SCHRITT 3: Was habe ich gelernt?
STEP 3: What have I learnt?
1. What are some of the major challenges faced by VET programmes in coordinating learning across different sites?
- Lack of work experience
- Difficulty in finding suitable workplace partners
- Coordination of learning goals, contents, methods, and assessments
- Lack of acknowledgement of learners' efforts
Answer:
Coordination of learning goals, contents, methods, and assessments
Explanation: VET programs include education and work experience in various intensity. Existing research shows that even in formalized apprenticeship programs, there is often little reciprocal acknowledgment and therefore learners perceive challenges and contradictions between knowledge from school and work experiences. Thus, the integration of learning and teaching across different learning sites and the collaboration between schools and workplaces constitute important tasks for each VET system at different levels (micro, meso, macro). Major challenges are the coordination of learning goals, contents, methods and assessments as well as the organization of transitions.
2. What is the concept of 'connectivity' in contemporary scholars?
- A process of creating disconnections between different elements of learning situations
- A process of creating close relationships and connections between different elements of learning situations
- A process of separating formal and informal learning in educational institutions and work organizations
- A process of limiting the ability of learners to work in new and changing contexts
Answer:
A process of creating close relationships and connections between different elements of learning situations
Explanation: The concept of ‘connectivity’ is used by contemporary scholars to address these issues and support a better integration of work and learning. In brief, by connectivity we refer to those processes which aim at creating close relationships and connections between different elements of learning situations, contexts of learning, and systems aiming at promoting learning. Connectivity relates to: (1) the individual learning process, (2) the organizational structures and conditions of learning environments in educational institutions and work organizations as well as (3) the educational system and labour, (4). The core of the ‘connective model of learning’ is the learner’s reflexive connection making between formal and informal learning and the learner’s development of the ability to work in new and changing contexts, which is called ‘boundary crossing'.
3. What are important factors for students' workplace learning outcomes in VET programmes?
- Lack of communication and coordination between school and workplace
- Separate pedagogical arrangements for school learning and workplace learning
- Integration between school learning and workplace learning through integrated pedagogical arrangements
- Workplace learning outcomes are not affected by the connection between school and work.
Answer:
Integration between school learning and workplace learning through integrated pedagogical arrangements
Explanation: The connection between school and work – through communication, cooperation and coordination of VET related actions between school and workplace – and the integration between school learning and workplace learning – through integrated pedagogical arrangements – lead to transformative learning at the individual and organizational level and are important factors for students` workplace learning outcomes. Therefore they should be considered as quality indicators for VET programs.
4. What is the importance of communication and coordination between schools and work organizations for refugees participating in VET programmes?
- It has no relevance for the success of VET programmes
- It helps to increase the number of refugees in VET programmes
- It enables education and training according to their qualifications and mental condition
- It only benefits the work organizations involved in the VET programmes
Answer:
It enables education and training according to their qualifications and mental condition
Explanation: A connection between school and work and integrated pedagogical arrangements are of high relevance for refugees who participate in VET programs. This applies to all types of programs which include learning scenarios in school and work places, e.g. apprenticeships, vocational full-time schools with mandatory internships, preparation courses, training workshops. Especially communication between schools and work organizations about refugees’ legal status, their living situation and their existing skills and competences is important to educate and train them according to their qualifications and mental condition. Also coordination regarding to the applied approaches, concepts and teaching materials for refugee-sensitive schooling and support is necessary to enhance the bridging between different learning sites and the learning process of refugees.
5. What are some ways in which schools and workplaces can cooperate to support the integration of refugees in vocational education and training (VET) programmes?
- Holding meetings between student, teacher and workplace trainer
- Providing only generalized vocational contents
- Isolating refugees from their home countries
- Ignoring refugees’ work-related experiences
Answer:
Holding meetings between student, teacher and workplace trainer
Explanation: Refugees have to integrate former work-related experiences from their home countries with generalized vocational contents learned at vocational schools and new work experiences in the countries of arrival. They should be enabled to recontextualize vocational knowledge. If schools and workplaces cooperate and act jointly in fostering the integration of refugees – for example by holding meetings between student, teacher and workplace trainer or using e-portfolios to increase reflection and shared learning between school and workplace – it helps to achieve orientation in the new learning environments and makes the transition in the labour market easier.
6. What are some ways to ensure a strong connection between school and work for refugees participating in VET programmes?
- Teachers at school should focus only on theoretical knowledge while workplace trainers should handle all practical skills training.
- The people at the workplace do not need to be informed about what goes on in school, as it is not relevant to their work.
- Workplace learning periods should not include any assignments from the school to avoid confusion and overlap.
- Teachers at school and workplace trainers should hold meetings to discuss learning goals and content, methods and assessment, and be clear about each other's roles and responsibilities.
Answer:
Teachers at school and workplace trainers should hold meetings to discuss learning goals and content, methods and assessment, and be clear about each other's roles and responsibilities.
Explanation: Connection between school and work:
- Integration of learning goals and learning content
Relation between classroom instruction and workplace concerning methods and assessement
- Teachers at school are clear about what goes on in the workplace
- The people at the workplace are clear about what goes on in school