One of the key ways to tackle staff shortages is education, which requires collaboration between organisations. As internships are crucial in vocational training, educational and internship institutes need to agree on the terms of internships. The aim of this study is to answer the research question: What would be a successful way of arranging networks to create internships in the healthcare sector? Initial conditions, governance and reciprocal behaviour are key factors in the various stages of collaboration and are likely to leave their mark on the outcome. A comparison of networks in four regions in the Netherlands provides insight into how such networks are organised. We conducted structured interviews with key figures and analysed documents and open-source data. We conclude that regions differ in how they organise healthcare internships; some are very network-oriented, others to a lesser degree. Although all regions manage to arrange one internship per student, network-oriented regions seem to create better matches.
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To be able to ‘survive’ in a more and more globalising world, students of universities and universities of applied sciences must attain international competencies, in this study defined as respectively general personal, social competencies, intercultural competencies, a command of foreign languages and international academic and professional competencies. International competencies can be attained in different ways by students: internally (via foreign teachers and/or students) and/or externally (via internships and/or exchanges). The external attainment of competencies is far more successful when students are well prepared and when they receive proper supervision, both during and after their stay abroad. If this is not the case, students often tend to develop at a personal, social and (inter)cultural level, but significantly less at an academic and professional level (Stronkhorst, 2005). These students are also often unable to recognize and express which knowledge and skills they attained during their stay abroad (Orahood et al., 2004; CERI, 2008; Deardorff, 2009). With the preceding information as a starting point, the Social Work degree programme of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle started the minor ‘Social Work in Africa & Asia’ in the beginning of 2014. Students who participate firstly pass through a a six-week preparatory theoretical programma, followed by a three-month internship in Uganda or Vietnam. The minor concludes with a two-week postmortem programme. The practical component of the minor involves Eye4Africa, a Dutch internship supervision agency for internships in Uganda, Kenya and Vietnam. Eye4Africa arranges the internships, prepares the students for their stay abroad, both in the Netherlands and abroad, and then offers them support, coaching and intervision meetings. At the initiative of and in collaboration with Eye4Africa The Hague University of Applied Sciences carried out a qualitative study amongst eight female students of the Social Work degree programme of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences who followed the minor ‘Social Work in Africa & Asia’ during the academic year 2014-2015. The following was key to the research conducted: the question of the extent to which preparation for the Social Work in Africa & Asia minor at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and the supervision that the Eye4Africa internship agency offers fourth-year Social Work students during their internships in Uganda in the autumn of 2014 had a positive impact on the attainment and further development of international competencies. The results have shown that the students found it very easy to recognise and express the knowledge and skills they gained during their internships. Secondly, the students mentioned clear professional, intercultural and personal, social growth. No growth or development in relation to academic competencies was observed in this study. However, this is not unusual, as the students were doing internships. Academic competencies are particularly attained when studying abroad, while professional competencies are particularly attained during internships (Hoven & Walenkamp, 2013; 2015). The main conclusion of this study is that the preparation and the supervision by Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and Eye4Africa within the framework of the minor ‘Social Work in Africa & Asia’ has aided students with regard to growth and the (further) development of international competencies. Some important short comments are that a relatively small, very one-sided sample has been interviewed and that there was no control group.
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Since 2000, all Dutch Universities of Professional Education are confronted with three major renewals. The first was the European agreement to implement the Bachelor-Master system in Higher Education. The second was the strong tendence to renew eduction towards Competence Based Education. The third renewal came from the decision of the ministery of Education to contract lectures (lectoren) and research networks (kenniskringen) to improve research competences among students. Basic idea behind the latest renewal was that if students from Universities of Professional Education bring in more knowledge in companies, during and after their study, this will stimulate the innovative power of Dutch small and medium enterprices (SME’s). Educational developers have been very bussy with these renewals. Under the cloak of national assurance guidelines and external panels of inspection many educational developers automatically tended to use the instrumental paradigm for many design contexts. In accordance with the research of Gustafson (1993) and Richey (1993) we raised questions about the relevance of the instrumental paradigm for educational design contexts, because often the means-end thinking of the instrumental approach have seemed to be out of place. This research project by Lappia, De Boer & Van Rennes took place in 2006 at INHOLLAND university of professional education in the western part of The Netherlands with four pilots at School of Technology, Social Work, Education and Economics. The researchers started from the assumption that improving competence-based internships could not been based on an instrumental paradigma, because of the lack of absolute standards and the need to support deliberation among stakeholders. The Design Science Approach of Van Aken (2004) and Andriessen (2004) was been used to reveal field-tested and grounded technological rules as design specifications for improvement tools. Beside that the research project used the communicative paradigm (Visscher-Voerman & Gustafson, 2004) to reach consensus among the practitioners, who accompanion students during their internships in organisations in order to achieve a growth of competences in the choosen working field. Participants in the research project were employees of the School of Education, The School of Technology and the School of Economics, the department of Education, Quality, Research and development (OKR). Conditions for participating in the project were that the Schools recognized the problems with implementing Competence Based Internship and the School had to set the employees whe participated in the project free for half a day during the project. The Schools as stakeholders in the project were primary interested in solution of their practical problem (practical stream). The department of Education, Quality, Research and development was interested in solution of the pratical problem for dissemination reasons, but would also learn new strategies for implementation (knowledge stream). Therefore was choosen to follow the Design Science Research Approach.
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A boundary is a metaphor for an experience of discontinuity wherein a socio-cultural difference is perceived as a challenge or obstacle in action or interaction. This case study explores eight student teachers’ perceptions of boundaries during an international teaching internship to identify where experiences of professional learning originate. We found four types of boundary experiences related to discontinuity: (1) existing pedagogical approaches, (2) personal aspects, (3) a specific school type or culture, and (4) the world outside the classroom. Results suggest that the learning potential of experiencing discontinuity resides in situations wherein student teachers’ beliefs are being questioned, thus making the student teacher aware of their implicit beliefs. Student teachers’ attempts to reposition themselves while experiencing discontinuity resulted in questioning their existing ways of thinking and acting. Everyday teaching approaches were no longer always taken for granted, thus opening alternate perspectives. In this study, student teacher experiences of discontinuity had various dimensions (cultural, professional, and personal), which also determined their learning potential.
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Hogeronderwijsinstellingen hebben verschillende redenen voor internationalisering. Een van de belangrijkste redenen vormt de ontwikkeling van internationale competenties van studenten. Van de instrumenten die zij daartoe inzetten wordt een verblijf in het buitenland om redenen van studie of stage als een van de sterkste beschouwd. De toegevoegde waarde van een studie of stage in het buitenland is onderzocht onder de groep van studenten van De Haagse Hogeschool die in de jaren 2009-2010 en 2011-2012 naar het buitenland is geweest. Daarbij is gebruik gemaakt van een online vragenlijst, interviews na terugkeer uit het buitenland en een 360 gradenfeedback. De uitkomsten wijzen over het algemeen op een toename van de persoonlijke,sociale en interculturele competenties van studenten als gevolg van hun verblijf in het buitenland, evenals hun beheersing van een vreemde taal. In mindere mate geldt dit voor hun academische en professionele competenties. Een buitenlandverblijf om reden van stage, in het bijzonder wanneer studenten daarbij ondergedompeld worden in de lokale cultuur buiten Europa, laat een sterkere leercurve zien dan een buitenlandverblijf om redenen van studie. Studenten leren meer wanneer zij goed worden voorbereid en begeleid. Studenten tonen zich echter kritisch met betrekking tot de informatievoorziening, voorbereiding en begeleiding vanuit de opleiding. In die zin is er ruimte voor verbetering met betrekking tot het faciliteren en begeleiden van studenten voorafgaand aan, tijdens en na terugkomst van hun verblijf in het buitenland. Niet alleen kan daarmee de ontwikkeling van internationale competenties versterkt worden, ook zou daarmee het aantal studenten dat kiest voor een verblijf in het buitenland, vergroot kunnen worden. ABSTRACT Institutes of higher education are internationalizing for various reasons. One of the most important reasons is to provide their students international competencies. Of the instruments they deploy, the most powerful one is considered to be a period abroad for study or internship. The surplus value of to study or an internship abroad was investigated in the group of students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences who went abroad in the academic years 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. This was done by means of an online questionnaire, post-return interviews and 360-degrees feedback. In both the questionnaire and the interviews the students invariably indicate a slight to strong increase in their personal, social, intercultural and linguistic competencies as the result of their study or internship abroad. They are slightly less positive about their academic and professional development. Internships, particularly when students have been submerged in the local culture outside Europe, produce a steeper learning curve than study in Europe. Students learn more when they are better prepared and guided. According to this study there is considerable room for improvement with regard to information about study and internships abroad, facilitation of students, preparation before and guidance during the stay abroad and clarity about the competencies to be acquired. These improvements could not only increase the number of students going abroad, but will enhance the acquisition of international competencies in those who go.
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The Research Group International Cooperation investigates the acquisition of international competencies by internships or study abroad, the international competencies of lecturers, the needs and demands for international competencies of alumni and employers and which factors are important to attract international students to stay and work in the Netherlands. Sending students abroad is, by itself, not enough to develop international competencies, just as bringing students of different nationalities together in an international classroom is, by itself, not enough. The Research Group International Cooperation has therefore developed a training module to prepare students for the purposeful acquisition of international competencies (PREFLEX, Preparation for your Foreign Learning Experience). The Hague University of Applied Sciences wishes to be and to present itself as an international institute of higher education. That requires both a whole package of interventions to strengthen its international character and a clear message to Dutch and foreign partners and to prospective international and Dutch students. In order to bring policy, implementation, profiling and research together, The Hague University of Applied Sciences organized on 15 March 2013 an international conference for team leaders and directors, for internationalization and internship coordinators, for researchers and foreign partners and for international Dutch and foreign students. The aim was to sharpen the vision and the profile of The Hague University of Applied Sciences and to equip the participants with the ideas and the tools to engage all lecturers and students in international cooperation. After the introduction by Susana Menéndez and the keynote lecture by Lisa Childress, the workshops gave the participants an opportunity to go deeper into various aspects of internationalization and to engage actively in discussions with the workshop chairs, who introduced the topics. I hope that these proceedings will give all participants an insight in all workshops and also that non-participants can taste the fruits of this most inspiring and informative gathering.
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Peer reviewed paper op SEFI Engineering Education congress 2009 In engineering programs an important part of the learning process takes place in practical assignments like capstone projects, internships and co-op assignments in industry. The assignments are very divers. Students have different roles, work in different environments and the learning outcomes are not uniform. So how can the individual learning outcomes or growth competencies of the assignments be determined? To cope with this question the authors developed and implemented a method to monitor and assess the individual learning outcomes of the assignments. The method can be used to match a student to his next assignment in such a way that he can build his individual learning track. The method defines three aspects of an assignment: the role of the engineer (i.e. project leader, designer, researcher), the domain(s) of the assignment (i.e. user interface, software engineering) and a general results matrix that describes results and the level required to produce them. To manage the process learning outcomes are defined as products so project management methods can be used to plan, monitor and assess learning outcomes. Key aspects of the method are: 1. A general results matrix for engineering assignments 2. Learning outcomes that are defined as results in the matrix and these results can be assessed. 3. The results have levels so the learning outcomes can grow during the programme. 4. The method can be used to match, monitor and assess students on one assignment. 5. The method can be used to match, monitor and assess students for the entire programme. 6. The tools that are developed are based on an industry standard for project management.
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Introduction: Nursing students will come across stressful situations during their internships and will continue to do so in future practice. Because of the impact stress can have on performance, nursing students need to be equipped to work and collaborate in such situations. Careful consideration of the needs and desires of nursing students should be taken in account, in order to create a training environment that fosters students' ability to learn to collaborate under stress. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify viewpoints of undergraduate nursing students towards the learning of collaboration in stressful situations, to understand their needs and desires, and to improve educational designs for training to collaborate in stressful situations. Methods: We conducted a Q-methodology study, a mixed methods approach that studies and charts subjectivity, and uses a by-person factor analytical procedure to create profiles of shared viewpoints. The process of our Q-study is based on the following five steps: Q-set development (54 statements), participant selection (n = 29), Q-sorting procedure, data analysis, and factor interpretation. Results: Q-factor analysis resulted in two prevailing factors that answer our research question. Twenty-five students loaded on these two factors, and factor interpretation resulted in Profile 1 “Practice makes perfect, so let's do it” and Profile 2 “Practice is needed, but it scares me”. Whereas Profile 1 regarded learning to collaborate in stress mainly as a challenge, Profile 2 appeared anxious despite feeling the necessity to learn this. An overarching consensus factor revealed the importance of a learning environment in which mistakes can be made. Discussion: The two described profiles align with the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat, and could help to recognize and address the individual needs of nursing students when learning to collaborate in stressful situations. Incorporating these profiles in training may guide students towards a more challenge-like appraisal of stressful situations.
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Intelligent internationalization, as outlined by Laura Rumbley in 2015, is a relevant notion to explore in specific institutional settings. The setting in this contribution is that of The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) and in order to understand intelligent internationalization in practice, the specific setting of the institution needs to be clarified first. The Hague, with its approximately 530,000 inhabitants, is not the capital of the Netherlands, but is the seat of government and therefore houses the parliament, ministries, embassies, and is also the residence of the royal house. The Hague has a long tradition as the host of international institutions. The 1899 and 1907 peace conferences were held in the city and the Peace Palace, opened in 1913, is home to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Since 2002, The Hague also houses the International Criminal Court (ICC). The city thus provides a learning environment for all students (both domestic and international) at THUAS, not only through the internships that are a key component of all programs, but also through engagement with cultural organizations and local communities. The Hague University of Applied Sciences provides higher professional education to about 28,000 students, in more than 50 bachelor’s programs, as well as in a limited number of applied master’s programs. Nine programs are delivered in English. THUAS is an UNESCO institution and aims to be the most international university of applied sciences in the Netherlands by 2020, focusing on world citizenship skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and intercultural competence for all its students. THUAS’ student body is highly diverse with approximately 40% of its students having a non-Dutch background.
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A business student’s overseas internship is a unique place to investigate what knowledge/skills or personal traits that are important for their future career. This research consists of two stages: (1) First, we qualitatively analyzed students’ internship reports to explore what knowledge or skills and what personal traits are perceived to be important; 90 reports were scrutinized and coded regarding company profiles, internship tasks and perception of important knowledge/skills and personal traits. We arrived at a list of 12 skills and 20 personal traits that are crucial for a successful business internship. (2) Then, we administered a questionnaire to identify what expectations companies have of student interns in international business. One hundred and seven international companies participated in the survey. Companies’ expectations are roughly in line with students’ perception regarding knowledge, skills and personal traits for a successful internship. The findings shed light on international business education by addressing the necessity of refining a school’s curriculum to meet the requirements of the business workplace. For business educators, the current research helps them to prepare their students better, mentor them more effectively during their overseas internship, and adjust the curriculum design to meet the requirements of that workplace.
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