The Work-based Learning Student Handbook

Citation

Lesley Lawrence (2016), "The Work-based Learning Student Handbook", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 86-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-09-2015-0047

Joe Raelin’s wish to readers in The Work-based Learning Student Handbook’s second edition captures the tone of the volume interestingly but nicely: “Good luck to all who are undertaking a new adventure in work-based learning. Bring along this book to help light the fire” (Preface, p. xii). This handbook will no doubt light fires for many work-based learners whatever their experience thanks to the knowledge and insight of the editor and chapter contributors. Yet, I have too often seen a collection of chapters from acknowledged experts in many fields in HE fail to work for its primary target audience due to the material being presented in a less than accessible way. The handbook can certainly not be faulted where accessibility is concerned: indeed, its major strength lies in the accessible, informative and sympathetic way the experts in the field have presented the material without diminishing the knowledge base. Complexities of the world of work-based learning and the challenges facing work-based learners are acknowledged with time taken to address these clearly. In the “Preface”, Joe Raelin accurately describes the contributors’ achievement of having “brought the philosophy of work-based learning down to earth to explain its principles and practices” (p. xi).

The handbook’s practical, hands-on and user-friendly layout and nature will surely facilitate the journey of work-based learning students. The editor’s “Introduction” helpfully sets out for the reader why they can benefit from the book, a theme throughout. The handbook is packed with case studies, activities, exercises, hints and tips with contributors bringing up-to-date and fresh case studies and examples/scenarios. Readers are encouraged to complete exercises but are told why exercises will be beneficial within a work-based learning context. Often a range of options are given and readers are supported to place their own learning and experience in context as well as becoming actively engaged with the content through the questioning style and practical exercises. Thus, not unexpectedly, learning is very much to the fore: each chapter is prefaced by the learning expected.

The editor advocates dipping in and out of the handbook and thus, care has been taken to clearly signpost where the reader will find certain key topics, with cross referencing evident throughout. Improvements have been made to certain features in the second edition, for example, a simplified but more extensive summary of key subjects and activities at the end of the “Introduction”. If the reader is less keen to just dip in and out, the additional chapters and re-ordering of content has given the handbook greater flow and coherence with an improved consistency of style also evident.

After the final themed chapters, Ruth Helyer and Jenny Fleming attempt to unpack the minefield of global terminologies and definitions associated with work and learning in a section entitled “Work-based learning terminologies”. Probably intended to act as an informative glossary, this section differs from the learning format of the preceding chapters. Whilst useful, the self-contained section’s role seems unclear, however, and lacks the helpful signposting evident elsewhere.

The publication of the second and improved edition of the handbook is timely, reflecting changes in HE and more specifically in work-based learning since 2010, the date of the first edition.

These changes range from key developments in HE such as social media innovations to the changes in terminology inherent in the world of work-based learning, for example, the use of the internationally more widely understood term Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to replace Accreditation of Prior learning (APL). Whilst retaining much of the previous content, in parts the handbook has been fairly extensively updated with new content adding value and currency to what already was regarded as an invaluable text, “the best of a very good new batch of work-based learning literature” (Gibbs, 2011, p. 80).

With 12 rather than eight chapters, one new and necessary focus is the acknowledgement that learning takes place in diverse locations, best illustrated by the addition of Chapter 8 “What can social media (SoMe) do for me?” (Conor Moss and Matt Bromley) and by Chapter 10 “Learning to be an international work-based learner” (Tony Wall and Ly Tran). The second edition has a greater global feel, not only through the inclusion of Chapter 10 but with contributing authors from Australia and New Zealand. The collaborative nature of work-based learning is also given a much greater and welcome attention featuring in Chapter 8 (as above) and underpinning Chapter 9 “Social learning: supporting yourself and your peers” (Susan Smith and Laurie Smith). At the same time, less relevant and current content has been reduced, dispersed or replaced, for example, the previous narrow focus on foundation degrees has been widened to encompass advice on a range of work-based awards (see in particular, Chapter 4 by Barbara Workman and Tracey White). With a particular interest in assessment, a personal favourite from the remaining and enhanced chapters was Chapter 11 “Making the most of your assessment opportunities” (Sue Graham and Garth Rhodes), the authors doing a good job in updating and demystifying the assessment process for readers.

Chapter 7 “Support and guidance for work-based learning students” (Jenny Naish and Ann Minton) was another favourite chapter and it brought home to me the potential usefulness of the handbook for other target audiences. Thus, if I were to have a criticism of the handbook it would be that perhaps its potential value for other target audiences is ignored or underplayed. Yes, work-based or placement learning students are clearly the prime target and this handbook should be essential reading for them. However, having spent much of my latter HE career working with colleagues to support staff to more effectively support students, I feel that this handbook would also prove very useful for:

1. HE staff of any experience in trying to discover what work-based learning is all about;

2. new and/or inexperienced staff on Higher Education Academy (HEA)-accredited PgCert courses who are simultaneously postgraduate students and thus, learning whilst in work;

3. educational developers who lead such PgCert courses and have wider roles in training staff; and

4. individuals having a specific role in supporting and/or assessing work placements of any duration and sandwich years, for example, employers and those responsible for drawing up learning contracts.

Overall, Ruth Helyer has done a great editing job in adding real value and currency to the handbook in its second edition. She should be commended for not just stopping at relatively minor updating, something that is too often seen in future revisions of texts. Such a rich and even more invaluable handbook will surely facilitate the aim to maximise the work-based learning experience of students.

About the reviewer

Dr Lesley Lawrence (formerly Head of Academic Professional Development in the Centre for Learning Excellence (CLE), University of Bedfordshire) and currently employed by the University of Bedfordshire as a Visiting Consultant. Dr Lesley Lawrence can be contacted at: leslcolb11@gmail.com