Research
Research is a key component of the project and will be conducted throughout its duration. This is concentrated primarily on non-vocational subject disciplines.
The purpose of the research is to provide an evidence-base of current provision across the HE sector, explore the views of all relevant stakeholders at the three partner institutions, evaluate new forms of provision being piloted in the subject disciplines involved in the AUL@W project, explore the issues involved for employers in the provision of different opportunities for students, and carry out a final summative evaluation of the project. The main elements of the research include:
- Sector-wide mapping of existing work-related learning (WRL), and primary research with key strategic personnel across the sector to identify good practice examples and determine the partnerships that need to be developed in order to share, disseminate and implement best practice.
- Exploration among academic staff of their understandings of WRL, barriers to and opportunities for incorporating and embedding WRL in curricula, views on assessment and accreditation of different forms of WRL, and the structures and networks necessary in order to progress provision of WRL.
- Investigation of students' understandings of, and perspectives on, WRL. This includes barriers and facilitating factors in their uptake of available opportunities, and preferences for enhanced WRL provision.
- As part of the overall research, the project is exploring barriers to and opportunities for embedding WRL in research-led institutions.
- A Final Year Experience Survey followed by a longitudinal study of university to employment transitions of graduates from the partner institutions. The aim is to chart the changes in non-vocational degree students' and former students' perceptions of employability across the undergraduate/graduate boundary. The longitudinal study will follow students at regular time-points over an 18-month period.
- Process evaluations of all the pilot activities implemented in the six subject disciplines.
- Research with employers from various sectors into opportunities for and issues around enhancing provision of WRL.
- Production of guidelines on incorporating/embedding WRL for the sector.
- Final summative evaluation of all aspects of the project.