In work-based learning (WBL), autodidactic, informal, nonformal, and formal approaches to learning are viewed not as dichotomous, distinct, or divergent spheres along a continuum but as intersected and clustered spheres. In WBL, prior learning, professional development, advanced standing, and other forms of learning are therefore formally…

In the literature, informal learning is considered to be of great importance to employees' development of workplace learning. The aim of this study, which involves respondents from a Swedish police education unit, was to contribute knowledge about Swedish police education teachers' informal learning as regards conditions for learning, learning…

The capstone course serves to integrate accumulated knowledge with a culminating experience or project and is a common component in undergraduate and graduate programs. The research on capstones courses shows that many capstone experiences or projects involve students working with outside clients, such as local businesses and organizations, to…

This study was undertaken within the Degree in Clinical Technology program at Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Clinical technology curricula in South Africa have undergone several changes in response to the demand for a more integrated curriculum. This served as a catalyst for this study, which explored students' and academics'…

Higher education institutions have developed postgraduate work based curricula to incorporate employer perspectives regarding the learning and development needs of the professional workforce. Within these work based curricula there is an assumption that work based projects have some sort of utility and impact for the work place alongside the…

Placement or work-based learning is an integral component of many HE programmes and mentors can play a pivotal role in a student's learning experience. Studies have explored the characteristics of 'good' mentors or mentees, but there is limited research that fully considers the interpersonal dynamics within such relationships. The notion of 'gift…

Informal learning and how individuals learn in the workplace have gained increasing attention by researchers in recent years. In relation to other learning activities, informal learning constitutes a substantial part of an adult's life. This paper explores the informal workplace learning experiences of graduate student employees. Data was…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between peer support and sense of belonging on the mental health and overall well-being, with a specific focus on comparing the perceptions of students in a work-integrated learning (WIL) program to those in a traditional non-WIL program. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured…

In most initial teacher preparation (ITP) programmes, learning in teaching placements is considered to be an important component for providing workplace learning experiences to develop the skills of being a teacher. This paper is based on a bigger qualitative study which explored the learning experiences of a group of in-service student vocational…

Workplace-based learning experiences are integral to early childhood teacher education. In Sweden, the objectives of early childhood teacher education programmes require students to develop knowledge and skills about education for sustainability (EfS), in accordance with national policy documents. This includes how to work with EfS in everyday…

Linked Learning transforms student learning experiences by bringing meaning and motivation to the school day. It integrates college and career preparation by combining rigorous academic coursework, sequenced career and technical education, work-based learning experiences, and comprehensive support services. Today, Linked Learning is working in…

With this paper, we explore early placement experiences and their pedagogical potential, including ways of keeping students enrolled and persisting with their studies. Few university courses offer early placements because traditionally placement experiences have a focus on employability and work readiness of graduates, hence occur towards the end…

Many professional educational programs combine learning at an educational institute with learning in the workplace. The differences between these contexts, and the resulting challenges for learning, have been well-documented. However, there are few studies that explore the same students' learning in both contexts, and even fewer that compare that…

As educators and lifelong learners, we were drawn together by the question: How have we fostered our own capacity for agency, self-efficacy and risk-taking in the research practices we utilize? This paper reveals a connectivity and enabling thread that has enriched our experiences within and across our disciplinary areas. In particular this paper…

This study reports on how student teachers' workplace experiences were transformed into learning experiences. In total, 26 stories from 10 student teachers were collected by means of digital logs and in-depth interviews and unraveled using a new technique of reconstructing stories into webs. In these webs, the factors that played a role in student…