Teaching development grants final and financial report: Developing a work based learning process in PVE field experience

The professional and vocational education (PVE) field experience has some specific features which make evaluation and assessment more challenging than other sectors. Both the PVE BEd and the PGDE programs are new and this provides an opportunity to break new ground in the thinking of practice in field experience. The settings are typified by diversity and include industry training, community education, youth centres , correctional institutions, military and police, health, sporting and recreational settings. In these setting s the learning experiences are often developed in very different contexts to those associated with schools settings. The notion of "traditional lessons" within set periods and utilizing standardized curriculum with defined outcomes is not often present. Conversely, learning in work based settings does not have teacher directed lesson s and students have to develop skills in small group work, coaching and mentoring. Often these experiences are not accessible for observation and the presence of an assessor/ a supervising teacher might be inappropriate in some settings such as health and correctional settings. An added challenge emerges as many of the students in the PVE courses are fulltime workers and some have taken the option to integrate the field experience with their work settings. These present important challenges in the evaluation and assessment and suggest that innovative and creative ways are needed to verify and validate the student field experiences. The team proposes to document the nature of the PVE field experience through a consultative process involving students, industry and field experience supervisors. The team will develop a learning framework, and use new technologies to develop a portfolio of evidence to verify and evaluate the field experience. This proposal is consistent with the HKIEd strategic plan and the goals for teaching and learning in the encouragement of active and engaged learning using inquiry based techniques and problem based learning. It is also promoting the application of learning principles in diverse settings. It also promotes the use of new technologies and online learning.