Euronet-PBL: Education, Practice & Research
Promoting Practice-Based Learning in the Higher Education provisions for Business Administration, Engineering and Vocational Teacher Education
Project Number: 142236-LLP-1-2008-1-DE-ERASMUS-ECUE
Grant Agreement: 2008 – 3211/ 001 – 001
Deliverable D14
Final report on the studies of different practice-based learning arrangements
– From case studies and evaluations to comparative analyses and common framework
prepared by Pekka Kämäräinen and Ludger Deitmer
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Contents
Document 1: The role of practice-based learning in Higher Education study programmes and in university-enterprise cooperation – The approach of the Euronet-PBL project by Ludger Deitmer & Pekka Kämäräinen
Document 2: Developing and using an evaluation tool for practice-based learning (PBL) – The approach of the Euronet-PBL project
by Bernd Hofmaier
Document 3: Comparative analyses of the development of practice-based learning – From separate inputs to a European group picture
by Pekka Kämäräinen
Document 4: Common framework for the development of practice-based learning arrangements – From separate case to common recommendations prepared by Pekka Kämäräinen and Ludger Deitmer
Introduction
This document presents the final report of the studies of the European cooperation project Euronet-PBL on practice-based learning arrangements. The project has been funded as an Erasmus multilateral project under the priority university-enterprise cooperation. The project has involved partner universities and enterprises from six countries (Germany, Norway, Turkey, Slovenia, Ireland and Denmark) and a web support partner (from UK/Wales) and an internal evaluator (from Sweden).
The project has carried out the following main activities in the participating countries:
· production of 4-6 analyses of students’ projects (micro cases),
· production of descriptions of the study programmes and required practice-based learning activities (macro cases),
· interviews with students, university representatives and company representatives on practice-based learning arrangements (stakeholder interviews),
· workshops for evaluating the functioning of practice-based learning by different stakeholders in the local context (evaluation workshops) and
· workshops for validating the findings and examining the transferability of the approaches to wider contexts (valorisation workshops).
Based on these empirical analyses and field activities the project worked towards its common results: the comparative analyses, the common developmental framework and the common toolbox. Each of these common results was reported by a common product. The toolbox was shaped on the web as a Moodle course (see http://moodle.itb.uni-bremen.de).
However, the Euronet-PBL project had promised to produce an overarching Final Report (with the expectation to publish it in a Europe-wide publication series). For this purpose it was neither possible to use all the materials nor to cover all main activities. Therefore, in order give as complete picture as possible, four documents were chosen from different phases of the project and with different insights into the project work:
· Document 1 presents the project approach with insights into the empirical analyses and into the evaluation workshops.
· Document 2 presents the evaluation concept and its application in three participating countries during the first year.
· Document 3 presents the results of the comparative analyses (as reported at the end of the project).
· Document 4 presents the common developmental framework (as finalised at the end of the project).
With these documents the Euronet-PBL project hopes to give a sufficiently rich picture of the studies on practice-based learning and of the process of bringing the findings into European group picture and into a common developmental framework.
On behalf of the coordination team
Pekka Kämäräinen
ITB, University of Bremen
Document 1: The role of practice-based learning in Higher Education curricula and in university-enterprise cooperation – The approach of the Euronet-PBL project[1] by Ludger Deitmer & Pekka Kämäräinen
1. Introduction
This round table is based on the work of the Euronet-PBL project that is funded as a multilateral project by the European Commission[2]. The project examines different patterns for promoting practice-based learning as a context for university-enterprise cooperation. The project has partner universities and partner enterprises from six countries (Germany, Norway, Turkey, Slovenia, Ireland and Denmark). These partners cover three academic domains (vocational teacher education, economics/business administration and engineering studies)
The reason for launching the Euronet-PBL project is that somewhat similar models have been used parallel to each other without common quality awareness. Consequently, the European discussion of special approaches to problem-, practice- and project-based learning has been limited. Therefore, the round table has been organised to discuss the following questions:
1) What kinds of approaches (to practice-based learning) are currently used and what is their role in the emerging European Higher Education Area? Can European studies and analyses contribute to common European quality awareness?
2) What is the role of field studies that involve students, companies and university representatives? Can our jointly developed methodologies and evaluation tools bring us into common discussion at the local level and across the participating regions?
3) What kinds of benefits can be seen for different parties involved – students, companies and the universities? Can such benefits be assured with the help of common frameworks, guidelines and supporting tools?
This introductory paper outlines the general approach. It presents insights into the issues that have been crucial when the project has been shaped. Concerning the field studies, evaluation measures and the possible benefits, the paper presents some general ideas and some preliminary results of the German team. The two other papers of the round table will focus more closely on the evaluation approach (see Hofmaier 2009) and on the discussion on the benefits for students, companies and universities (see Henriksen 2009).
2. The underlying assumptions on the importance of practice-based learning
The Euronet-PBL project has been initiated to study the role of practice-based learning as an interface between higher education, working life and development-oriented research. The core idea of the project can be formulated with the help of the following assumptions:
1. Professional development of students: Practice-based learning (that takes place outside the university environment) provides new experiences and challenges that are essential for the future professional development of the students. This principle has been accepted in some academic domains (e.g. medical faculties)[3]. Yet, in some other academic domains the status of practice-based learning is subject to controversies that require conceptual clarification.
2. Common core criteria: The three academic domains that have been selected for the study (business administration, engineering and vocational teacher education) share a common interest to familiarise their students with problems that are related to work processes and the functioning of work organisations. Based on common core criteria (i.e. management, preparation, documentation and reflection on practical learning phases) the desired learning can be made transparent in terms of identifying and processing technical-organisational, management-related and training-related problems in companies.
3. Support and monitoring: By engaging themselves with professional working and learning tasks (at a workplace context) the students have a chance to develop their problem-solving capability. In order to achieve this, practice-based learning activities need to be supported and monitored by company representatives and by university representatives.
4. Finding common interests: It can be questioned, whether the interests of companies, universities and students (regarding practice-based learning) can be reconciled with each other. However, the project explores the possibilities to identify common quality criteria and success factors. In best cases these may provide a basis for long-term cooperation between universities and companies (to which practice-based learning can also contribute).
5. Dialogue-oriented research approach: The research design is based on case studies, complementary interviews and dialogue-oriented workshops. With the help of these field studies the project seeks to specify success factors of practice-based learning. Here the project uses common core criteria but pays also attention to domain-specific possibilities. The project takes into account that the success factors can only be found in dialogue and cooperation with the key actors involved (students, companies and universities).
6. Multiple roles of universities: The role of universities in such a research design is to study and analyse critically their own study programmes and the practice-based learning components. In addition to this, they have to promote dialogue on quality issues with the external partner enterprises. In this context it is necessary to develop conceptual readiness to improve current learning arrangements both by the universities and by the enterprises.
7. Building on ‘best practice’ cases: The project cannot delimit itself to celebrating some empirically identified ‘best practice’ cases. Instead, the project has to clarify, how innovative practice can be promoted and what role can be given for the exploitation of results with the help of case studies, evaluation and development tools and dissemination measures.
3. Diversity of the approaches as a challenge for European cooperation
3.1. Conceptual differences
The project Euronet-PBL seeks to overcome the conceptual gaps between the different approaches and to promote mutual learning between the existing models. In particular the project tries to overcome the separation between pure on-campus learning activities and placements or projects that are implemented in a workplace context. (Here the expression ‘workplace’ refers mainly to companies but it includes also (vocational) schools and other work organisations that are relevant for students’ professional development). So far the universities have followed different approaches that include different degree of involving students in working life and different intensity of university-enterprise cooperation:
· Participation of students in on-campus seminars with focus on problem-based learning familiarises the students with company-specific problems without including actual participation in working life.
· Completion of individually arranged in-company internships (before the studies) or co-operative learning placements (during the studies) requires actual participation in working life but doesn’t include intensive cooperation between university and enterprise.
· Completion of curriculum-integrated practice-based learning periods (Praktikum) in companies require from students implementation of workplace-related learning assignments. This requires clear agreements between universities and enterprises.
· Engagement of students in longer project-based learning cooperation with partner companies includes intensive participation of groups of students (for whom the project covers a major part of their studies). These arrangements require comprehensive cooperation agreements between the university and hosting enterprises.
3.2. Domain-specific starting points
Below, an overview[4] is given on the starting points for developing practice-based learning arrangements in the three domains and in the participating countries (see Box 1).
A. Vocational teacher education
In this domain the country-specific starting points are clearly different between Germany and Norway:
· In Germany (University of Bremen) vocational teacher education has been shaped according to the same pattern as all teacher education. Initially the basic academic education was provided by one-cycle degree programmes that led to an MA-level university degree (Diplom-Berufspädagoge). This was followed by a separate phase of practical aptitude training (Referendariat) at the vocational schools. The university degree programmes have included also two practice-based learning periods (Praktikum) organised at vocational schools (Schulpraktikum) and at companies (Betriebspraktikum).
· In Norway (Akershus University College) vocational teacher education has initially been shaped as an upgrading scheme for former skilled workers and engineers who have opted for career change to become teachers. They are expected to bring their occupational background with them, whilst the teacher education scheme equips them with pedagogic know-how. The role of practice-based learning period (Praksis) is to enhance their knowledge basis on a broader range of occupations for which they have responsibility as vocational subject area teachers.
B. Engineering studies
In this domain the general starting points are similar, but the participating universities have somewhat different boundary conditions.
· Traditionally, engineering studies have required in-company internships as a part of their entry qualification or as obligatory requirement to complete the degree. More recently such opportunities have been organised alongside the studies as cooperative learning placements. These placements have not required major involvement of the faculty departments. In addition to this, some faculties have developed special working concepts for on-campus seminars with focus on problem-based learning.
· The University of Limerick (Ireland) requires participation in co-operative learning from all students. In addition, the university promotes actively participation in problem-based learning seminars (organised as “outcome-based learning labs”).
· Aalborg University (Denmark) has developed a tradition in on-campus seminars for problem-based learning. However, until recently the engineering faculty did not require internships or co-operative learning placements as obligatory components of curricula.
C. Economics and business administration
In the domain of economics and business administration there are different patterns of using practice-based learning arrangements as part of studies or alongside studies. During the initiation of the project a specific model was chosen for closer examination:
· In the Sabanci University the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme is organised mainly on the basis of Company Action Projects (CAP) that involve a group of students that develops a coherent project on the basis of company-specific problems.
· In the University of Maribor there was no similar infrastructure for organising practice-based learning arrangements. Instead, there was an emerging cooperation between the university and a regional partner enterprise to be studied.
Box 1: Overview of different starting points for practice-based learning in the domains to be studied (and in the participating universities).
In spite of the different starting points all participating universities could agree on a common approach to undertake field studies (by producing descriptions of students’ projects and on the systemic macro-contexts) and to organise evaluation workshops (that were based on a common evaluation tool).
4. The role of practice-based learning in European Higher Education Area
4.1. Assessment of the current situation
The reasons for launching the cooperation that analyses current arrangements for practice-based learning can be summarised in the following:
1) In the European policies for Higher Education the main emphasis has been given on mainstreaming the degree structures and credit transfer models and promoting common formats for curriculum development. In this context the role of practice-based learning has remained marginal. Therefore, the conceptual and organisational diversity of current approaches has not been brought into proper discussion.
2) The core philosophy of the European Union educational cooperation programme (the integrated Lifelong Learning Programme) requires promotion of trans-national mobility at all educational levels and across all education and training provisions. As regards practice-based learning, this would require coherent frameworks and quality criteria.