This article reflects on the previous articles in this special issue by discussing some common themes and raising some proposals for future research on the topic of workplace learning and its boundaries. The article subsequently discusses objects and results of workplace learning, the issue of learning through acquisition and/or participation, the interplay between organisational and individual factors, the issue of access to learning opportunities, the role of workplace learning in education and HRD, respectively.
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From the article: "The goal of higher professional education is to enable students to develop into reflective practitioners, having both a firm theoretical knowledge base as well as appropriate, professional attitudes and skills. Learning at the workplace is crucial in professional education, because it allows students to learn to act competently in complex contexts and unpredictable situations. Reflection on learning during an internship is hard to interweave with the working process, which may easily result in students having little control over their own learning process while at work. In this study, we aim to discover in what way we can effectively use technology to enhance workplace learning, by synthesizing design propositions for Technology- Enhanced Workplace Learning (TEWL). We conducted design-based research which is cyclic in nature. Based on preliminary research, we constructed initial design propositions and developed a web-based app (software program for mobile devices) providing interventions based on these propositions. In a pilot study, students from different educational domains used this app to support their workplace learning. We evaluated the initial design propositions by carrying out both a theoretical and a practical evaluation. With the insights obtained from these evaluations, we developed a next version of the design propositions and improved the app accordingly. The research result is a set of design propositions for TEWL. For daily practice, the developed web-based app is available for re-use and further research and development."
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In their postgraduate educational programs, residents are immersed in a complex workplace. To improve the quality of the training program, it is necessary to gain insight into the factors that influence the process of learning in the workplace. An exploratory study was carried out among 56 nursing home physicians in training (NHPT) and 62 supervisors. They participated in semi-structured group interviews, in which they discussed four questions regarding workplace learning. Qualitative analysis of the data was performed to establish a framework of factors that influence workplace learning, within which framework comparisons between groups could be made. A framework consisting of 56 factors was identified. These were grouped into 10 categories, which in turn were grouped into four domains: the working environment, educational factors in the workplace, NHPT characteristics and supervisor characteristics. Of the factors that influence workplace learning, social integration was cited most often. Supervisors more often reported educational factors and NHPTs more frequently reported impediments. Conclusion: The educational relationship may be improved when supervisors explicitly discuss the learning process and learning conditions within the workplace, thereby focusing on the NHPT needs. Special attention should be paid to the aspects of social integration. A good start could be to answer the question regarding how to establish a basic feeling of 'knowing where you are' and 'how to go about things' to make residents feel comfortable enough to focus on the learning process.
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To adequately deal with the challenges faced within residential care for older people, such as the increasing complexity of care and a call for more person-centred practices, it is important that health care providers learn from their work. This study investigates both the nature of learning, among staff and students working within care for older people, and how workplace learning can be promoted and researched. During a longitudinal study within a nursing home, participatory and democratic research methods were used to collaborate with stakeholders to improve the quality of care and to promote learning in the workplace. The rich descriptions of these processes show that workplace learning is a complex phenomenon. It arises continuously in reciprocal relationship with all those present through which both individuals and environment change and co-evolve enabling enlargement of the space for possible action. This complexity perspective on learning refines and expands conventional beliefs about workplace learning and has implications for advancing and researching learning. It explains that research on workplace learning is itself a form of learning that is aimed at promoting and accelerating learning. Such research requires dialogic and creative methods. This study illustrates that workplace learning has the potential to develop new shared values and ways of working, but that such processes and outcomes are difficult to control. It offers inspiration for educators, supervisors, managers and researchers as to promoting conditions that embrace complexity and provides insight into the role and position of self in such processes.
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From the article: "Abstract, technology-enhanced learning can be used to replicate existing teaching practices, supplement existing teaching or transform teaching and/or learning process and outcomes. Enhancing workplace learning, which is integrated into higher professional education, with technology, calls for designing such transformations. Although research is carried out into different kinds of technological solutions to enhance workplace learning, we do not know which principles should guide such designs. Therefore, we carried out an explorative, qualitative study and found two such design principles for the design of technology-enhanced workplace learning in higher professional education. In this research, we focused on the students' perspective, since they are the main users of such technology when they are learning at the workplace, as part of their study in becoming lifelong learning, competent professionals."
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This dissertation presents the results of a research project on unraveling the dynamics of facilitating workplace learning through pedagogic practices in healthcare placements. Supervisors are challenged to foster safe learning opportunities and fully utilize the learning potential of placement through stimulating active participation for students while ensuring quality patient care. In healthcare placements, staff shortages and work pressure may lead to stress when facilitating workplace learning. Enhancing pedagogic practices in healthcare placements seems essential to support students in challenging experiences, such as emotional challenges. This dissertation proposes approaches for optimizing learning experiences for students by highlighting the value of day-to-day work activities and interactions in healthcare placements, and shedding light on agency in workplace learning through supervisor- and student-strategies.
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Purpose – The hospitality industry creates a distinctive context in which learning takes place. The industry’s international perspective and large globalisation play an important role in learning, as well as the operational and structural features that give meaning to learning and development in the hospitality industry. This explorative research therefore studies the relation between workplace learning and organisational performance in the Dutch hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach – The qualitative research is done through 15 in-depth interviews with general managers and HR managers of Dutch hotels with three or more stars and at least ten employees. Findings – It can be concluded that there is a relation between workplace learning and organisational performance in the hospitality industry, as the participants in this research and the literature both mention workplace learning enhances organisational performance. Originality/value – Little research has been done on learning and organisational performance specifically, in the (Western) hospitality industry. This research therefore focusses on HRD and studies the influence of workplace learning on organisational performance in the Dutch hospitality industry.
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Teacher education is in a state of change. There is a new focus on professional competence, including the competence for further development and learning, conceived of as workplace learning. Teacher shortages put pressure on the development of alternative routes to teaching. The arrival of prospective teachers with experience and qualifications in other areas than education requires adaptive programs, with a greater emphasis on professional learning in school. It is argued that promoting professional workplace learning asks for a conceptual clarification, based on new theory of learning and concepts of professionalism. A definition of professional learning is proposed. Some examples of new practice in teacher education are discussed.
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Posterbijdrage conferentie EARLI SIG 14, 11-14 september 2018, Genève Although literature shows the important supportive role of experienced colleagues to stimulate novices’ workplace learning, the question of how this support is provided is usually answered in general terms (e.g. Mikkonen et al. 2017; Tynjälä 2008). Therefore, this study aims to explore how members of vocational communities, both individually and as a collective, enact specific pedagogic practices to contribute to novices’ learning. The systematic literature review that will be presented in the interactive poster session is the first study of a PhD project and provides an overview of situational pedagogic practices which attempt to support novices’ learning at the workplace.
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Learning in the workplace is crucial in higher engineering education, since it allows students to transfer knowledge and skills from university to professional engineering practice. Learning analytics endeavors in higher education have primarily focused on classroom-based learning. Recently, workplace learning analytics has become an emergent research area, with target users being workers, students and trainers. We propose technology for workplace learning analytics that allows program managers of higher engineering education programs to get insight into the workplace learning of their students, while ensuring privacy of students' personal data by design. Using a design-based agile methodology, we designed and developed a customizable workplace learning dashboard. From the evaluation with program managers in the computing domain, we can conclude that such technology is feasible and promising. The proposed technology was designed to be generalizable to other (engineering) domains. A next logical step would be to evaluate and improve the proposed technology within other engineering domains.
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