Pierre Faller1, Irina Lokhtina2, Andrea Galimberti3, Elzbieta Sanojca4
1 Teachers College, Columbia University (UNITED STATES)
2 University of Central Lancashire (CYPRUS)
3 University of Milano-Bicocca (ITALY)
4 University of Strasbourg (FRANCE)
Abstract
While higher education institutions are increasingly interested in preparing a new generation of students to meet the demands of the workplace, there is still limited research on how work integrated learning (WIL) strategies can specifically benefit Gen Y’s competency development. This multiple case study aims to (1) examine the rationale for considering WIL as part of curriculum development; (2) compare WIL strategies through four cases studies and (3) analyze the benefits of those strategies for Gen Y’s learning and employability. The findings shed more light on how WIL contributes to Gen Y’s development of self-identity, reflective capacity, and critical skills.
Keywords: Work integrated learning, Generation Y, higher education, reflective practice, employability
Work integrated learning (WIL) embeds a broad range of learning practices encompassing (1) systematic training (e.g., apprenticeship), (2) structured work experience (e.g., field experience, internships), and (3) institutional partnerships (e.g., service learning) (Sattler et al., 2011; Stirling et al., 2016) that are designed to provide students with exposure to “real-world” work experience by deliberately integrating theory with practice (Patrick et al., 2009). Among the benefits of integrating curricula with workplace experience are deepening students’ knowledge and understanding,
enhancing students’ and work-related capabilities and developing a sense of their professional identity (Cooper et. al, 2010) and learning experiences (Patrick et al., 2009) as well as exposing the student self (Barnett et al., 2001).
Preparing a new generation of students to meet the demands of the workplace has become an increasing concern for higher education faculty. But how to approach curriculum development in a way that both appeals to Gen Y students' learning styles and equips them with the competencies required by the new work environment? Even though there is evidence that certain disciplines in higher education (e.g., nursing, education, and engineering) have greater experience with WIL (Patrick et al., 2009), the rationale for concentrating on WIL practices stems from limited research studies focusing on the interpretation of the data regarding the benefits of WIL to Gen Y’s learning, competency development and employability across national contexts.
Research Purpose and Methodology
This multiple-case study research aimed to fill this gap and bring further insight into WIL approaches and their impact on Gen Y’s learning. The idea of this research emerged from the
discussions amongst four convenors of the ESREA “Workplace Life and Learning” (WLL) network. Each convenor shared a case about a program incorporating WIL in its design. These different WIL
approaches served as our main unit of analysis when comparing each case and searching for patterns,
179 using a qualitative multiple-case design as a research framework (Merriam,1998). To guide our research, we collaboratively agreed to explore the two following research questions:
1) What are the ways 4 university professors from different institutions and countries are approaching and integrating WIL in their curricula?
2) How are different WIL approaches benefiting Gen Y’s learning, competency development and employability?
We addressed these questions through a multiple case study approach, allowing both a micro-level analysis and greater academic reflection on the value of integrating project-based learning, traineeship and active learning in curriculum design. Similarities and differences across cases were examined and led to recommendations for practice and future research. Methodologically, our research approach fits in the tradition of multiple-case study (Yin, 2003).
For our inquiry, different sources of information were collected and analyzed depending on data available for each case. To identify patterns and themes, each researcher first conducted a
“within” case analysis. Regular team meetings occurred to enable a common understanding of the themes emerging in each case. Development of themes and categories was facilitated by a series of summative analysis meetings of the research team. In table 1, we present an overview of the four cases used for exploring our research questions.
Findings
Overall, three main themes emerged from our cross-case exploration and research meetings:
1) through WIL, students developed a clearer and more meaningful sense of identity 2) they developed a greater capacity for reflection and learned to use reflection to surface and question assumptions present in their work and 3) they gained confidence in their ability to transfer skills and competencies perceived as critical for today’s workplace.
Identity Development
Many scholars (Cooper et al., 2010; Jarvis, 2009) stress the importance of developing students’ identity in order to help them better connect with different ideas about learning and be prepared for lifelong and life wide learning (Field, 2006). Identity development also helps develop a sense of authorship over their own biographies and take responsibility for their life choice (Côté, 2005). Across cases, there was evidence that working in small groups helped students gain insights into their own contribution, which in turn developed their confidence and engagement with their team.
For example, in the Cyprus and US cases, students explained that participation in the project helped them develop a strong sense of self-efficacy and become more confident voicing their views and opinions. In the French case the development of "self-confidence" gained through work was the most frequent competency mentioned by the students. In the US and Italian cases, there was also evidence that projects and teamwork served as an opportunity for many students to develop a new sense of openness and appreciation for diverse people and styles. One US student for instance
shared: “I am an introverted person; I am usually not comfortable talking and expressing my opinion.
But then, having the opportunity to work on the project….it helped me express my voice and needs”.
Reflective Capacity
Gen Y students acknowledged the value of engaging into reflective practices as an integral part of their learning. We found that many of the learning outcomes were linked to the opportunity to think critically and reflect during their real-world experience. As we went deeper into the cases, we found that both reflection-on-action (after the event) and reflection-in-action (during the event)
180 (Schön, 1991) had an impact on their development.
Table 1. Overview of the Cases
Underlying Experiential learning, Transformative Vocational didactic Action Learning
181
Through reflection-on-action, many students across cases reported becoming more aware of their team performance and their process. They also developed a more independent point of view about what they should do in order to achieve more effectiveness and a greater capacity to test assumptions. For instance, a French student shared: As one of “I learned how to reflect on my
work…. give meaning to what I do”. Reflection-in-action was experienced as an opportunity to pause, step back and make adjustments in real time while working on their projects. In the Cyprus case, reflection-in-action helped students strengthen their own levels of critical consciousness and deepen their knowledge. In the US case, reflection-in-action through interventions of a learning coach helped students develop the capacity to become more aware of their assumptions and challenge automatic thinking.
Transfer of Learning and Employability
It is our view that employability is not only a quantitative measure but also should be linked to the development of a comprehensive skill set attractive to potential employers (Coll et al., 2009).
Another important aspect related to employability is the capacity to transfer learning. Successful transfer of learning requires that knowledge or skill gained in a classroom be applicable and relevant to future work situations. Across cases, there was a shared perception that many of the skills
developed in WIL projects would be immediately transferable in a work context. Many students also evolved in their self-perception of being prepared for future employment. In the Cyprus case for instance, many students reported feeling less insecure and anxious regarding their future
employability. In the French case, students reported increasing confidence in their capacity to take responsibility for their work.
Today, organizations put problem solving and creative thinking at a premium. Critical thinking is becoming increasingly important due to accelerating change, intensifying complexity, escalating interdependence, and increasing risk (Paul & Elder, 2007). In our analysis we found evidence that students experienced development as “critical thinkers”. In the US and the Italian cases, there was evidence that students saw immediate applicability from the practice of examining assumptions and recognized that critical thinking would be a key competency for their future success. One US student shared: “before I would just accept and go with flow, but then I learned that I can have a more critical mindset in order to be more productive”.
Discussion: WIL for Supporting Gen Y’s Learning and Growth
WIL can take many forms depending on the culture of academic institutions, programs and approaches to curriculum development. As we reflected on our cases, we developed a better understanding of common success factors for supporting Gen Y’s learning and growth. Firstly, WIL cannot be approached without recognizing that Gen Y students are part of a generation which has spent its entire life in the age of smartphones and are comfortable journeying through the digital sphere. WIL approaches should acknowledge and leverage their digital literacy, but consider a risk if Gen Y students do not question the functioning of the digital world.
Secondly, our Gen Y students exhibited “over enthusiastic” attitudes towards making progress and getting to the final result. They felt very confident about themselves and this sense of confidence would determine their “readiness” to undertake new tasks and roles without doubting their capacity to succeed. This “get it done” mindset would often come at the expense of taking the time to challenge important assumptions and paying attention to other aspects of their project.
182 Thirdly, it is important to offer diverse opportunities for reflection as part of WIL approaches.
Across cases, it was through reflective activities that students were able to generate their insights and slow down their urge to jump to conclusions. However, the process of reflection can be uncomfortable and should be enhanced by receiving either guidance or support from the faculty.
Finally, we observed an interesting tension between the need of Gen Y students to find their own identity while keeping a strong sense for belonging. This tension is important to be recognized especially in the context of WIL where students interact with each other.
Implications for Practice and Research
The cases had in common to rely on different reflective interventions designed to support peer or individual learning. Table 2 presents an overview of those interventions as these can be useful for educators interested in enhancing learning and growth through WIL approaches.
Table 2. WIL interventions for learning and growth WIL Reflective Practices for Collaborative
Learning WIL Reflective Practices for Individual
Learning
Reflective conversations
Reflective dialogue
Reflection on assumptions (surface, examine, challenge)
Personal learning goals
Journaling/reflective journal
Giving / receiving feedback
Formative assessment
WIL is enhanced when teams make space for reflective conversations (Faller et. al, 2020;
Gray, 2007) as a form of reflection-in-action (e.g., in presence of uncertain and unique situations) or as a form of reflection-on-action (Schön, 1991). Learning is enhanced when we help students step back and re-examine the work accomplished as well as the processes employed by the team.
Reflection is enhanced when faculty members act as learning coaches and facilitate the reflective process through reflective and interpretive questions (O’Neil & Marsick, 2007). To support individual learning, we recommend WIL practitioners to use feedback (e.g., formative assessment (Black &
Wiliam, 1998)). Journaling can also help increase self-awareness about values and norms (Gray, 2007)
In this research, we have focused our attention on the benefits of WIL and not looked at any particular components that could have slowed down Gen Y’s learning. As we continue our research collaboration, we would like to further investigate this aspect. We recommend future researchers to consider the Covid-19 situation and investigate how WIL can be implemented in blended formats combining asynchronous and synchronous learning. The pandemic would probably also affect employability dynamics, so it would be important to gain more insights into the impact of WIL on building conditions (e.g., networking, personal development, identity formation) developing self-confidence and resilience in difficult times. It would be useful to have more longitudinal studies exploring the effects of WIL on work transition and career benefits.
Conclusion
WIL has emerged as an important form of instruction for supporting the development of important workplace competencies. With this paper exploring four different WIL approaches across different national contexts, we attempted to shed more light on this question. Our study is the first step into looking at WIL from a broad perspective across different national and educational contexts.
183 By presenting multiple case studies, allowing both a micro-level analysis and greater academic
reflection, we established how WIL while taking many forms can benefit Gen Y’s development of self-identity, increase their reflective capacity, and support their ability to transfer critical skills.
Our cases demonstrate the importance of making space for reflection and integrating collective and individual reflective practices in WIL designs. We encourage researchers to look further into WIL strategies by further exploring both the benefits and possible shortcomings associated with WIL in an international perspective. WIL is not a “one size fits all”. We hope the variety of examples presented and lessons learned will inspire practitioners and scholars to research and implement new WIL strategies that will make an impact on Gen Y’s future.
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