From left: Student Survey and Evaluation Unit manager Malcolm Rees, Professor Andy Martin from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition and Dr Kathryn Hay from the School of Social Work.
Two Massey University academics played pivotal roles in this week’s New Zealand Association of Cooperative Education conference that focused on showcasing international best practice and research in Work-Integrated Learning.
Dr Kathryn Hay and Professor Andy Martin from the College of Health provided presentations at the conference, which was held in Auckland. During the past 20 years both have been involved in leading work integrated learning programmes at the University in their fields of social work and sport management, respectively.
Dr Hay’s presentation highlighted the development of industry guidelines across 17 tertiary providers in four domains of administration, teaching and learning, assessment and quality, which enable stakeholders to understand the differing roles and responsibilities that people have in the work in learning space.
“This cross-institutional approach with tertiary providers working together alongside representatives from the field as well as regulatory and professional bodies has associated challenges and opportunities, however, these domains within the guidelines are potentially transferable to other disciplines,” she says.
Dr Martin presented research in collaboration with Student Survey and Evaluation Unit manager Malcolm Rees on two Ako Aotearoa funded projects related to the added value and legacy of work in learning programmes. Dr Martin says interviews with graduates who are now work in learning supervisors themselves have highlighted the added value of the initial student practicum experience and the opportunity to manage a student as the graduate’s career developed.
“Analysis of learning outcomes from graduates over a 10 year period have highlighted the development of graduate attributes, which provide a depth and breadth of learning through the reflective learning journey of the practicum experience,” he says.
Dr Martin also delivered the closing address to the conference, reflecting on a career of experiential learning as an educator and coach in a number of settings. His research has been influenced by his involvement with Outward Bound International, an experiential learning organisation focused on developing people and developing teams. He will present his research at the World Association of Cooperative Education conference in Stuttgart, Germany in June.
Dr Hay is currently part of a College of Heath working group reviewing how work integrated learning can provide greater inter-professional, inter-disciplinary and enterprise approaches.
Dr Hay and Dr Martin are Massey University’s nominees this year’s National Tertiary Teaching Awards.