Embedding employability via WBL Abroad

1. Embedding employability via WBL Abroad Laurence Giraud-JohnstoneSchool of Creative and Cultural Industries

2. Acknowledgements For all their help and valuable contribution I should like to thank especially: • Dr Lesley Hamilton, E-Learning Developer, Centre for Academic and Professional Development • Dr Louisa Sheward, Lecturer, Centre for Academic and Professional Development • Martin Smith, Media Specialist, ICT

3. Overview • Background • Methodology • Audience participation & findings • Students’ worries • Students’ expectations • Skills audit • End of year students’ reflections • Conclusions

4. Background • Why a Work Based Learning Abroad in a Foreign Language module? • Work placements abroad • Learning outcomes • Linguistic skills • Cultural awareness • Essential generic employability skills

5. Methodology • A pre-departure checklist • Skills audit and personal development planning • A logbook/ diary • A series of structured questionnaires • An end-of-year summary report • Individual interviews

6. Accommodation worries Worries about teaching Isolation worries Social integration worries Language worries Financial worries Bureaucracy Survival/practical skills worries Incident worries Lack of confidence What worries do you think students have prior to working abroad?

7. Students’ Worries Prior to Departure

8. Increased personal confidence Valuable teaching experience Improved insight into new way of life Knowledge enhancement of the cultural heritage of the foreign country Meet new people/ new friends Improved Independence Travelling Improved Language skills Increased employment skills Improved budgeting What expectations do you think students have prior to working abroad?

9. Students’ Expectations Prior to Departure

10. UWS Attributes and Skills Framework

11. Personal attributes/ capabilities Autonomy, Accountability,Working with others Generic Cognitive Skills Practical skills Communication /ICT / Numeracy skills Discipline Knowledge and understanding Applied knowledge and understanding What do you think students identify as their strengths prior to departure?

12. Students’ Strengths

13. Personal attributes/ capabilities Autonomy, Accountability, Working with others Generic Cognitive Skills Practical skills Communication/ICT/ Numeracy skills Discipline Knowledge and understanding Applied knowledge and understanding What do you think students identify as their weaknesses prior to departure?

14. Students’ Weaknesses

15. Students’ Strengths/Weaknesses

16. Logbooks

17. Questionnaires Sections • Placement • Academic • Practical • Personal • Social

18. End of Year Reflections - 2009 • Emma • Janine • Marc • Marc • Mhairi • Nikki • Rachel • Rachel • Suzanne • Claire • Natalie • Natalie • Jorge • Amanda • Angela • Ashley • Ashley • Alison • Alison • Chioma

19. End of Year Reflections: 2010 • Katarzyna Pietrzak • Mark Ross • Nicola Bonnar • Nicola McLauglin • Nicola Reid • Rachel Geddes • Scott Roberts • Graham MacAlpine • Jennifer Lynch • Katie Leck • Lynn Burt • Arthur Kennedy • Carol-Anne Tominey • Caroline Gillies • Joanne Neilson

20. Students’ End of Year Reflections

21. Student Growth

22. Conclusions • Greater understanding and awareness of foreign language and foreign culture • Development of essential generic employability skills and attributes • Better balance of attributes and skills (Exc. Generic Cognitive skills) • Ability to recognise development of attributes and skills • Personal growth/ maturity

23. QUESTIONS?