptors, related to learning in the workplace, so that these theoretical perspectives could be applied to practice. n the workshop component, participants, in small groups, discussed, critiqued and developed the methods and processes that they currently use to assess placements in their own disciplines. They were encouraged to examine the ways in which current theory and best practice could inform and develop their disciplinary approaches.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as educators expect students embarking on work placement to have, at some point in their studies, developed sufficient reflection skills to enable them effectively capture their learning from the placement experience. However, this is not always the case as students often receive little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. In this seminar participants will be guided through the process of reflection and engage in reflective practices. There will be opportunities for discussion in breakout rooms. Discussions will cover how other colleagues are engaging students on reflection in placement settings. Expect to be busy at this workshop with reading, discussion, shared practice and maybe even some drawing.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as educators expect students embarking on work placement to have, at some point in their studies, developed sufficient reflection skills to enable them effectively capture their learning from the placement experience. However, this is not always the case as students often receive little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. In this seminar participants will be guided through the process of reflection and engage in reflective practices. There will be opportunities for discussion in breakout rooms. Discussions will cover how other colleagues are engaging students on reflection in placement settings. Expect to be busy at this workshop with reading, discussion, shared practice and maybe even some drawing.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as ...