Higher education research and development, May 15, 2023
As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree... more As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in their host country, which informed the current study. Data was gathered through 39 semistructured interviews with 13 international engineering students and eight interviews with eight WIL staff. The study contributes to the literature by formulating the Perceiving-Planning-Performing Model (3-P Model), untangling students' cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral engagement in securing placements. The Model informs stakeholder strategies in nurturing international students' agency to secure placements and postgraduation work in their host country and globally.
Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia - HERDSA, 2014
Work integrated learning (WIL) connects students with industry, business, government and communit... more Work integrated learning (WIL) connects students with industry, business, government and community with the intention of creating authentic learning experiences that strengthen students’ capacity to develop work-ready skills. WIL has emerged as a key strategy for educational institutions in response to changes in tertiary education and the demand for graduates with work related capabilities. This HERDSA Guide highlights the uniqueness of WIL and the opportunities and challenges it affords. The Guide provides insights into curriculum design, performance-based assessment, academic standards, risk management, institutional leadership, building staff capacity and evaluation strategies for WIL. The Guide offers a range of existing, new and emergent perspectives about WIL in a global context and provides useful information for practitioners and institutional leaders
The notion that employability should be an explicit outcome of higher education degrees is gainin... more The notion that employability should be an explicit outcome of higher education degrees is gaining traction in Australia, the U.K. and elsewhere. It is especially relevant to generalist and semi-professional degrees where the pathway to employment may be less clear than it is for some professional degrees. To be able to promote employability as a worthwhile and sensible outcome of higher education, it is necessary to be able to determine what cluster of abilities should be taken to constitute employability. This paper reports on the results of a national project “Measuring the impact of WIL on student work-readiness”, and focuses on a confirmatory factor analysis of 6 dimensions of ability adopted by the study. It explores the provenance and utility of these measures for future employability research. The dimensions explored are: lifelong learning; professional practices and standards; integration of knowledge/theory and practice; informed decision-making (applied information litera...
Teaching and learning are part of the core business of universities. For long term economic susta... more Teaching and learning are part of the core business of universities. For long term economic sustainability, as well as for graduate satisfaction from their investment in higher education, it is imperative that graduates enter the workforce with appropriate 'work ready' skills. The competitive climate in which higher education institutions operate has prompted consumers to be more discerning in selecting an educational provider. It is therefore critical that a course provides a holistic experience resulting in a positive perception from graduates. These factors have prompted sector-wide curriculum reform. All courses (degrees) at Curtin University of Technology are undergoing comprehensive course review as a key task in a strategic three-year project, Curriculum 2010 (C2010). Two existing tools, the Needs Analysis and Curriculum Map, support the curriculum review process and provide academic teaching staff with an evidencebased approach to course improvement. A third tool, ...
Citation: Ferns, Sonia and Howell, Julie and Taylor, Lauren and Kosovich, Ann. 2010. Quality curr... more Citation: Ferns, Sonia and Howell, Julie and Taylor, Lauren and Kosovich, Ann. 2010. Quality curriculum and career development: using an evidence-based approach to embed career development learning in the curriculum, in Campbell, M. (ed), Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) National Conference 2010, Sep 27 2010, pp. 139-155. Perth, WA: Australian Collaborative Educational Network (ACEN) Inc.
Higher education research and development, May 15, 2023
As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree... more As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in their host country, which informed the current study. Data was gathered through 39 semistructured interviews with 13 international engineering students and eight interviews with eight WIL staff. The study contributes to the literature by formulating the Perceiving-Planning-Performing Model (3-P Model), untangling students' cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral engagement in securing placements. The Model informs stakeholder strategies in nurturing international students' agency to secure placements and postgraduation work in their host country and globally.
Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia - HERDSA, 2014
Work integrated learning (WIL) connects students with industry, business, government and communit... more Work integrated learning (WIL) connects students with industry, business, government and community with the intention of creating authentic learning experiences that strengthen students’ capacity to develop work-ready skills. WIL has emerged as a key strategy for educational institutions in response to changes in tertiary education and the demand for graduates with work related capabilities. This HERDSA Guide highlights the uniqueness of WIL and the opportunities and challenges it affords. The Guide provides insights into curriculum design, performance-based assessment, academic standards, risk management, institutional leadership, building staff capacity and evaluation strategies for WIL. The Guide offers a range of existing, new and emergent perspectives about WIL in a global context and provides useful information for practitioners and institutional leaders
The notion that employability should be an explicit outcome of higher education degrees is gainin... more The notion that employability should be an explicit outcome of higher education degrees is gaining traction in Australia, the U.K. and elsewhere. It is especially relevant to generalist and semi-professional degrees where the pathway to employment may be less clear than it is for some professional degrees. To be able to promote employability as a worthwhile and sensible outcome of higher education, it is necessary to be able to determine what cluster of abilities should be taken to constitute employability. This paper reports on the results of a national project “Measuring the impact of WIL on student work-readiness”, and focuses on a confirmatory factor analysis of 6 dimensions of ability adopted by the study. It explores the provenance and utility of these measures for future employability research. The dimensions explored are: lifelong learning; professional practices and standards; integration of knowledge/theory and practice; informed decision-making (applied information litera...
Teaching and learning are part of the core business of universities. For long term economic susta... more Teaching and learning are part of the core business of universities. For long term economic sustainability, as well as for graduate satisfaction from their investment in higher education, it is imperative that graduates enter the workforce with appropriate 'work ready' skills. The competitive climate in which higher education institutions operate has prompted consumers to be more discerning in selecting an educational provider. It is therefore critical that a course provides a holistic experience resulting in a positive perception from graduates. These factors have prompted sector-wide curriculum reform. All courses (degrees) at Curtin University of Technology are undergoing comprehensive course review as a key task in a strategic three-year project, Curriculum 2010 (C2010). Two existing tools, the Needs Analysis and Curriculum Map, support the curriculum review process and provide academic teaching staff with an evidencebased approach to course improvement. A third tool, ...
Citation: Ferns, Sonia and Howell, Julie and Taylor, Lauren and Kosovich, Ann. 2010. Quality curr... more Citation: Ferns, Sonia and Howell, Julie and Taylor, Lauren and Kosovich, Ann. 2010. Quality curriculum and career development: using an evidence-based approach to embed career development learning in the curriculum, in Campbell, M. (ed), Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) National Conference 2010, Sep 27 2010, pp. 139-155. Perth, WA: Australian Collaborative Educational Network (ACEN) Inc.
The need for graduates to be prepared for an unpredictable and complex workplace is challenging t... more The need for graduates to be prepared for an unpredictable and complex workplace is challenging the traditional content-driven paradigm of a university education. Work integrated learning (WIL) is internationally recognised as a strategy for nurturing employability capabilities in students. Curriculum design where skill development is scaffolded vertically and horizontally is essential for experiential learning. This research was an Office of Learning and Teaching funded project: Assessing the impact of work integrated learning on student workreadiness. The research highlights the components of a quality WIL curriculum for optimal employability outcomes. Five studies were conducted to capture both qualitative and quantitative data from key stakeholders including employers, graduates and current students which together provided a rigorous evidence-base for identifying the components of a quality WIL curriculum. The findings from this research identified the key curriculum dimensions that contribute to quality learning outcomes for students thereby enhancing the acquisition of employability capabilities. A focus on integration of theory and practice in learning outcomes and assessment, student preparation and debriefing activities, active supervision with constructive feedback, the authenticity of the learning experience, and robust partnerships with host organisations have emerged as essential elements of an experiential curriculum. This research informs curriculum design, assessment methodologies and partnership models.
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Papers by Sonia Ferns
learning (WIL) is internationally recognised as a strategy for nurturing employability capabilities in students. Curriculum design where skill development is scaffolded vertically and
horizontally is essential for experiential learning. This research was an Office of Learning and Teaching funded project: Assessing the impact of work integrated learning on student workreadiness. The research highlights the components of a quality WIL curriculum for optimal employability outcomes. Five studies were conducted to capture both qualitative and
quantitative data from key stakeholders including employers, graduates and current students which together provided a rigorous evidence-base for identifying the components of a quality WIL curriculum. The findings from this research identified the key curriculum dimensions that contribute to quality learning outcomes for students thereby enhancing the acquisition of employability capabilities. A focus on integration of theory and practice in learning outcomes and assessment, student preparation and debriefing activities, active supervision with constructive feedback, the authenticity of the learning experience, and robust partnerships with host organisations have emerged as essential elements of an experiential curriculum. This research informs curriculum design, assessment methodologies and partnership models.