How the Commonwealth Government facilitates urban intensification projects

The Three Levels of Workbased Learning Projects

Previous posts have highlighted the difference between Workplace Learning [Wpl] and Workbased Learning [Wbl]. Whilst both may be very rewarding and the work involved may be very similar, successful Wbl alllows the student worker to gain a qualification. My experience in working with students has lead to  the view that effective workbased learning projects involve three levels of ‘effort’ whereas a project that is done as part of everyday workplace learning may only involve one level.

The  three levels of a workbased learning project are

1. project management
2. building warrantable assertions
3. building personal professional practice

A workplace project may only involve the first of these levels.

I have drawn the three levels in Diagram One below. Level One involves being organised to get the job done; this is broken into  three primary phases (1) plan (2) implement (3) review. This level involves project actions, project reporting, producing deliverables and reviewing performance. Much has been written on ‘project management’ and there are many facets of being a good project manager. Anyone who is given a job to do by their boss and the job involves substantial time, money and resources is expected to apply elements of project management to make sure the job gets done as close to specifications and on time and on budget.

Level Two is a critical ingredient in turning a work project into something that is worthy of academic recognition.To do so, most social research methods involve mulitple cycles of effort that incorporate the dimensions of, for example Plan Do Check Act or Approach Deployment Results Improvement  or something similar. The workbased learner must get to know the particular ‘cycle’ associated with the social research method that they employ and build a framework for this cycle to be implemented in parallel with their project. The workbased learner is able to  ‘integrate’ project meeting and reporting cycles [from level one] with their research cycles in level two, but this is not necessary - it is one of the options available. During workbased research, the student worker must be able to show that the research process is proceeding and that the research method is being implemented within each activity or phase of the [research] project.

Level Three is such an important part of professional development and reinforces the ‘reflective’ practice necessary in all social research methods - likely to be employed in level two of the workbased project. In level three, the student worker is seeking to reflect on their own personal learning journey and to develop a fuller appreciation of their efforts and actions in levels one and two. Again, journal extracts can be used to supplement and integrate with reports associated with levels one and two.

Diagram One: Three Levels of Wbl Projects

Sometimes students find it hard to ‘work out’ how the three levels will operate. This is of course part of the learning process. In particular, students who have already become extremely strong in the practice of project management, can’t see how to incorporate leve two into their ‘project’. Quite simply, very good project management would normally include many of the processes involved in Levle Two, but academic rigour requires that all core activities in a research project are subjected to the particular method being employed. Therefore there may be mulitple cycles of research effort occuring in each of the three phases of the project. Another point of confusion it that the level one project plan is most likely to be one ‘large’ cycle of Plan Do Check’ whilst the research method may require multiple ‘mini’ cycles of Plan Do & Check, as is the case with Action Research.

Students undertaking workbased learning projects must become familiar with research - its philosophy and its approaches and  its methods. Students must then develop their unique interpretation of research and apply it to their particular circumstances. In many instances, students of workbased learning are making contributions not only to the knowledge area of their profession but they are also making a knowledge and practice contribution to the research methods applicable to that profession. Experience has indicated to me that students who build the strongest alignment and integration between the three levels are able to not only achieve results for their boss but are also able to fulfil the requirements of the workbased qualification they are seeking.