Work Based Learning Maturity Toolkit:UWIC Pilot.

Andrew Haldane Loretta Newman-Ford

Why use the WBL Maturity Toolkit?

Test the Toolkit to establish whether it is fit-for purpose, robust and user-friendly before advertising it to the wider UWIC community

explore how the toolkit could help to formulate an institutional WBL strategy.

A way of assessing UWIC’s current state of play in terms of WBL and to inform future developments in this area.

Area of focus

The toolkit was piloted at:

- Institutional level

- School level

- Programme level

Our own focus was also to consider:

how well the toolkit described WBL maturity (from the user perspective) ways in which the toolkit could be used/customised what actions could be taken to improve WBL at UWIC

Methodology

Approach key stakeholders

Send Toolkit URL

Conduct face-to-face meetings with

stakeholders using a semi-structured

interview approach

Develop action plan to address

areas of ‘immaturity’ and

also for strategising WBL

• Informal customisation of the Toolkit

• Re-phrasing statements as questions to prompt discussion and reflection around criteria

Customisation of the Toolkit

Pilot findings:

• WBL at UWIC is currently fragmented• We need to formalise WBL activities• A single WBL policy with high level objectives, but with enough scope for localised planning and implementation, is needed. • Staff need to feel ownership• The Toolkit was found to be unsuitable for use with large groups of stakeholders• There was consensus that the toolkit was an accurate, comprehensive representation of WBL maturity

Resulting actions:

• Development of an institutional strategy• Work with Schools to create localised plans and activities, structured around the strategy• Generate procedures for WBL to inform staff about how to develop and deliver high-quality WBL

Outcomes

Lessons learnt and future plans Explore ways of making the Toolkit more usable by groups of stakeholders

Compare a well-established WBL programme with newly validated programme and facilitate support and collaboration between teams

Use the Toolkit , a document which clearly and comprehensively illustrates WBL readiness, to inform the development of a UWIC strategy

Establish the process for strategy development and take steps to achieve this

The Toolkit could be more user-friendly

The Toolkit could facilitate the evaluation and action planning processes more effectively

The Toolkit would be more useful in an online form

Suggested updates for the ToolkitBased on the UWIC pilots, it is recommended that the following updates be made to the WBL Maturity Toolkit:

1. Re-work the Toolkit into an online format

2. Categorise statements into ‘core’ and ‘supplementary’.

3. Present maturity indicators as questions rather than statements

4. Use a 3-point traffic light system to illustrate the level of ‘maturity’

5. Introduce spaces for users to record their responses, reflections, strengths or concerns in relation to criteria, or perhaps a SWOT analysis

6. Create an action plan section where stakeholders can begin to develop ideas for development, etc.

7. Reduce the amount of jargon used. This was found to be off-putting to users